The High 4 Cat GPS Trackers for Adventurous Felines – Vetstreet

Cats are curious, which is why cat GPS trackers may be extremely useful. Their curiosity is an enormous a part of what we love most about them. However that curiosity can typically lead our furry buddies to wander slightly farther than we’d like.

And even once they make it house safely (finally and on their very own timeline, in fact) not understanding the place your cat is may be scary for any pet father or mother.

Regardless of the place your pet’s inquisitive nature leads them, a GPS cat tracker is a superb method to make sure you’re capable of find your furry buddy wherever they roam.

Whereas a GPS tracker can’t beam your cat again house on the push of a button, many manufacturers, like industry-leader Tractive, have added new expertise and app-enabled options that make it simpler and extra reasonably priced than ever to maintain tabs in your tabby. 

To assist pet mother and father select the perfect answer and preserve their cats protected, we took a more in-depth have a look at this rising subject and rounded up our prime cat GPS tracker picks. 

4 Cat GPS Trackers That Made Our Listing

All featured merchandise are chosen on the discretion of the creator. Nonetheless, Vetstreet could make a small affiliate fee should you click on by way of and make a purchase order.

In search of the perfect cat GPS tracker to fit your cat’s particular character and habits? Listed below are the monitoring gadgets that rose to the highest of our checklist:

The High Cat GPS Tracker Choices

Not all cat GPS trackers are created equal—which is why we’ve rounded up among the best choices. Actual pet mother and father and veterinarians and vary in value level, particular options, and measurement and weight vetted the next six monitoring gadgets.

Whether or not you’re on the lookout for a just-in-case tracker on your indoor kitty otherwise you want one thing heavy-duty to maintain tabs in your adventurous out of doors cat, there’s a tracker to swimsuit each form of feline.

General Finest Cat GPS Tracker

Our Choose: Tractive Waterproof GPS Cat Tracker

Save $10 on a Tractive GPS machine with the code VETSTREET10

The Tractive Waterproof GPS Cat Tracker is by far our prime decide for the perfect cat-focused GPS monitoring machine available on the market proper now. Dr. Littlejohn additionally recommends this selection to his shoppers largely because of the waterproof materials, light-weight design, and spectacular live-tracking and placement historical past options, which is managed instantly out of your smartphone. 

Tractive cat trackers additionally embody a digital fence characteristic and can provide you with a warning when your cats enterprise outdoors of the customizable parameters. We love that this tracker presents insights into lively time versus relaxation time and even permits you to observe energy burned and set health targets on your feline buddies.

Plus, you should buy enjoyable add-on equipment, like an American flag or rainbow patterned tracker cowl, to customise your pet’s tracker tech. 

Tractive cat trackers use mobile knowledge to pinpoint your cat’s GPS location, so the service does include a month-to-month subscription requirement, which begins at $5/month. However the exact, reside monitoring and enhanced capabilities make the flat price value it, in our e book. General, an ideal selection that goes method past a easy location monitoring software! 

Highlights

• Light-weight, waterproof design is ideal for each indoor and out of doors cats
• Superior options embody 365-day location historical past, capability to share monitoring entry with others, and protection in over 175 nations worldwide
• Accessible with collar or with out 
• The consumer expertise and included app are wonderful and simple to make use of
• As much as 7 days of battery life
• Works in each the US and Canada

Issues to Contemplate:

• The month-to-month charges make this tracker costlier than different choices on the checklist, however the options additionally beat out the competitors

Finest GPS Cat Monitoring Collar

Our Choose: AirTag Cat Collar and Apple AirTag

This Apple AirTag Cat Collar combo is a good selection for any cat. Nevertheless it’s particularly becoming for smaller cats or those that could not like the scale and weight of a cumbersome, full-sized GPS monitoring machine. The reflective nylon collar was designed particularly to suit a single Apple AirTag and gained’t get in the best way of your cat’s climbing, exploring, or grooming actions. 

This selection can also be value contemplating for pet mother and father who don’t need to pay for a month-to-month membership. The AirTag doesn’t use conventional satellite-based GPS monitoring expertise. As a substitute, it makes use of a Bluetooth sign to connect with the Discover My app on iPhone or Android gadgets.  Wherever your cat’s AirTag goes, it sends out a safe Bluetooth sign detected by any close by gadgets within the Discover My community. To observe your cat’s whereabouts in real-time, merely log into the app to see your cat’s location on a map. You possibly can even put your cat’s AirTag into Misplaced Mode to routinely notify you when it’s detected by different telephones within the Discover My community.

