Last Updated on October, 2024
Last year, my cat, Lucy, was run over by a vehicle
Why did it happen? I didn’t know where my cat was at the time.
Now, I’ve got a question for you — what’s your cat’s location right now? Where was it this time yesterday?
If you can’t answer at least one, my dear friend, you need a cat GPS tracker for good.
But you’re lucky because this list will help you choose the BEST cat GPS tracker for your furry friend.
Table of Contents
My Testing Process at a Glance
I bought each GPS tracker; that’s right.
I’m too much of a GPS-tracking skeptic, and I didn’t want to try my luck. Not with my only other Ginger cat, Bengal.
So, I bought each GPS cat tracker and tested them myself. That’s why I emphasized the value of the information you’d find here.
The aspects I assessed in each product are divided into 3 key areas, such as:
Be sure not to miss any words since it’s all information here. This article is all you need to choose the best cat GPS tracker.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
The 10 Best All-Gps Cat GPS Trackers in 2022
1. Tractive GPS Cat Tracker (Editor’s Choice)
I don’t save the best for last. So, I listed one of the best 5 cat GPS tracking devices at the start of this article; the Tractive GPS cat tracker.
Tractive is an Austrian-based company, and the CEO is an ex-developer for both Microsoft and Amazon.
He’s passionate about pets, and this interview shows the product’s reliability.
You can check it right here if you’d like.
How it works: log in to the app, turn the collar on, and you’ll notice how the app and the tracker sync. After that, the collar is connected to the global GPS system.
All you need to do is choose your preferred tracking feature.
Those features are discussed down below.
Durable Yet Cat-Friendly Design is certified since the tracker weighs only 1.23 oz or 35g, and the slightly curved design fits absolutely perfectly.
Its dimensions are 0.67 x 2.8 x 1.1 inches, and that’s the ideal size for a cat tracker.
Durability is reassured in terms of resistance aspects as well.
The Tractive cat tracker is IPX7 waterproof and shock resistant. All these features are met without compromising the cat-friendly design.
So, that’s pretty impressive.
You get 7 days of battery life after a full charge and 3 days on average without any power saving.
Not even the best cat GPS trackers on the market can quickly provide you with such resilient battery power.
There are 4 main types of operational modes in the Tractive cat tracker.
They are:
The live mode updates the location every 2-3 seconds, which is extremely impressive. But that’s why GPS trackers are superior in a way.
This mode is what would have saved my Lucy back then. Cats move faster, and Tractive has definitely fulfilled a need here.
You can enable or disable the live mode, which helps you save the battery.
It uses a mixture of WiFi, Bluetooth and LTE/Cellular for tracking.
Virtual fence mode lets you define an area and alerts you if the cat leaves the boundary. That’s why it’s a virtual fence. You can have as many fences as you want. In this context, this is the same as a geofence.
The power-saving mode enables around a 40% boost in battery life. It happens by lowering the number of location updates per unit of time.
Activity and sleep tracking modes let you monitor the cat’s sleeping patterns, how many calories the cat has burnt, and likewise.
All of the operational features of the tracker are centralized in their app.
It is an absolute beauty, coupled with increased convenience. The UI/UX experience is so simple that even a caveman could handle the app.
The recorded and even live locations can be shared, and that’s convenient. You don’t have to keep sending screenshots or explaining over text or phone to someone; you can simply share the location.
That’s Tractive GPS supremacy.
Finally, because this is a GPS tracker, you should pay monthly fees for the subscription.
The combination of all these features makes the Tractive cat GPS tracker the BEST GPS tracker for cats.
Learn more about this device in this Tractive Cat GPS Tracker Review.
Pros
Cons
2. Jiobit Smart Tag (#2nd Best Choice)
The Jiobit GPS location tracker is my second-best option. It’s almost as good as the Tractive cat tracker.
What caught my eye was the $20 off coupon I got when I was browsing their website.
In addition, it’s a GPS + LTE + Bluetooth device, which isn’t found very often.
