Tracking my pet while away

According to Peeva, a whopping one out of three of all pet cats and dogs in the US go missing in the course of their lives, while only 20% of them are found again by their owners – and the only thing sadder than losing your fur baby is losing them without ever finding out what happened to them.

To make sure this never happens to you and your four-legged friend, many different companies have taken to producing pet trackers (like these cat GPS trackers), which will not only lead you to your little buddy in case it runs away or loses its way, but will also let you find them in time to help them in case of an accident outside. And on top, they can simply be fun by letting you find out how far – and where – your cat really roams when it’s out on a stroll.

So, if you’re thinking about getting a pet tracker for your own pooch or kitten, have a look at our recommendations below!

How to track your pet

Most pet tracking devices on the market are pet tracking collars that use GPS technology to track your cat’s or dog’s movement while allowing you to follow it on your phone via special apps that go with them. Bluetooth trackers are also available, but usually have a much shorter range.

Depending on the model, pet trackers let you simply track your pet or they will also let you set safe zones, like your flat or garden, and will alert you as soon as your pet leaves those.

The pet trackers themselves are mostly small, battery-powered boxes or tags attached to the collar, your pet won’t even notice it is there. As you can see, animal GPS tracking is very simple and many pet trackers are also very affordable, while they dramatically increase your pet’s safety. In other words: there is really no good reason not to get one if you love your furry buddy and would like to keep them as safe as possible.

The best pet trackers and GPS dog collars

When it comes to which pet tracker to get for dogs, there are countless options. Most are easy to use, but they can vary in aspects like how easy they break, their tracking accuracy, connectivity, bonus features, purchase price and GPS/app subscription price.

To help you find the overall best pet trackers, we’ve put together our personal top-10 with pros and cons to go with each of them:

1. Fi Smart Dog Collar Series 2

Pros: high quality, very fast updates, good accuracy, long battery life, fun bonus features

Cons: not for small dogs (under 10 pounds)

2. Whistle Go Explore GPS Pet Tracker & Activity Monitor

Pros: very long battery life thanks to power save mode, multiple safe zones, good accuracy, light for visual tracking

Cons: not for small dogs (under 25 pounds), slight delay on safety zone alerts, US only

3. Tractive GPS Pet Tracker

Pros: good accuracy, fast updates, long battery life, good price

Cons: tracker might need additional securing, occasional connectivity issues

4. Whistle Switch Smart Collar

Pros: very long battery life, good accuracy

Cons: only for small dogs, US only

5. Garmin Astro 430 + T3 Dog GPS Collar Bundle

Pros: tracks up to 20 dogs/cats, good accuracy, fast updates, custom maps
Cons: US only, very pricey

6. Link AKC Smart Dog Collar

Pros: fast updates, good accuracy, light and sound features

Cons: short battery life, US only

7. Eureka Technology Marco Polo Advanced Pet Tracking System

Pros: good accuracy, decent battery life, no monthly subscription required

Cons: chunky for small dogs

8. Jiobit Location Monitor

Pros: decent battery life, low subscription cost, uses GPS and Bluetooth

Cons: occasional, accuracy and connectivity issues, US only

9. Tile Mate Tag

Pros: very low cost, decent accuracy

Cons: short battery life, app drains phone battery, low range (200 foot/61 meters), not actually made for pets

10. PetFon Pet GPS Tracker

Pros: no monthly subscription required, fast updates

Cons: very short battery life, occasional connectivity issues, delays on safe zone alerts, limited range (3.5 miles/5.5 km max; 0.65 miles/1km in congested areas)

How about pet trackers for cats?

Now that we’ve covered the best pet trackers for dogs, how about pet trackers for cats?

Generally speaking, you can use any tracker for dogs on cats as well, as long as they are small enough for them. In the list above, we especially recommend the Jiobit Location Monitor and the Whistle Switch (for grown cats of 5 pounds and more) for their rather small size and lightweight.

Worrying about a missing fur baby is one of the worst experiences any pet owner can go through and the best way to make sure this will never happen to you and your furry buddy is to use a pet tracker. We hope our article could help you find the perfect match for you and your four-legged friend and that you’ll have lots of fun playing around with it – while never actually having to use it to track your cat or dog down.

 Looking for a pet sitter?

Are you planning your next holiday and still need someone to take good care of your precious pooch or kitten?

TrustedHousesitters has got you covered! Just head over to our How it works page to see how our pet-loving members connect and to learn how you can find the paw-fect, verified, and reviewed pet sitter for your fur baby. And once you’re ready, continue here and start looking for available sitters in your location!