Highlights

• The right measurement for smaller cats or kittens
• One-time buy; doesn’t require a month-to-month membership
• Replaceable lithium battery lasts over a yr
• Person expertise is nice—particularly for customers of iPhone 11 and past, which provide superior Precision Discovering options for AirTags

Issues to Contemplate

• This monitoring machine solely works when in vary of smartphones utilizing the Discover My app

Finest Multi-Objective GPS Cat Tracker

Our decide: Tracki GPS Tracker

In search of a multi-purpose monitoring machine that may permit you to observe a number of completely different pets, children, and even valuables multi function place? The Tracki GPS Tracker is small and sturdy, so you may simply clip it onto a cat’s collar. However somebody can use it to trace something of worth, like baggage, automobiles, tools, and extra. 

The tracker itself is provided with 4G LTE tech able to real-time monitoring over limitless distances, wherever on this planet. And it comes wth quite a lot of included equipment that will help you adapt it to any objective you want — robust magnet, waterproof silicone cowl for pet collars, belt clip, keychain, and lanyard. The GPS satellite-powered monitoring functionality makes it a wonderful choice for cat mother and father whose furry relations are likely to wander away on prolonged adventures.

Highlights:

• Limitless distance performance is nice for cats who like to discover
• About one-third the scale and weight of different GPS trackers
• The multi-purpose tracker and user-friendly app make it straightforward to trace a number of pets, children, or valuables
• Rechargeable battery lasts 5 days when monitoring each 1-5 minutes, 30-75 days when monitoring 1-3 instances per day

Issues to Contemplate:

• Requires a month-to-month membership price of $10/month, which is larger than rivals
• Not designed particularly for pets, so it doesn’t have some pet-friendly options different trackers supply 

Finest Light-weight Cat Tracker

Our decide: Tabcat Cat Tracker

The Tabcat Cat Tracker is likely one of the solely trackers we discovered particularly designed for cats, and it reveals within the consideration to element! This tremendous glossy and ultra-light tracker is billed because the smallest and lightest cat tracker available on the market, weighing in at lower than 5 grams. So it’s nice for finicky cats who can’t stand feeling one thing weighty on their collar.  

On the subject of discovering your cat, Tabcat works otherwise than most different trackers available on the market. It makes use of radio frequency expertise that works over a wider vary than Bluetooth-enabled locators and supplies a lot larger accuracy than GPS trackers. As a substitute of logging into an app or discovering your cat on a map, pet mother and father use a small Tabcat handset to scan for a cat’s tracker. And as you zero in on a course, the handset with mild up and emit sounds that improve in pitch and frequency the nearer you get to your cat.

Tabcat claims that their monitoring gadgets can pinpoint the precise location of your cat (give or take an inch), which may be useful in case your cat’s an knowledgeable at hide-and-seek. Tabcat may even present strolling instructions that will help you get to your cat utilizing probably the most environment friendly route potential. The machine makes use of rechargeable batteries and in addition presents a two-year producer’s guarantee simply in case something goes unsuitable.

Highlights:

• Comes with two light-weight and compact homing tags, two splashproof protecting circumstances, and a handset sensor
• Makes use of radio frequency for very correct and exact monitoring inside 600 ft
• Features a rechargeable battery; sustainability-minded
• No month-to-month subscription price
• Comes with 30-day money-back assure and two-year producer’s guarantee

Issues to Contemplate:

• Doesn’t embody a smartphone app
• Tracker have to be inside 500 ft or much less of the handset to work, and interference from partitions, doorways, and buildings could scale back that vary

What Is a GPS Cat Tracker?

Some pet mother and father assume they don’t actually need a cat GPS tracker as a result of they microchip their cat. Nonetheless, microchips solely assist determine misplaced pets as soon as they’re discovered. And even then, the chip needs to be scanned and the registry info have to be up-to-date for pets to be reunited with their households.

True GPS cat monitoring gadgets, alternatively, transmit a pet’s location utilizing satellite tv for pc knowledge, so you may observe your pet’s location always, 24 hours a day, wherever on this planet.

In contrast to microchips, inserted underneath the pores and skin, a GPS pet tracker is usually worn by your pet — both connected to a collar or integrated into the collar, itself. That makes pet trackers notably efficient in serving to to maintain pets protected and pet mother and father knowledgeable. 

Actually, in keeping with Dr. David Littlejohn, DVM, GPS monitoring collars have gotten more and more fashionable due to the moment peace of thoughts they bring about to pet mother and father. “In case your cat is an indoor cat and occurs to get outdoors, you’ll have the ability to discover them a lot faster,” explains Littlejohn. “Likewise, should you let your cat outside and so they’re sporting a GPS monitoring collar, it’s good to know you may find them in the event that they stray too removed from house.”

Some trackers have one thing known as a “digital fence perform” that informs pet mother and father if a cat has left a predetermined space by sounding an alarm as quickly as they cross the boundary of that digital “protected zone.” 

“GPS trackers show they’re most helpful within the circumstances when cats roam away from their standard areas and get misplaced, as a result of they permit homeowners to shortly find their cats,” provides Dr. Paola Cuevas, a veterinarian for PetKeen.com. 

