5 Best Invisible Fences for Cats [2024 Updated Reviews]

Last Updated on October, 2024

Caging or leashing cats is probably never done. After all, it’s not like they roam too far away from home.

But what if they did? What would happen then? And, do they really have to move that far away from your home to come across a fatal risk?

You’re here because you did consider the risk. Using an invisible fence to contain cats is a very clever and effective method. 

That’s why there are many invisible fences on the market today.

Since we understand our beloved audience, we analyzed some of the most efficient invisible fences for cats. Not only that, we ranked them so you can make a better choice.

So, all you need to do is read through each fence, and see what works best for you.

Let’s begin.

5 of the Best Invisible Fence for Cats

1. Tractive GPS Tracker for Cats (Editor’s Choice)

Thanks to its curved design, it’ll be highly comfortable for your cat.

So, how about the fencing?

You can draw unlimited invisible fences with the Tractive cat tracker in its designated free mobile app. It’s very benefitting since you can have multiple boundaries simultaneously. That skyrockets your cat’s safety. 

There’s no limit to the range. So, you can draw a cat fence of a thousand acres or around your house, and it’ll work with the same efficiency. The limitless range factor is unique to the Tractive invisible fence.

What happens when the cat crosses the boundary?

You will receive an app notification as soon as the cat crosses the fence boundary. The response time is about 2-3 seconds for me. Once again, no other fence has that much speed. 

You can also share location history with anyone interested, especially your family. All they need is the Tractive app.

You also get to monitor activity and sleep tracking. You can see the calories burned, the active time, and the sleeping duration.

With a wellness score system, the app lets you know whether your cat’s activity and sleeping attributes are standard. That’s why this is a very advanced collar.

With seven days of maximum battery life, it’ll be very convenient to use the tracker long-term.

This is an IPX7 waterproof collar. That increases durability immensely. It is also 100% smashproof.

It also has power-saving zones that can be set up inside the house. When the Wi-Fi picks up the tracker’s signal, location tracking will stop saving the battery.

Finally, you can buy the tracker with or without a collar. 

By now, you should understand why exactly the Tractive invisible fence for cats is the best solution.

KEY SPECS:

Here’s our Tractive GPS Cat Tracker & Fence Review.

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2. PetSafe Stay & Play Wireless Fence (#2nd Best Choice)

Unlike the Tractive cat fence, the PetSafe wireless containment system has no custom-shaped invisible fences. Instead, you get one circular fence. The range of this fence is ¾ acre. Which is decent for a typical household.

What would happen if your cat escapes the boundary?

Since there’s no mobile phone involved, you won’t receive any real-time notifications. Instead, the collar has corrective feedback of two types; tone and static shock.

The tone-only mode has no intensity levels. But static shock does. You need to choose one of the five progressive intensity levels. That makes the product an invisible electric fence.

The collar has an LED light, and one flash equals one intensity level. So, you can confirm the intensity level easily. 

When your cat gets close to the boundary, there will be a warning tone. With the right training, the cat will return to the safe zone.

But in case your cat runs past the boundary, the corrective feedback starts. If it’s a static shock, the shock would only last for 15 seconds. That should be enough for the cats to return. 

If a cat doesn’t return to the safe zone, the collar shuts down for 10 seconds; this is the over-correction prevention feature.

But the problem is that the static shock in these wireless fences is made for dogs. So, it’s always mindful to try the tone-only mode first, and the move to the lowest static intensity level depending on your cat’s response.

This waterproof collar works with a replaceable battery, and the expected maximum battery life is two months.

The system has no location tracking or activity tracking.

However, the same LED light that confirms the intensity level also acts as a battery level indicator. The battery is good if it blinks in green every 4-5 seconds. The light would be red as a low battery indicator, which calls for a battery replacement.

KEY SPECS:

Learn more about Petsafe Stay & Play Wireless Fence Review Here.

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3. PetSafe In-Ground Invisible Cat Fence (#3rd Best Choice)

Remember, the rule of thumb is to take the collar off at least once every 12 hours.

The fence is created by wires. The package includes a 500ft wire bundle to do that. Because of that, you can make custom-shaped virtual fences.

The range can go as high as 25 acres. But with the 500ft wire drum, you can get up to 1⁄3 acres of range.

But with 4000ft of wire, you can expand the coverage area up to 25 acres.

You can also create fences inside fences by twisting the loop. For example, a pool area inside could be the boundary for an inside fence. When the loop is twisted, the signal cancels.

What happens when the cat crosses the boundary? The corrective feedback operation is similar to Stay & Play. 

There’s the tone-only mode with no intensity levels. But similar to the PetSafe Stay & Play, there are five intensity levels in the static shock mode. 

There’s also an LED intensity level indicator in the collar for convenience. Most shock collars don’t have that.

The battery life of this ground cat fence depends on its usage. The maximum expectable runtime is 2 months. It’s better to check with the low battery level indicator, which isn’t seen in most invisible fences.

If the same LED light in the collar flashes red every 4-5 seconds, you must replace the battery.

There is no remote monitoring of location and boundary crossing in this wireless fence system. It also has no activity or location-tracking features. 

Finally, there’s a 30-day free cat training guide in their user guide. So you don’t have to worry whether the cat will respond well to the corrective feedback.

This is the third-best invisible fence solution for cats and has many benefits. 