Jiobit’s co-founder, John Renaldi, invented the product after he lost his 6-year-old son in a crowded Chicago park for more than half an hour.
How it works: Like Tractive, there’s an app, and you need to turn the tag on and sync it by logging in.
After that, you’ll have different modes of tracking to use.
Jiobit runs its own virtual wireless carrier that combines 4G and is even 5G capable. It’ll also switch between Bluetooth, GPS, and LTE to track your cat, depending on the need; similar to the Tractive tracker.
The Jiobit cat tracker weighs only 18g or 0.6oz, which is lighter than the Tractive one. However, it’s more of a key tag than a tracker.
However, this product is waterproof under the IPX8 rating and has decent shockproof characteristics under the ISO 10993-10 compliant outer shell material.
What’s impressive is its small size; 37mm (W) x 50mm (H) x 12mm (D) – (about the size of an Oreo cookie).
Like Tractive’s, Jiobit’s app is quite simple, easy to use, and free in both AppStore and PlayStore.
It prevents all sorts of malware and intrusion-resistant hardware.
7 days of battery life is what’s promised by Jiobit, and mine ran for around 5 days with intense use.
The Jiobit cat tracker’s operational modes are diverse and impressive. Let’s check them out separately.
- Smart tracking mode
Jiobit has a patented tracking technology named Progressive Beaconing Technology. Ideally, it uses GPS, Bluetooth, or even Wi-Fi to give you the most accurate tracking wherever your cat goes.
- Live mode
Like the Tractive’s, the live mode allows you to track your cats in real-time wherever they go. You can turn it on or off as needed.
- Trusted Places Mode
You can name the locations you trust and be notified when your cat gets there. This model is built to boost reassurance.
- Care team mode
Under the care team mode, you can confirm whether or not your cat is with someone you trust. This is quite useful for pet sitters. All they need to do is install the app, and you’ll be able to see the location of both your cat and them.
You can also appoint people to the care team. They come in handy for SOS mode.
- SOS mode
The SOS mode is location aware; the system will alert your care team and make a 911 alert.
- Timeline mode
You get to see the location history as a timeline, which is quite helpful in noticing the cat’s habits.
The tracker definitely suits and works amazingly with cats.
Pros
Cons
3. Whistle Go Explore for Cats (#3rd Best Choice)
“Whistle” is another US-based company, and their Whistle Go Explore pet location tracker provides you with both GPS and health tracking.
So, this is the same product as Whistle Health & GPS.
It comes in 3 colors and, you guessed right, a subscription plan.
How it works: Turn the device on, and sync with their mobile app. Then, you can set up a safe place, one or more.
When operating with Wi-Fi, the tracker is in battery saver mode. Every known network will be scanned every 3 minutes to ensure the pet is close by.
The tracker switches to LTE mode when the pet is out of the Wi-Fi range. So, there’ll be two scanning spans; every 6 minutes in LTE and every 3 minutes in Wi-Fi.
If the pet moves further away, the tracker switches to GPS, and you’ll get location updates every 15 seconds.
You also can make multiple safe zones similar to virtual fencing.
The Whistle GPS cat tracker is 1.4″ wide, 1.8″ long, and 0.7″ thick, weighing just under 1 oz. The tracker is so small and so compact. It makes it easier to attach the tracker to the cat collar.
With an IPX8 waterproof rating, the device can stay safe from water up to 6 feet of depth.
Whistle’s free app is as simple as Tractive’s and Jiobit’s.
All the operations are integrated into the app. It is supported on the iPhone iOS 14.0 or later and Android v8.0 or later.
20 days is the manufacturer’s guarantee, and mine ran for 16 days with typical use. That’s still remarkable battery life.
There are so many aspects of how your cat’s health will be assessed by the tracker.
It uses a wellness score, and it’s based on the score from 5 different aspects:
The app directly lets you get location alerts in case your cat decides to make a run. It’s done via both texts and through the app itself.
