Even the most attentive cat owners will sometimes not notice their cat slip out the front door while they are busy carrying in an armful of grocery bags.
Unfortunately, accidents like this happen, and thankfully we have devices that are made to help us track down our lost cats and bring them home safely.
Cat Tracking Collar vs Getting Your Cat Microchipped
A collar tracker for cats, similar to dog tracking GPS collar, is an amazing and incredibly useful invention. Contrary to popular belief, getting your cat microchipped doesn’t mean they are trackable via GPS or any other means. Although this should not deter you from getting them microchipped because it can also be incredibly helpful should they escape your home. It’s important that cat owners understand the difference so that they know what to do if their cat gets out and becomes lost.
A microchip for cats is encoded with a special identification number that is unique to your cat specifically. This identification number can be read using a special device that most shelters and humane society locations have access to. This information can be used to contact you so that the shelter that has your cat can contact you and let you know where your beloved feline ended up.
The pros to microchipping are that the person reading the chip will have all the information they need to get your cat home to you. Also, a microchip cannot just fall off your cat or lose battery power, as they do not run off of any sort of power source.
On the other hand, a GPS tracking collar is GPS enabled, allowing you to see where your cat when to in real-time. That way you can go out and bring them home right away. Some pros to using a GPS tracking collar on your cat is that you can go out and find them right away, rather than waiting on a shelter to possibly call weeks or even months later. However, a cat tracking device could run out of power before you are able to locate your cat. Or even worse, fall off of them in a location that they are no longer hanging around.
Things to Consider When Choosing the Right GPS Tracking Collar
There are several key factors that a cat owner needs to keep in mind when choosing the best cat tracker collar for their feline. Factors such as size, weight, usability, and battery life. If you purchase a GPS tracking collar that just isn’t right for you and your cat, it might do more harm than good.
Weight and Size
You want to pick a GPS tracking collar that won’t make your cat feel uncomfortable and unhappy to wear all the time. Their comfort should be a priority when choosing a tracking collar for them.
A collar that’s too big or too heavy could really make your cat uncomfortable. This could be counter-intuitive to the whole reason you got them this collar, as they could try or successfully get the tracker off after they’ve made it out of the house and ran away.
Usability
What good is a cat tracker collar if it’s not user friendly to the cat’s owner? Meaning, you will want to do some research on different collars before making a purchase. A few things you will want to look into are: Is this collar compatible with your particular smartphone or mobile device? Is this collar within the range of my particular mobile phone network?
Battery Life
Considering that you are relying on the collar’s battery to hold out until you can find your cat if they go missing, it’s safe to say that the battery is an incredibly important piece to consider before purchase.
Other Features to Consider
Some GPS tracking collars come with advanced technology that can track your cat’s physical activity in addition to their location. This feature is more so geared towards monitoring their health. With an activity tracker, you can monitor your cat’s sleep and activity habits to monitor for any changes that may point towards them having a problem.
Conclusion
The last thing a cat owner would ever want is for their precious kitty to get out and go missing. With an innovative pet product such as a GPS tracking collar, cat owners can rest easy knowing that they can locate their missing cat by simply using their smartphone to track their cat’s collar.
There are a few important points to consider when picking out the best tracking collar for your cat. As a cat owner, you need to keep their comfort in mind, as well as how usable the technology included with the collar will be for you if they do get lost.
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