Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

If you are thinking about getting a cat tracker...

7 replies

Deargodletitgo · 19/06/2025 11:16

But haven't made the decision yet, thought I'd share my experiences in case it's helpful. I got my first tracker when my boy cat managed to get himself locked in the house for 5 days and we only found him by accident when relatives returned to the property. My second cat got her tracker when she took off overnight and didn't return and so while she doesn't seem to go out very much when she does, she goes out for a while so I made the decision. It was her turn to get the track of her own.

Having seen so many people on here worry about cats that go missing, I would really recommend a tracker. No, they won't prevent your cat from being harmed by another animal or perhaps being run over by a car. But they do give you a peace of mind that is invaluable. I'm especially finding that in the summer when the cat's going out for longer and longer in the evenings and refuse to return at their usual bedtime, I can quickly check it, establish that they're just wandering the neighbourhood living their best life and go to bed.

I use tractive trackers which means that I can tell where they are with the GPS. I can also tell when there isn't my Wi-Fi zone and actually also when they're in the house. So if I do go to bed because they are being dirty stop puts, when I wake up I can tell that they've returned and are snugly in their safe spots usually on the sofa and the bed.

The trackers themselves aren't expensive, about 30£, and while the battery life could be better for the average cat, you should get at least 2 to 3 days worth of battery life before having to recharge. One of my cats is quite dinky, but the tracker doesn't seem to be an issue on her neck and they I have had very limited cases of them losing them, although your mileage may vary depending on your cat. There is a subscription cost of a couple hundred pounds a year I think but honestly for my nerves I have found it really really useful after having lost a cat a few years ago.

Hope that's useful. And no this isn't a sponsored post🤣

OP posts:
minipie · 19/06/2025 11:35

Thank you, useful

I have been considering but don’t really want to pay a subscription, and recharging and replacing batteries every 2-3 days sounds a pain!

I wonder if anyone has tried using an airtag / tile or one of the knock off versions?

Inthebathagain · 19/06/2025 17:23

They're great until the cat loses their collar.

Or they're inside someone else's house.

Or they're under a box. Or a dense bush.

When my boy lost his for the third time and I couldn't find it like I had the first 2 times it came off, I gave up.

minipie · 19/06/2025 17:36

Oh would it not work with cat inside another house? As that’s where I suspect she is most of the time…

LadyLucyWells · 19/06/2025 17:37

I love the idea of this but my little darlings will not keep collars on. The baby cat removes within an hour, every time.

Deargodletitgo · 19/06/2025 17:53

Tends to work if they are in another house, or shed (he's done that, I knew where he was just had to wait until the next morning to ask the neighbours to let him out).

Also with another house you can always search for the WiFi the cat is closest too, and find them that way.

My ginger twat has had it for 3 years, still has his original tracker although have had to retrieve it a few times. My little girl I thought would hate it but has coped brilliantly. Both have breakaway collars

The battery life varies by model, stupidly the new cat mini is the one with the poorer life. The older model and dog model (which is essentially the same) last up to 5 days.

OP posts:
Deargodletitgo · 19/06/2025 17:54

Oh, and they also use Bluetooth, so if GPS blocked can use that instead if close by.

OP posts:
Deargodletitgo · 19/06/2025 17:56

LadyLucyWells · 19/06/2025 17:37

I love the idea of this but my little darlings will not keep collars on. The baby cat removes within an hour, every time.

ginger menace did this first day. Found playing with the collar tightness worked. I was so annoyed/scared about him going missing again I was willing to insert it rectally just so I knew where he was

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page