Having a cat or dog can be one of life's most rewarding experiences. We cherish our pets and will do anything to keep them safe. Every year, thousands of pet owners experience feelings of panic when their beloved cat or dog disappears. For those pet owners, it is too late to put forth the necessary safeguards to properly monitor their location. It is important to put safeguards into place before there is even a risk. One option to keep track of your cat or dog is to use a GPS cat or dog tracker.
What Do GPS Trackers Do?
GPS trackers are small devices you can attach to your pet. Often they can be clipped onto a collar or harness for small dogs. When you purchase a dog tracker or cat tracker the company that sells you the device will also track the location of your pet. Most often you can view the position on a map using your smartphone. Each tracking system will offer different services and features so it's important to select the one that best meets your needs.
Most of the tracking systems allow you to set a normal safety zone. The normal safety zone is the area your pet is normally within. Include nearby parks and places you take your pet frequently to prevent false alerts. When a pet travels outside the normal safety zone you will be notified that your pet has left the zone. The tracking device company will often send emails or text messages to your phone.
A nightmare situation is when your pet is outside of the normal safety zone. Having a tracking system with a smartphone application lets you search. You can refresh location data while searching to get updated information. An active dog can travel long distances in a short time. Having a dog tracker with a smartphone application will be very helpful to locate them. For small dogs, seconds count as predators can easily hurt a small dog at night.
Top Rated GPS Trackers for Cats and Dog of April 2024
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Rating is 5 out of 5
FRSH MNT Pet Tracker GPS Locater Dog Finder No Monthly Fee with Fence Alarm App Control Design Waterproof Dustproof Dog & Cat Smart Collar Device for Tracking Real time Activities Routes & Safety (BK)
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【Pet's Activity Tracking】: You can Always know the exact location of your best friend with precise GPS! Track how far they roam, how much they play, and what routes are their favorites by using our app and your mobile device.
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【Reliable Material】: 35 grams lightweight tracker can easily be worn on the most pet in the market. 100% durable ABS + PVC material is dustproof waterproof and soft. A ideal small GPS tracker for dogs, cats, and other animals.
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【Virtual Fence】: Define a safe area and get an instant notification if your pet leaves the area. Dog tracking has never been easier.
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【Daily Safety】Long battery life and get low battery alerts in plenty of time to recharge your pet’s tracker collar.
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【Excellent Anti-interference Ability】: The traditional wireless fences signals are easily disturbed by metal or obstacles, your dogs may be often mistakenly warned.So we improve the stability of GPS signals are much better than that of radio-frequency signals. We use GPS technique to avoid the same problem, you never have to worry about your dogs being accidentally injured.
2
Rating is 4.9 out of 5
Whistle GO Explore - Ultimate Health & Location Tracker for Pets - Waterproof GPS Pet Tracker, Built-in Night Light, 20 Day Battery, Pet Fitness Tracker fits on Collar - Green
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Subscription required. Covers connection to AT&T 4G LTE-M network for GPS location in the US. Yearly $7.95/mo, 2-Year $6.95/mo
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Real - Time Location Tracking. Set up alerts and quickly locate your pet, whether they’ve made a sneaky escape, or are 3,000 miles away. Receive notifications if your pet's location leaves a designated safe area. Using AT&T nationwide network and Google maps.
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Health, Nutrition, & Activity Tracking. Monitor activity levels, calories, distance, and activity, along with behaviors like licking, scratching, and sleeping to keep an eye on potential health problems. Get recommendations on food portions based on activity levels, breed, age, and weight. Email a 30-day report to your vet.
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20 - Day Battery, Built - In Night Light. Use the app to choose between 3 safety night light settings, slow flash, fast flash or always on. The long-lasting battery goes up to 20 days on a single charge for your greatest adventures.
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Chat With A Vet. Your Whistle subscription gives you access to on-demand veterinary help through chat, phone or email––right from the Whistle app. Powered by the VETINSIGHT team of licensed veterinary professionals, you'll get expert advice and guidance from the comfort of your home.
