Blog: The Best GPS Collar and Tracker for Cats

More than just a GPS collar, the Kippy GPS tracker and Activity Monitor offers data that helps pet owners keep track of their cat’s (or small dog’s!) activity and movement. The Kippy was designed specifically with cats in mind, but it can also be used to track the activity of small and toy dog breeds if needed.

You might be thinking to yourself: I have never tracked my cat’s location or activity before, why should I start now? We’re here to let you know all the details.

How does the GPS collar track my cat?

The Kippy tracks your cat’s location through GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and satellite technology. When your Kippy is successfully connected to the PetLink Kippy App, you can see your cat’s location as soon as you open the app. This is useful if your cat is primarily outdoors and you’re curious about their favorite spots around the neighborhood. You can create Geofences and Power Save Zones for your cat, so when your cat’s device is hooked to specific Wi-Fi networks or within a certain boundary, the collar will “rest” and not track as frequently, and therefore not use as much battery life. When your cat leaves either of these specified areas, Live Tracking will automatically turn on and you will receive an alert to your smartphone.

That begs the question: my cat is an indoor cat; how would this device be useful to me?

For indoor-only cats, the GPS device can primarily be used for activity tracking and be turned on to live tracking in case of an emergency. Examples of emergencies could include your cat slipping out the door while you’re taking in groceries or getting out of their carrier when you’re bringing them from your car to the front door of the vet’s office (a true story!). In this case, you can also create Geofences and Power Save Zones in your home, and your device will automatically turn on should your cat leave those specified areas.

And yes, the Kippy is lightweight and equipped with a break-away system, to make sure your cat stays uninjured no matter where they are.

What to know about monitoring your cat’s activity with the GPS collar

The GPS tracker uses data you input about your cat in the app (age, weight, breed) along with tracking their daily activities to get to know your cat on a personal level. It will get to know their habits, such as how often they eat, groom themselves, the number of steps they take, how often they get the zoomies, etc.

The greater good of tracking activity in a cat is the fact that cats are expects of hiding pain and suffering. We often don’t know anything is wrong with a cat until it’s far too late to do anything about it. With activity monitoring, you will get notified if the app notices any changes in your cat’s daily habits, and you can be the judge on whether this warrants a vet appointment or not.

The pros and cons of subscription VS. non-subscription GPS collars

Subscription-free GPS Collars have 2 main pros:

• They keep monthly expenses low.
• The collar’s battery will last for a very long time.

And for the cons:

• The accuracy of its sensor is not guaranteed, so the collar likely won’t send an alert when it needs to be connected to its charger.
• The location tracking will likely be inaccurate.

Without a subscription service package, the collar will only connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but not GPS or satellite. This means that if your pet is in an area without Wi-Fi, the tracking data could be lost and tracking your pet will become immensely difficult.

More commonly, there are GPS Collars that require a Subscription service package, such as the Kippy. Here are the pros of using this type of collar:

• They use satellites as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for the most accurate location tracking.
• You will receive notifications to your smartphone, letting you know when the collar’s battery is low and needs charging.
• You will be able to see your pet’s location history, as well as their daily activities.

And the cons:

• Because of the location update frequency, battery life will be consumed faster.

Luckily, there is a way to help create less of a con: with the Kippy, you can create Power Save Zones where you consider your pet “safe” (ex: inside your house) where their location doesn’t have to be constantly monitored or updated. Creating these Power Save Zones will help conserve the collar’s battery life, keeping them off the charger and on your pet for much longer. If your pet leaves the designated Power Save Zone, location tracking will automatically turn on and you will be alerted immediately.

GPS Collars allow you to keep track of your pet’s activity and location, without risking their discomfort. A whole lot of good for your pet in a small collar!