She provides that some trackers supply added advantages, like calculating a cat’s exercise stage and hours of sleep, which can assist handle total well being and wellness.

How We Selected Our High GPS Trackers for Cats

Though chances are you’ll not have the ability to discover cat GPS trackers in each cat family but, they’re changing into more and more fashionable amongst feline mother and father. There are already dozens of choices available on the market to select from. 

To assist pet mother and father discover the perfect cat trackers on the market, we rounded up some prime picks as really helpful by veterinarians, high-quality buyer evaluations, and our personal expertise as mother and father of adventurous felines.

Cat Tracker Shopping for Information: What to Look For

Cat GPS monitoring gadgets have all kinds of options and advantages concentrating on all several types of cats (and cat parenting kinds). So that you’ll must prioritize what’s most essential to you and your cat earlier than choosing a selected tracker. Right here’s what you must think about when choosing the proper cat tracker.

Measurement and form: Cat GPS monitoring gadgets are available many various shapes, sizes, and kinds. The commonest choices clip or connect onto an everyday collar however you can even discover a lot smaller monitoring gadgets that come enclosed in a tracking-specific collar that is perhaps a greater choice for smaller cats.

Value and month-to-month charges: Monitoring gadgets are usually fairly budget-friendly however you’ll need to issue within the month-to-month charges some manufacturers cost to maintain the tracker lively. This price tends to be round $5 to $20 relying on the membership tier you choose. Choosing an extended membership or subscription interval can web you larger financial savings, however chances are you’ll not have the ability to get any a refund should you cancel your plan early. So you should definitely learn the advantageous print.

Battery life: How lengthy a GPS tracker lasts ought to play a significant function in your determination. Sure trackers will final for weeks on finish between fees whereas different non-rechargeable choices will final for a few yr earlier than needing to be absolutely changed. And the best way you employ the tracker could affect the battery life. Some trackers will allow you to swap between real-time monitoring (which tends to make use of up battery life quicker) and battery-saving mode (which nonetheless tracks your pet, however not in real-time). 

Cat GPS Tracker FAQs

Can I observe my cat with a microchip?

The brief reply is not any—you can not observe your cat with a microchip. The primary objective of a microchip is to hyperlink a pet father or mother’s title and get in touch with info to their pet. That method, in case your cat makes their method right into a neighbor’s yard or someplace throughout city, anybody who finds them can take them to a veterinarian’s workplace and have the chip scanned to facilitate a reunion. 

Moreover, the microchip makes use of RFID expertise somewhat than GPS monitoring and may solely be learn by RFID-specific readers at a veterinarian’s workplace, police division, or choose PetSmart areas.

Are GPS trackers protected for my cat?

Sure, GPS monitoring gadgets are a very protected and handy choice for protecting tabs in your feline buddies. That mentioned—you’ll need to make sure the tracker you select is sufficiently small on your cat to comfortably put on with out pulling at their collar or inflicting them discomfort.

How a lot is a cat GPS tracker?

There’s an enormous spectrum of value factors for cat GPS trackers. Properly-known manufacturers like Tractive with superior capabilities can price upwards of $70 per monitoring machine, whereas lower-tech choices with fewer options run you as little as $15. Remember the fact that many manufacturers can even cost a month-to-month price of round $5 to $20 to maintain the tracker lively.

Are cat GPS trackers value it?

Cat GPS trackers are completely well worth the cash—particularly you probably have an adventurous cat who tries to flee out the door each probability they get. Whereas trackers designed particularly for pets typically include further well being and wellness-enhancing advantages, should you don’t want all that, you may go for any form of object tracker choices, like Tile or Apple AirTags, which are sometimes lower-priced.

Utilizing a Pet Tracker: Ideas and Recommendation

Keep in mind, trackers can profit indoor and out of doors cats alike. Indoor cat mother and father might imagine GPS trackers will not be obligatory for his or her cats, however they’ll come in useful in case your cat likes to cover in surprising locations, says Dr. Cuevas. GPS trackers additionally assist stop indoor cats from getting misplaced in the event that they unintentionally make it outdoors. So even should you assume the probabilities are slim, GPS trackers are value contemplating for any sort of cat.

Light-weight is greatest: GPS trackers for cats have to be protected and dependable. “They need to be small so {that a} cat can simply put on them with out getting them caught on issues,” explains Dr. Cuevas. “They need to be waterproof and light-weight.”

Don’t depend on a tracker alone: There are a number of methods to make sure your cats don’t wander away too far. You’ll need to think about activating a wi-fi fence—most GPS trackers can even permit you to arrange a wi-fi fence to assist preserve your kitty contained and can provide you with a warning in the event that they enterprise too distant. And whereas microchips don’t observe misplaced pets, they’re a necessary a part of serving to you reconnect with a pet, as soon as discovered and scanned. So it’s at all times a good suggestion to make sure microchipping your cat and your registration info is present, simply to be further protected.