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Rating is 4.8 out of 5
Cube Key Finder Smart Tracker Bluetooth Tracker for Dogs, Kids, Cats, Luggage, Wallet, with app for Phone, Replaceable Battery Waterproof Tracking Device
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With Crowd Find Attach CUBE to anything and Let the Cube Community be your Search Party
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Taking family photos? Use CUBE as a shutter button for your phone camera
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Lost your Phone? Use your CUBE to locate your phone with ring, vibrate, and flash, even if the app is not running
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No need to replace CUBE each year. Just replace battery yourself once a year. Extra battery included
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Simple CUBE Tracker app will show last known location on a map, uses bluetooth to tell if you are near or far, press find and CUBE will ring. Also has a separation alarm to alert you if you left something behind.
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Rating is 4.7 out of 5
Tractive LTE GPS Dog Tracker - Location & Activity Tracker for Dogs with Unlimited Range (Newest Model), White (TRNJAWH)
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LIVE TRACKING & LOCATION HISTORY - Follow your furry friend's every step in real-time on your phone. See where your dog has been and what they've been up to.
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VIRTUAL FENCE - Mark safe spaces, like your garden, and know the moment your dog leaves one - and when they come back safely.
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ALL-DAY ACTIVITY MONITORING - Track active time, rest and calories burned. Set fitness goals. Keep your buddy in great shape with Tractive GPS for dogs.
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SMALL, LIGHTWEIGHT & 100% WATERPROOF - Running through the forest, rolling in the mud or a dip in the lake are no problem for Tractive.
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WORLDWIDE LOCATION TRACKING - Use your GPS tracker for dogs throughout the USA, Canada and 150 other countries. Manage all features via the free Tractive GPS app for iOS and Android or in any browser.
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Rating is 4.6 out of 5
ZUDERXI Mini Cat/Dog GPS Tracking Locator, Small Portable Bluetooth Intelligent Anti-Lost Device for Luggages/Kid/Pet, Round Waterproof Bluetooth Alarms Device (Black)
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★This is a very nice pet tracker. With the GPS function, it can tell you where your pet is at any time, avoid the loss of your pet.
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★Bluetooth new 4.0 technology, very low power consumption, cr2032 button battery power supply, standby more than 10 months, easy to replace.
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★Anti-lost alarm, GPS tracking device, remote control self-portrait. Works as a remote shutter for self-portrait, You can remote control the smart phone camera of your with press on the finder button.
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★Support IOS system and ANDROID system 4.3 or above (bluetooth 4.0 required)
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Rating is 4.5 out of 5
FitBark GPS Dog Tracker | Health & Location Pet Tracking Smart Collar Device | Small (17 g) & Waterproof | 4G LTE-M Real-Time US Verizon Coverage Nationwide | iPhone & Android Apps
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🌎 SAFETY. Designed for dog parents who worry about losing track of their pups. Get escape alerts & Find your pet in minutes. Requires Wi-Fi, Verizon LTE-M coverage in your area, and in-app subscription from $5.95/mo. 30-Day Money Back on all plans.
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🐾 HEALTH. Monitor activity, sleep quality, distance, calorie balance, anxiety, skin conditions and overall health & behavior 24/7. Set ideal goals vs. breed, age & weight peers. Add multiple dogs and owners in our apps. iOS 12+ or Android 6+ required.
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🦴 COMFORT. Lightweight (17 g). Fits 5 lb and 240 lb dogs and most collars up to 1.5” wide. Tough, rugged & waterproof. Battery typically lasts 10-20 days depending on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & Verizon availability. Software experience not optimized for cats.
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🏃♀️ MOTIVATION. Optionally link your Fitbit, Apple Watch, Apple HealthKit or Google Fit wearable device or smartphone, compare stats side by side and start building healthy & safe habits together. Fitbit Clock Face available on the Fitbit Gallery.
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🎓 SCIENCE. Trusted by 100+ veterinary schools & research institutions that strive to advance science, including the University of Cambridge and the Mayo Clinic. Join users from 140+ countries in advocating for safer and better informed dog parenting.
7
Rating is 4.4 out of 5
4 Pack Smart GPS Tracker Key Finder Locator Wireless Anti Lost Alarm Sensor Device for Kids Dogs Car Wallet Pets Cats Motorcycles Luggage Smart Phone Selfie Shutter APP Control Compatible iOS Android
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📍GPS tracker for keys: Key finder uses BT 4.0 technology to connect Android, iOS, iPad and other smart phones. Show the lost car key, luggage, wallet, dogs, cats distance from you on the APP to let you find them accurately.
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📍APP remotely control: Download free APP “cTracing” then pair it with your smart phone. When you press the remote button, the receiver sounds "beeps" you can hear voices from GPS tracker within 75 ft. 4 pack GPS tracker locator contains black, green, blue, pink,white for kids, pets, phone.
