Whether you have a cat that loves to roam around your neighbourhood, or a dog that’s prone to escaping under the back fence, pet trackers are a great way to locate your furry friend when the time arises. Not only does one give you the peace of mind of knowing where your pet is at all times, but some can even give you insights on your fur baby’s fitness and activity levels.
To help you out, we’ve scoured the web for some of the best pet trackers, so you’ll never lose sight of your pet again.
The best pet trackers for dogs and cats in Australia
Apple Airtag
The Apple AirTag is one of the most popular and mainstream pet trackers on the market. It’s not a perfect tracking device, since it really relies on the Apple ecosystem to locate your pet at all times. It gives you a rough idea of where your pet is hanging out, but you won’t able to get a precise location unless you’re within 15 to 30 feet.
There’s also a large array of AirTag-compatible collars, so you can slap one on your cat or dog with ease.
Tractive GPS tracker for cats and dogs
Tractive is our favourite pet tracker here for a bunch of reasons. For starters, unlike the AirTag, Tractive is a GPS pet tracker that uses satellites to give accurate live tracking of your furry friend.
But what takes Tractive one step further is its pet trackers also offer activity monitoring. So you can see just how much they’ve run around all day and even check how often your pet sleeps, for how long and at what times during the day. But perhaps its most useful feature is its ability to set virtual fences that will alert you whenever your cat or dog has snuck out.
GPS tracker for dogs
GPS tracker for cats
Tile Bluetooth pet tracker
And lastly, we have the Tile pet tracker, which works similarly to the Apple AirTag in that it uses Bluetooth technology to keep you posted on your pet’s whereabouts. It’s useful since it can be clipped onto your pet’s collar (and much easier to remove at a whim), or even stuck onto the shell of your turtle if you prefer.
Every time your pet has disappeared and you need help finding them, simply activate the Tile via the app by hitting “Find”, and follow the ringing until you find where they’ve snuck off to. Just keep in mind that the Tile’s Bluetooth range only extends up to 400 feet, so think up to the span of five tennis courts.
What are pet trackers?
Pet trackers are usually small tracking devices that rely on either a Bluetooth connection or GPS satellites to give owners a near-precise location of where their feline or canine companion is roaming.
To use one, all you have to do is buy your tracker of choice, along with a compatible collar and attach it to your pet’s neck. Keep in mind that many trackers do require replaceable batteries that should be changed anywhere from every few months up to a year. Other than that, it’s pretty much set-and-forget once you’ve latched it onto your pet.
Most will require you to set-up an app on your phone, however, there are a few that connect seamlessly with your device’s ecosystem. For example, the AirTag can easily be paired via Bluetooth to the Apple ecosystem.
To choose the right pet tracker for your cat or dog, think about the reason why you need one. If your pet is often kept indoors or on your property, you probably don’t need a high-tech GPS tracker to see their every move. You can probably get away with a Bluetooth tracker to get a solid look at where they’re hanging out.
But if your pet has an awful habit of escaping its enclosure and going for a stroll around the town, then a GPS tracker is probably the way to go. It’ll ensure detailed tracking updates on where they are, as well as provide location history and wellbeing checks that will keep any anxious owners at ease.