KEY SPECS:

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4. PetSafe Pawz Away Pet Barrier Indoor

What you should do is keep the barrier device in the center of the location you want your cat away from. When the cat enters the area, the collar will trigger corrective feedback.

That’s as simple as it can get. So, this is not a ground cat fence. 

The range of each barrier device has about a 6-foot radius. But you shouldn’t keep another Pawz Away barrier within 8 feet of proximity. You can easily change the range with the + and – buttons in the barrier device between 4 levels. 

These electric fences are fantastic for indoor cats and are 100% portable.

When your cat enters a barrier zone, the corrective feedback starts from tone-only mode. It rapidly escalates to the maximum level of static correction within 3 seconds. The company guarantees that the shock level is proven to be safe.

You need 4 AAA alkaline batteries, which should be replaced with time. But you can buy the YardMax® rechargeable receiver collar separately. Both these collars are waterproof.

There are no location or activity tracker features in the device. The maximum expected battery life is five months with AAA batteries, but you have to replace the batteries.

All things considered, this is the fourth-best invisible cat fence.

KEY SPECS:

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5. PetSafe Pawz Away Pet Barrier Outdoor

Once it switches from sound to static, the intensity increases progressively and automatically within 3 seconds. There’s a 15-second maximum limit for correction for an instant before temporarily shutting down.

The receiver collar is waterproof. On the flip side, the transmitter is disguised as a rock, so it would fit the outdoor setting better.

The device has no activity or location tracking. Because of that, you require no mobile app to operate it.

For a keep-away cat fence, this is definitely a great product.

KEY SPECS:

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Factors to Consider When Buying Invisible Fences for Cats

The Range and Shape of the Fence

I’m sure that not all invisible fencing systems are similar. They differ based on range and shape. Some fences can be drawn, and they’re fully customizable.

On the flip side, some have a fixed shape, usually circular. Then comes the range factor. Is it a few feet or limitless? Remember to check the first most fundamental factor.

Let’s move to the second one.

Nature of Corrective Feedback 

Battery Life

Imagine what would happen if you lost your cat and the battery ran out after a couple of hours. So, the longer the battery life, the higher the security. You also need to check if the battery is replaceable or rechargeable.

Fit

It would be so uncomfortable for small cats to wear an oversized collar. That’s why the size compatibility between your furry friend and the collar shouldn’t be a problem.

Durability 

Cats are adventurous creatures, and they walk all over the place. That’s why your choice of collar must be waterproof. That assures the legitimacy of the waterproof nature.

Trust me — you don’t want to settle for anything less for cats.

Operational Convenience

Some invisible fence systems work with transmitters, and others use the mobile phone app. The chances of using a remote controller to manage the collar’s settings are high if it involves a transmitter. So, you need to ask yourself what works for me.

Additional Features

It’s always better to have as many features as possible for a tracker. For instance, it’s convenient if you can track your cat’s location and health stats. Being able to share information via the app is another benefit.

Some systems let you add multiple pets. You can understand this list goes on. So, be sure to check what additional features you get when buying an invisible fence for cats.

What is an Invisible Fence for Cats?

Most pet barriers work based on a cat collar, a transmitter, or a buried or on-ground wire. Invisible fencing is not made from actual fences, and that’s why they cannot be seen.

But similar to and more effective than the traditional fences, the corrective feedback in these invisible fences will contain your cats in safe zones.

Related article: Best GPS Trackers & Collars for Cats

Why Use an Invisible Fence?

All the invisible fences for cats mentioned in this review are designed to contain our cats without actually caging them.

We know how hard it is to contain cats, unlike dogs, as cat owners. So, using invisible fences to contain cats is the safest way that preserves their quality of life. 

Benefits of an Invisible Fence for Cats

• You do not have to cage your cats with actual fences
• Severely minimize accidents on the road 
• Be free of complaints from neighbors 
• Eliminate the space consumption by a physical fence
• Invisible fences for cats are not as expensive as physical fences
• The convenience of remote monitoring your cats with smartphones
• Cat parents can focus on their everyday work better
• Keep your cat contained effortlessly 
• Be alerted if the cat runs off to off limits 
• Additional location and activity tracking 
• Preserve the local wildlife
• And more!

Types of Invisible Fences Available for Cats

Invisible fences work in three main ways. For most cats and even other animals

Collar-Based Virtual Fence

The collar creates the fence in this type. Some fences move as the collar moves, making it the fence’s center. The other fences have unmoving boundaries. 

These are usually drawn on maps in their respective mobile applications. Usually, the range is high, accurate, and has faster responses in this type. The reason is the use of high-speed GPS technology. This type of fence has the most efficient features.

Transmitter/Handheld-Based Invisible Fence

These fences aren’t created from the collar but from transmitters or handheld devices. That makes the system off-grid, making them work without cell service. 

However, you cannot draw customized shapes for a containment area; they’re almost always circular. The fence moves with the transmitter or the handheld too. 

Invisible Fence By Buried Wires 

Although no ground fence is above ground, wires should be buried to create this fence. That makes it possible to achieve shapes like an underground fence. The fence is not portable, and the features are the least.

In Conclusion 

The Tractive invisible fence system for cats is the best invisible fence for cats. The superiority of this fence system and its unique features justifies the product’s success.

Cat parents deserve peace of mind in containing their cats without stealing their freedom.

Keeping your cat safe is exceptionally efficient with invisible barriers like the Tractive system. 

That’s what both you and your cat deserve.

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