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📍Two-way notification: Attach this wireless tracker to anything we always forget key or wallet and keep track of them, the 2-way key finder will lets you track lost items or be notified when they are out of range with a ring or flash.
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📍Finder keychain: Key finder smart tracker is compact size, light weight and easy to carry like a key chain on your kids schoolbag or hang on pet collar, real-time viewing locator effectively avoids your kids, pets are lost. Provide a last seen pin-drop on map via APP to help you recover your items and search your car in parking site.
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📍Multi-function: Anti-lost alarm, GPS tracking device, remote control self-portrait. Works as a remote shutter for self-portrait, You can remote control the smart phone camera of your with press on the finder button.
8
Rating is 4.3 out of 5
Cube Pro Key Finder Smart Tracker Bluetooth Tracker for Dogs, Kids, Cats, Luggage, Wallet, with app for Phone, Replaceable Battery Waterproof Tracking Device
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Pro with Double Volume and Range, Replace the Battery and not the Cube each year
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With Crowd Find Attach CUBE to anything and Let the Cube Community be your Search Party
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Lost your Phone? Use your CUBE to locate your phone with ring, vibrate, and flash, even if the app is not running
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No need to replace CUBE each year. Just replace battery yourself once a year. Extra battery included
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Simple CUBE Tracker app will show last known location on a map, uses bluetooth to tell if you are near or far, press find and CUBE will ring. Also has a separation alarm to alert you if you left something behind.
9
Rating is 4.2 out of 5
LMHOME GPS Pet Tracker, Real Time Dogs Cats Locator Finder - Waterproof|Alarm|, Security Fence|Remote Monitoring - Fits for All Android iOS Devices
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SIM card -- Just like a cell phone, our real-time GPS tracker needs a SIM card to give you unlimited data coverage. If used in the US we recommend SpeedTalk or T-mobile SIM cards which support 2G/3G/4G. The SIM card needs a subscription plan for data that no less than 30M monthly. The SIM card not included. Cancel anytime, no contracts or activation fees.
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【Free App】 No monthly fee. Free app compatible for any Android IOS Windows devices like iPhone iPod Tablet PC etc. Just buy and inser SIM card, it will start work both indoor and outdoor
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【Lightweight & Universal】35 grams lightweight tracker can easily be mounted on the most pet collars in the market. 100% durable silicone material is dustproof and soft. A ideal small GPS tracker for dogs, cats, horses and other animals.
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Lightweight & waterproof GPS tracking device. The robust tracking device easily attaches to any collar or harness. Tractive's small tracker has no range limitation
10
Rating is 4.1 out of 5
Pawfit 2 GPS Dog Tracker for Pet Dog Collar, Three Positioning, IP68 Waterproof, Removal Alert, Safety Zone Alert, Included Embedded SIM Card, Mini GPS Tracker for Dogs and Large Cats
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【Embedded SIM Version】New Pawfit 2 Use T-Mobile Network,Includes embedded SIM with coverage in both Europe and North America, utilises GPS, WiFi and cellular technology, combined with our optimisation algorithms, giving you the fastest and most accurate location of your pets, Pawfit updates your pet's location every 5 seconds within a 10 minute time frame. Also it preserves the track of it, maximizing the possibility of retrieving your pet when it is lost.
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【Pet Friendly Design】 IP68 waterproof (submerge up to 3 metres.) and dustproof, pets want to swim in the summer without any problems, the hardened ABS shell makes it anti-drop and anti-bite. It can be attached to any collar or harness up to 32mm wide. 700 mAh battery can last up to 6 days for regular use. (Battery life depends on use and signal strength). The battery fully recharges takes 2.5 hours. We recommend to use 5V, 0.5-1A power adapter to charge it.
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【Activity Monitoring】 Pawfit provides the most accurate update of your pet's location, and monitors your pet’s movements and presents them to you as steps, distance, calories burned, active and rest hours. It allows you to set customised activity goal for your pet and also gives you recommendation based on your pet’s breed and weight.
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【Protection Features】 By using the latest text-to-speech technology, anyone who presses the power button will hear a broadcast of your pet's ID and return your lost pet to safety. Pawfit alerts you when the surrounding temperature of your pet becomes abnormal, the tracker is removed from the collar, and your pet crosses the safety zones you customised.Pawfit is recommended for most dogs and large cats with weight of 3.5kg and up.