The GPS location update speed was around 3 minutes for me.
Just like Tractive, Whistle gives you a comprehensive package; you get two collar attachment options, a USB charging cable, and a quick start guide.
You also can check your cat’s movements for a full 24-hour frame. But there are no location-sharing or exporting options.
Pros
Cons
4. Weenect Cats 2
The company behind the Weenect Cats 2, the cat GPS tracker, produces 2 main types of GPS trackers for dogs and cats.
The company markets its Cats 2 tracker as the world’s smallest cat tracker.
How it works: Get the collar and choose a subscription plan at the checkout.
Download the app and sync it with your unique login details. After that, the interface is easy to understand.
I should be talking about the product, but their premium subscription plans are admirable.
But Weenect is ahead of Tractive in terms of customer service. Because no matter what subscription you choose, you get access to ALL the features.
It’s only the durational commitment that changes.
Weenect Cats 2 is presented as the world’s smallest GPS. I’ll let you be the judge of it. Its dimensions are 58 x 23 x 10mm, weighing 25g.
The battery life is around 3 days.
Weenect Cats 2 lets you track your cat worldwide with 3 operational modes.
Let’s look at what each operational mode does.
- Traditional GPS
The tracker’s updating interval can vary between 30 seconds and 60 minutes. So, that lets you save the battery tremendously.
- Live mode
There are no real-time live-mode GPS cat trackers; that’s the reality. But the absolute best you can expect is the range of 1-3 seconds.
Weenect Cats 2 does it.
So, its live mode is definitely a relief for all cat owners.
- History mode (+heat map)
Weenect Cats 2 lets you view it for 30 days; that’s an entire month.
You can also obtain its’ territory analysis’, which is revealed to you by a heat map. This heat map is generated by recording how long your cat stays in certain areas as it moves.
Like Tractive, Weenect Cats 2 lets you define virtual fences, which is definitely a nice feature. You can draw dangerous areas as well.
Weenect Cats 2 is IP67 waterproof rated; the product will stay waterproof with up to 1-meter depth.
The box contains the Weenect Cats 2 GPS, one silicone case, one USB cable, one charging base, and one quick start guide.
Pretty neat, right?
Pros
Cons
5. Tabcat Cat Tracker
I know I said this was an all-GPS list. But rarely, and I mean very rarely, some non-GPS trackers are BETTER than the average cat GPS tracker.
Tabcat cat tracker is one of them.
This was actually a recommendation from a friend who doesn’t like subscription plans or apps. I decided to give it a go.
How it works:
All you need to do is register the tag with the tracking device.
Once you do, either light or sound will be the indicator of whether or not you’re nearby your cat.
How to register the tag on the handset:
The tracker’s dimensions are 8.39 x 6.73 x 0.98 inches, weighing 7.9 ounces.
GPS cat trackers generally provide you with a location accuracy of under 1m or so. But the Tabcat cat tracker’s accuracy is up to 2.5cm.
Not just any tracking device can reveal your cat’s exact location like that.
However, the range is around 182m or 600ft.
I mentioned how Tabcat doesn’t rely on a mobile app. This tracker is synced to a simple LED-based device.
The device has a vertical line of LEDs. From the bottom to the top, there are 2 reds, 2 yellows, and 4 greens; red is when you’re far away, and green is when you’re getting close.
The sound helps you find the cat at visually inaccessible locations.
There are no monthly fees; you just buy the tag, and that’s it.
Training cats to work on cues is more complicated than you think. But it gets extremely easy with sounds and beeps. The Tabcat tracker has one; you can train your cat to come home.
Some TabCat trackers are reported to last for up to 12 months. Mine has been running for around 2 months now.
However, the company recommends you charge the battery every 4 months if using less frequently and every 2 months if using daily.
Pros
Cons
6. Tuscom Tractive Device
Don’t we all like cost-effective things that work perfectly, especially when it comes to tech? I know I do.
