Cat allergic to AirTag - any other skin reactions to trackers?

[BabbleBee]

By process of elimination, it would seem that boy cat is allergic to the AirTag we were using on his collar.

We are now considering a Tractive but wondering if anyone has had a cat with skin reactions to trackers?

Would an Eufy tag be worth a try? It’s totally covered by plastic and can run on the Find My Friends app like the AirTag

Mine hasn't had a reaction to tractive. You can see where the collar should be when he isn't wearing it - almost like the fur just doesn't grow there anymore. But it doesn't appear sore or rubbed - just a permanent parting.

Its quite a big tracker but my 4.5kg cat hasn't been bothered by it at all to our surprise

We tried the Tractive and again we’ve had another skin reaction. I can’t work out if it’s the tracker itself or the silicone holder that attaches it to the collar. He’s licked himself raw again, this time is really extensive.

Can you cover it in anything or find a different material to attach it to the collar? I know I've coated the back of bracelets with clear nail varnish before to stop reactions to the metal would something like that be feasible?

What kind of attachment are you using?

I’m not sure what to do to be honest. The tracker and the AirTag were both in silicone cases which attach to the collar, which is a standard fabric collar. I tried him in just a plain collar for a while and that didn’t cause issues. I put the AirTag on and within 24hrs he had a small bald patch which he was licking a lot. Took the AirTag off and it healed. Put the Tractive on and within 48 hours he had another bald patch which he’s now licked extensively.

Initially I thought he must be walking in something outside that was then irritating him and causing him to scratch. We’ve got a big housing development behind us and I wondered if it was something to do with the building materials. The Tractive showed him going over there but only very briefly and only where the new houses are fully built / occupied.

I’m keeping it clean and as dry as I can for now but will be going back to the vets - no doubt they’ll give him steroids and antibiotics again.