11
Rating is 4 out of 5
PetFon Pet GPS Tracker, No Monthly Fee, Real-Time Tracking Collar Device, APP Control For Dogs And Pets Activity Monitor
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🐕NO MONTHLY FEE, ANTI-LOST RADAR SERCHING: Petfon GPS tracker is free of any service fee or monthly fee.The small, durable, and rainproof device allows you to track your pet's activity and pinpoint his/her location in real time. Petfon GPS tracker combines GPS, WiFi, bluetooth, and long distance wireless technologies for accurate real-time positioning.The unique Rada serching feature can help you find the direction of the lost dogs.
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🐕REAL-TIME & LONG DISTANCE TRACKING: Petfon GPS Tracker is easy to install and use. Just download the Petfon app and follow the instructions. With the app, you can view your pet's activities and pinpoint his location at any time. The tracking ranges can be up to 0.65 miles in downtown/dense space and 3.5 miles in an open environment. But it will be effected by surarroundings.
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🐕GEOFENCING,MULTICOLOR ALERT,CUSTOMIZABLE VOICE COMMAND: With Petfon GPS tracker you can define a safe area around your pet's location and get notified instantly if your pet leaves that area. You can also activate the colorful lights on the GPS tracker to locate your pet more easily in dim light or at night time. Voice commands can be recorded and stored on the tracker to communicate with your pets remotely.
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🐕LONG STANDBY BATTERY,LIGHT WEIGHT & RAINPROOF: The Petfon GPS tracker is small and durable (42mm*42mm*18mm, Weight: 27.6g). The rainproof feature enables it to work in wet weather but do not working for swimming. Petfon GPS Tracker's battery can last up to 8-16 hours and comes with a compact charging station. It can recharge the device multiple times, which is perfect for going off the grid.
Are GPS Trackers Safe For Dogs and Cats?
When using a GPS device, it is important to take into consideration concerns about the safety of using the technology. These cat tracker devices emit a radio frequency that is used to pinpoint the location of your pet. Like all wearable technology devices, pet trackers emit electric and magnetic fields. Another name is radio-frequency radiation. The type of radiation that is emitted from radio-frequency is non-ionizing. Researches have not been able to link any type of long-term damages from this specific type of radiation. In fact, there has been a significant amount of scientific studies looking at the relationship between radio frequency and cancer. As of today, there remains to be no clear link to an increase in risk in health concerns.
Many pet owners still are concerned about using a tracking system. They often mention fears putting their pet at an increased chance of getting cancer or causing damage to their DNA. Sometimes they even claim other risks to their pets long term health as a reason for not using a cat tracker. Yet, doing nothing can put their pet safety more at risk if they become lost. The risk of losing track of a missing pet's location is far more hazardous to a pet's welfare than any unfounded concerns about the device.
How Does a GPS Tracker work for a Dog or Cat?
GPS trackers work by using a network of the worldwide radio-navigation system of satellites and ground stations to pinpoint the location. The US Department of Defense funded and continues to control the system. At first, the technology was only used by the US military. Today many private citizens around the world take advantage of the technology. Currently, anyone can use the global positioning service without any fees or restrictions.
When it comes to a dog or cat tracker the device emits a radio signal. The signal from the device is used to pinpoint the location. It is able to do this by using the global positioning system. From there that information is sent to an application the tracking system uses. Often an app that you can download to your smartphone to get live updates. Depending on the provider of the device, they may charge a monthly subscription to maintain your pet's device in their database of tracked devices. Other useful information can be obtained as well. A dog tracker may even notify you if the dog is barking. The GPS system can even use tracking information to identify if the dog is currently moving and in which direction.
How Much Does a Dog or Cat Tracker Cost?
When it comes to a dog tracker the cost can range quite significantly. Each tracker system brand offers different features that need to be taken into consideration. Having the ability to track if your dog is barking is going to make the dog tracker much more valuable. No two trackers are ever the same. Overall the average price for a tracker device is about $100. Another important factor to consider is the monthly subscription price. If they have a reoccurring fee every month then the price over time is going to far outweigh the initial price of the product. Yet, if the tracker device has far superior features that meet your specific needs then the price can be well worth the investment. When a beloved family pet goes missing, having the tools you need to bring them back home can be well worth the cost.