On the flip side, having a cheap GPS tracker as a backup tracker is helpful.That’s how I ended up buying the Tuscom tracker.
It’s not GPS-based; it’s Bluetooth based. Like the Tabcat, the Tuscom works just as well as a GPS tracker. It’s my go-to device for indoor tracking.
Don’t believe me? Let’s have a look.
How it works: Download the designated app and connect via Bluetooth to start tracking.
Compatibility: Apple devices (mobile phones, tablets) with iOS 7.1 systems are compatible. The Android system needs to be available above version 4.3. Bluetooth 4.0 or above.
It’s a red flag when cat trackers are too big or heavy. But here are the dimensions of the Tuscom cat tracker; 5.91 x 3.94 x 0.79 inches — that’s not the smallest, but still pretty small.
All you need is the “isearching” app, available on both the Playstore and the AppStore, to operate the tracker. The interface is simple but not as attractive as Tractive’s and similar.
Although there is no specific standardized rating, the Tuscom cat tracker is waterproof by design.
This cat tracker isn’t for outdoor tracking at all. However, Bluetooth 4.0 technology works quite well within tight indoor spaces. After all, the maximum working range is 15-30 meters, as that’s how Bluetooth trackers like these work.
You also have 30 days to return the product, but I kept mine since it had no issues whatsoever.
Pros
Cons
7. Pod 3 Cat GPS Tracker
Fear not if you were a little unhappy that I suggested two non-GPS solutions. Because the Pod 3 pet tracker, designed for cats and dogs, uses GPS technology.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
This subscription-based tracker has been Australia-based since 2014 and is used for both indoor and outdoor tracking.
How it works: The Tracker is directly connected to a designated app.
It doesn’t matter which service provider you use since the device has its own SIM card. If you don’t have the app, there’s a web application too.
This tracker is 2 inches in length and 0.9 inches in diameter; those are cat-friendly dimensions. In addition, the Pod 3 cat tracker weighs only 31g.
Needless to say, these are extremely cat-friendly dimensions.
So, I like seeing standardized waterproof capacity in pet trackers. Pod 3 has an IPX67 waterproof rating, and that’s value for money.
In addition to that, the device is shockproof as well.
Replaceability is useful to protect a cat tracker from low-voltage issues. The Pod 3 tracker has fixed it by design.
My battery lasted for 4.5 days in standard settings, around 3 days in safe zone tracking, and about 7.5 hours in live mode. I realized that these numbers more or less tally with several online reviews of the product.
All-GPS technology is excellent, but a mixture of GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi is much better.
GPS accuracy is up to 30 feet, Bluetooth accuracy is up to 10 feet, and Wi-Fi tracking gets you accuracy up to 90 feet.
The switching is intelligent and will happen automatically.
The Pod 3 GPS tracker’s tracking limit is unlimited as long as there is cellular coverage.
There’s an arrow-shaped light at the base opposite the battery, and I initially thought it was just an indicator.
I was wrong.
The light communicates information such as the GPS status, data transfer, and even the device’s battery level.
I love the Pod 3 app, but not as much as I like Tractive’s or Jiobit’s, but it’s still pretty decent. There are two main screens: the map screen and the pet screen.
The map screen shows the location info, adding new pets, and managing your account settings.
In the pet screen, these are the features you’d find:
The Pod 3 GPS cat tracker is superior to its competitors in the operational area.
There’s the live mode/adventure mode that refreshes every 10 seconds. Then there’s the standby mode, where the location refreshes every 3 hours.
The location is supposed to refresh in the safe zone every 5 minutes by default.
However, I noticed it went as quickly as every 2 minutes and close to every 2 houses. If the cat leaves the safe zone, you get a notification.
You can have multiple safe zones as well.
Although it’s Australia based, the Pod 3 GPS tracker works in 175 countries across the globe.
Here’s what’s included in the Pod 3 tracker package:
Overall, this tracker meets and exceeds the expectations of any cat owner.
