Cats can be elusive and private characters, but the Tractive GPS Collar could shed some light on their habits. Using a GPS tracker could give you a glimpse of what they get up to when you’re not looking. Plus, if your cat ever goes missing - which sadly, a third of feline pets do at some point – it could help you get them home quicker.
This Tractive model not only lets you see where your cat hangs out, but what it gets up to too, acting a little like a Fitbit. The gadget, which fits onto a collar, monitors your cat's active time, nap time and calories burned, helping you help them to stay in shape. Overall, it’s one of the best cat GPS trackers for adventurous kitties out there.
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Tractive GPS Collar review: Features
The most important feature of any tracker is its ability to let you accurately follow your pet. The Tractive can tell you the whereabouts of your cat every two to three seconds, when the tracker is linked to the accompanying app. This means you know where they are and can find them easily.
The device also shows you all the places your cat has been, including their usual haunts, which are shown with a heatmap. This means you might find out of any of your neighbours are borrowing your pet for a cuddle, or, if they frequently smell funny, where the mysterious aroma comes from!
Acting a little like a Fitbit, the gadget monitors your cat's active time, nap time and calories burned, helping you help them to stay in shape. This might be particularly handy if your pet is on a diet or has any health concerns that require special attention.
One thing that may give you your cat a workout unintentionally is the device itself. The collar weighs in at 30g, which may be too heavy for very small cats, but it’s not the heaviest out there either.
The tracker is waterproof and fixes to a collar with a cat-safe buckle, meaning it’s nice and durable. The rechargeable battery lasts between two and five days, and is easy to juice up - but the downside is that it's another thing to remember for busy owners. This negative is the norm for app-connected GPS pet collars.
Another annoyance for some is that the tracker requires a subscription to work, as it has a SIM card inside. This isn't unusual and means you can keep up with your cat in more than 150 countries, but it's an extra bill every month.
Tractive GPS Collar review: User Reviews
Most owners mulling the purchase of a GPS tracker are doing so for their own peace of mind, so that if their pet goes missing, they can find it without too much panic. The Tractive collar certainly seems to tick that box, with one customer, writing (opens in new tab): “It has given me peace of mind that I can find him [her cat] if he disappeared.” Her cat was once spooked by fireworks and went missing for three days, which made her ‘frantic’. Now, she says the tracker lets her find her kitty ‘easily’.
Sometimes you can come up against a very specific problem as pet owner, such as annoying neighbours who might be feeding your greedy cat treats, for example. But the Tractive collar can help. One customer writes (opens in new tab): “If they [the nuisance neighbours] take him [the cat] in their house we can turn on the light and sound alert which has resulted in them putting him out again. Worth every penny!”
Whatever the case, most customers love how accurate the collar can be (although some reviewers suggest it takes a while to pinpoint your cat with ease). Owners (opens in new tab) also praised the power saving mode so the device can record but the light doesn’t flash, keeping the battery fuller for longer.
However, some owners are less than impressed with the device’s size saying it’s simply too big (opens in new tab), while others think it’s too expensive. “I was expecting to pay £3 plus a month ,but the cheaper options are only available if you pay up front for a year or longer,” one customer (opens in new tab) grumbles. However, others think it’s great value for the service it offers. “A great purchase and well worth the money,” another customer (opens in new tab) concludes.
Should you buy the Tractive GPS Collar?
If your moggy is a bit of a home body, you probably don’t need to splash the cash on a fancy tracker. But if your kitty frequently skips town for an adventure and it scares you witless, investing in a GPS pet tracker is almost certainly worth the money!
This one is a bit heavy and the subscription may be pricey, but it offers plenty of bang for its buck, with accurate tracking and heaps of features, so you can get an extra insight into your furry friend’s life and help keep them safe and healthy.
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