Can You Register A Cat Without Papers – All You Need To Know!

If you’re adopting a cat, the last thing that may be on your mind is registering your cat. Perhaps you heard that your friend with a Siamese cat has papers for their cat – but you don’t have anything like that! As you begin to worry that you missed something, you start to wonder: can you register a cat without papers?

You will not be able to register a cat without papers. Registration of a cat usually comes in the form of paperwork that you will need to produce when asked. Both of these things go hand-in-hand when a cat is being registered.

The world of feline registration can be complicated, but you are not expected to register your cat as a cat owner. This is often reserved for people who are professionals and have purebred cats. If you want cat registration to be demystified, keep on reading to understand this practice! 

What Does It Mean When A Cat Is Registered

Registration papers for a cat show information like your cat’s shots. 

For example, a registered cat is not the same as a registered car.

Your cat’s registration will usually come from your vet when you begin to bring him to appointments. 

Registration tells things like the cat’s name, your address, a list of the vaccines that your cat has had, and whether or not your cat has a microchip. 

As your cat gets older, his registration papers might note if he has any medical issues.

Essentially, your cat’s registration papers prove that your cat belongs to you and no one else, which serves a different purpose than others papers that your cat may have. 

Registration papers are not technically “official” documents or comparable to things like your social security card.

What Does It Mean When A Cat Has Papers

You may not realize this, but you can have pedigree papers for a cat, which means that your cat can have official documents stating its status as a purebred.

Not every cat has papers, so do not feel worried that you do not have papers for the stray cat that you found outside your home. 

Purebred cats are registered cats, which is done for a variety of reasons, including:

• Proof of status as purebred
• Lineage tracking
• Proof for showing your cat

If you have a registered purebred cat that does not have official pedigree papers, that is okay.

Most people who obtain official papers their purebred cats are looking to breed them as a professional or show them in events that are judged. 

It is not necessary to have papers for your purebred cat like stray cats, although it is common practice to do so. 

Do Cats Need Papers

Cats do not need papers, but they are helpful when it comes to the professional world of breeding and animal showing. 

There are two common reasons why your cat is going to need papers, so let’s cover them in more depth here.

You Are Breeding Purebred Cats

If you’re breeding purebred cats, most people are not going to take your word that the cats being bred are purebreds.

While we all want to live in a world where we can fully trust everyone, we are not yet there.

Purebred kittens come with a premium price tag, so people want to be sure that the cats they are adopting are, in fact, purebred.

The paperwork is used to show the cat’s lineage and explain that the parents of the cats being bred were also purebred.

In some ways, this gives people who are adopting peace of mind and confirms that the high price tag is worth it. 

You Are Showing Your Cat

Some people like to show their cats in competitions.

Like dogs, cats can be shown professionally. 

Most cats that are put in these competitions are purebred, and owners must prove their cat’s status. 

Much like with adoption of purebred cats, paperwork confirms that the cat is indeed purebred. It proves that you are not lying to the judges about the kind of cats you have.

This might seem excessive to some people, but the world of showing cats is a serious business, and people can give extravagant prizes by doing so. 

How Do I Get Pedigree Papers For My Cat

Getting pedigree papers is a process that might become a long, expensive process, so be prepared to stick to it for the long haul. 

Purebred cats are usually registered with one of many organizations, such as the International Cat Association, the Cat Fancier’s Association, the World Cat Federation, or the World Cat Congress. 

You will need to reach out to the organization that your cat is registered with to obtain pedigree papers. If your cat isn’t already registered with one of these organizations, you’ll need to do that too.

You’ll have to fill out the paperwork with some of the following information:

• The names of the parents of your cat
• The names of the grandparents of your cat
• Registration numbers
• Colors/patterns of the cat’

Unlike registration papers that might also be held at the vet, you will not need to know information about who owns the cats.

The pedigree papers act as a family tree of the cats that people can reference. 

The best I can say here is that you will need to do your research and reach out to the specific organizations if you need additional help. 

Do You Need A Certificate to Breed Cats

You will want an official certificate to breed purebred cats and sell them as such.

We already touched on this, but if you want to sell cats under the understanding that they are purebred cats, you will need a certificate and pedigree papers.

If you do not have pedigree papers and sell someone a cat that is not purebred, you could potentially get sued.

I won’t get much into the logistics of potential lawsuits here because laws are nuanced and different state to state and country to country.

Know that you should not start to breed “purebred” cats without official documentation proving that the cats are purebred.

You might not have known that purebred pedigree cats are such a big deal, but it is. 

How Do You Register A Stray Cat

You do not need to register a stray cat with official pedigree papers.

If you’ve just found a kitten outside your house or on the side of the road, you do not need to worry about registering the cat.

Here are a few reasons why this isn’t going to be something you have to do:

• Chances are the cat isn’t purebred
• Even if you think the cat is purebred, there is no way to track the cat’s lineage to prove it
• You won’t use this cat as a professional breeding animal
• This cat probably won’t make it into professional showings

Your stray cat will become your companion, but you do not need to register him or have important documentation about him. 

You can rest easy there!

Registration of a stray cat is otherwise easy. All you need to do is bring your cat to the vet for its first visit.