Pros
Cons
8. Kippy Evo Cat Tracker
Kippy EVO caught my eye because I saw “free fast delivery” at the top of their website. On top of that, the price sure seemed like a good deal. So I bought it.
The Kippy EVO is a European cat GPS tracker that can also be used on dogs. It brings a lot of features to the table.
I initially thought it was as good as Tractive, Jiobit, and Pod 3.
Let’s see what I find out.
How it works: Choose a subscription plan once you get the device. I didn’t pick one at the checkout like in Tractive. Log in with your credentials, and turn the tracker on.
After that, the tracking system comes online, making the interface understandable for a child.
What I like about it
I do NOT want my cat to develop a neck problem as it grows; no cat parent wants a complication like that. Kippy EVO has eliminated that risk altogether.
This cat tracker’s dimensions are 3.7cm x 5.5cm x 2.2cm, weighing just 38g.
All GPS trackers are suitable for outdoor tracking but not for tracking cats in indoor spaces or at closer ranges. That’s why Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are there.
So it’s a telltale sign of perfection when a cat tracker has all these tracking technologies.
Kippy EVO’s battery life is 7 days by design, and mine lasted almost 7 days.
The virtual fences are available in KippyEVO as well.
Live mode and location history are the two sides of the same coin. Integrating both into a cat tracker boosts the value of the product.
Kippy EVO did that.
Not only can you track your cat in real time, but you also get 2 months of tracking history.
I told you how the Kippy EVO is built for cats and dogs. So, this activity monitor feature is primarily for dogs, I thought initially.
However, tracking your cat’s daily movements and sleeping habits helps you identify fatal diseases.
You can also compare your cat’s activity with similar cats since trends are already there in the app. So, you can know how well your cat really is.
Like Tractive, Jiobit, and Pod 3, Kippy Evo has its own app. So, there’s more than enough operational convenience from the app itself.
Not only that, there are several charts within the app. It’s proven that the visual presentation of ideas helps you understand complex problems much more quickly.
Whether it was ten or one hundred, you can add as many as shareable users for one Kippy EVO. All you need to have is the login credentials.
When I say one account, what I mean is one set of login credentials.
So, if you have multiple cats, preferably less than 5, you can track all of them using one account.
I was surprised that Kippy Evo didn’t work in the United States. Check here for the countries the tracker works.
Pros
Cons
9. AirTag
Airtag is an underrated tracking tag for pet tracking if you own an iPhone.
I own an Apple device myself, so I found it quite convenient to make use of the product.
It doesn’t use GPS, but the interconnectivity between other iPhone users makes it as good as a GPS device.
How it works:
Fix the AirTag to your cat’s existing collar.
In the Find My network, adjacent devices can pick up on the secure Bluetooth signal that your AirTag emits.
Your AirTag’s location is sent to iCloud via these gadgets, where it may be viewed on a map by using the Find My app.
Your privacy is protected during the entire procedure via anonymity and encryption.
Live mode or real-time tracking is a must-have feature for all cat trackers. Although Airtag is NOT a cat tracker exclusively, it still gives fast and accurate tracking.
Warmer is close, and colder is far.
The tracker uses a conventional Wi-Fi signaling method, although it’s Bluetooth-based.
The diameter of this lightweight tracker is around 1.26 inches, whereas the thickness is 0.31 inches, and it weighs only 0.39 oz.
The Airtag battery lasts for a year. So, that’s a massive saving on both electricity and batteries.
Apple reassures us that the Airtag is dust resistant. Apple’s Airtag range is around 800ft, and mine worked under 900ft, luckily.
But what’s impressive is the standardized IP67 water resistance quality. Since that allows a 30-minute window under 1m of water depth, you don’t have to worry about damage from water at all.
There are way too many AirTags where I live. So, having some sort of customizability in an Airtag would have been safer. Apple provides you with that service for FREE.
At the checkout, you can select the free engraving.
Almost all GPS devices need subscription services. Apple’s Airtag doesn’t require any since its operation is Bluetooth 5.0.
Pros
Cons
10. CUBE Cat GPS Tracker
All the cat trackers on this list are fantastic products. So, the same theory applies to CUBE.
Although the tracker is not made for cat tracking exclusively, all the features are 100% applicable to cat tracking.
I bought two units; one for my cat and one for my car.
How it works: Turn the CUBE tracker on and log in to the CUBE tracker app, available for free in the Play Store and AppStore. After that, the user interface is self-explanation.
With no hidden conditions, CUBE lets you track your cat worldwide, just like Tractive.
The CUBE tracker’s dimensions are 1.57 x 2.75 x 0.64 inches. With a weight of 2.3 ounces, the tracker wouldn’t make your cat’s neck heavier at all.
CUBE doesn’t pinpoint the live tracking refresh rate on their website. However, my unit’s real-time refreshing rate was once every 5-6 seconds.
I’ll explain what they are one by one:
Although there is no standardization, the CUBE GPS tracker is waterproof. But I do not recommend you test its limits for no reason.
CUBE claims the rechargeable battery will last between 10-60 days by design. Mine lasted for around 3 weeks, and I came to a conclusion.
The battery life depends heavily on usage, as live tracking requires more power.
The CUBE GPS tracker is eligible for returns and refunds, and you get a window of 30 days, which is the standard in this business.
Pros
Cons
Why Should You Invest in a Cat Tracker? Should You, Altogether?
The short answer is YES. A big solid YES. It’s the extended version of the answer that opens your eyes. So, why should you invest in a cat tracker?
The #1 reason is that cats are so hard to keep an eye on or monitor in any way. If your cat isn’t around you right now, where do you think it is right now? People can’t answer that question 9 out of 10 times.
I was one of those 9 people back then.
Cats aren’t like dogs; they walk all over the place, follow incredibly confusing paths, and spend too much time in unsafe areas. Sometimes, just knowing their pathways is enough to save them from danger.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of reasons.
Top Factors to Consider When Buying a Tracker
The Tracking Technologies Used in Cat Trackers
Bluetooth
Bluetooth technology in cat trackers is known for two features; months of battery life and accurate location tracking, even 2cm.
A Bluetooth tracker is quite suitable for indoor cats who don’t wander outside but get lost inside your house.
Because that sort of precise location data is most useful in such locations.
The maximum range you’ll find in tracking devices powered by Bluetooth technology would be around 200-300 ft.
Wi-Fi/ Radio Frequency
A Wi-Fi or radio frequency pet location tracker doesn’t reveal the pet’s location like a Bluetooth tracker.
The receiver will start beeping and lighting up when it detects your cat’s radio signal, alerting you that the transmitter or tracker is nearby. That’s the radio frequency theory.
The signal and light increase and decrease in the designed way to communicate whether you’re getting closer or farther.
But the range of radio frequency-based trackers tends to be around 1500 ft.
GPS
The best on the list is since they use satellites to provide location data. The real-time GPS tracking capacity of GPS cat collars is unparalleled.
The only downside is that they cannot give location accuracy like Bluetooth trackers. Even the best cat GPS trackers aren’t for indoor spaces.
All the GPS-based cat trackers require subscription plans since they depend on satellites.
In addition, you’ll often find mobile apps that let you track your cat’s location.
GPS trackers are the most advanced type of cat tracker by design. It’s this type that provides you with virtual/geo fences, alerts when pets leave safe zones, location history, etc.
Related article: Best Wireless Fences for Cats
In Conclusion
You can always do your research from scratch; I’m just making everything easier for you.
So, although all of these are great GPS trackers, Tractive, Jiobit, and Whistle have reached the top.
Out of them, Tractive is the winner, in my opinion. That’s because Tractive wins with a massive lead in terms of all aspects of price, features, range, user-friendliness, and even customer care.
I hope this article helped you make a better decision. Be sure to share it with your beloved community of cat owners;
They deserve the best too.
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