Quick answer
A GPS tracker for pets clips to the collar and shows your dog or cat's location on a map in your phone app, with an alert if they leave a set area. It works alongside, not instead of, an ID tag and a microchip. Choose one light enough for your pet, with battery life you can keep up with.
One of the great things about pets is that they don’t need constant supervision (unlike some kids we can think of!). However, accidents can happen. While your dog is outside in the yard, she might hop the fence and wander. Or, your sneaky indoor cat can let their curiosity get the best of them and slip out when you don’t notice and go missing. Even if you are super careful, these incidents can occur.
As American Humane reports, over 10 million pets go missing every year. The good news is that most are found: an ASPCA survey found 93% of lost dogs and 74% of lost cats were reunited with their owners, and an Ohio State study found microchipped pets are returned far more often than those without a chip. It’s also estimated that only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats that don’t have ID tags or RFID chips are reunited with their owners.
This can be a source of anxiety for all pet owners, but there are a few options to help you track your fluffy companions should the worst happen.
Tags and RFID Chips
When you adopt or rescue a pet, you’ll usually name them and get them up-to-date rabies shots and vaccines. Oftentimes shelters offer free tags with all that information during the adoption process. Having these on a pet’s collar is usually the first thing a stranger looks for if they find your pet walking around.
RFID chips are implanted under a pet’s skin with identifying information encoded on it. You can get these at any vet’s office and register them. These pet databases are usually shared between other vet offices and shelters. If your pet ends up at one of these locations, a specialized scanner can read the information on the chip.
Why These Solutions Don’t Measure Up
Tags and RFID chips can only go so far as they rely on one very important factor: that a person finds your animal. With a tag, you have to hope that a person finds your pet and contacts you with the information. With an RFID chip, you have to hope that someone finds your pet, returns them to a shelter, and that the shelter has a reader.
When you’re worried about a lost pet, those are some pretty big “ifs” to put your faith in. It’s a lot of long moments of waiting without knowing.
Luckily there’s an option to let you know exactly where your pet is at any moment.
GPS Tracking for Wayward Pets
GPS trackers are compact devices solely dedicated to tracking the location of any asset—in this scenario, your pet.
A GPS tracker placed on your pet offers peace of mind of knowing where it is located on a map display in real-time. As the device moves and updates its location, those data points are recorded directly on a map display visible through either a mobile app or a web browser.
This provides you with an immediate answer to the question: Where is my lost pet? While your animal is off having their own adventure with a tracker on their collar, it’s an easy process to check in on where they are.
Using GPS Tracking For Your Pet
With a tracker fit for your pet and a low-cost service subscription through a company like Logistimatics, you have everything you need to keep a constant eye on your pet. All you need to do is make sure the device is charged and connected to the master app (that you can download on your own mobile device or personal computer).
Once connected, your GPS tracker should last between 7 to 21 days on a single charge depending on the device you have. And that’s it! Your pet’s location will update automatically on your app every few seconds and record their movements.
In the event your pet goes missing, just call up their location on your app. Even if they aren’t missing and they’re just adventuring in the neighborhood, you can see where they go and how long they stay in any one location. With a GPS tracker, you have complete control over your pet’s location information.
How to Choose a GPS Tracker for Your Pet
Pet trackers vary more than they look. These are the points that decide whether one works for your animal.
- Size and weight. A tracker that suits a large dog can be far too heavy for a small dog or a cat. Check the device weight against your pet's size, and if your pet scratches at it or walks differently, it is too big.
- Battery life versus update rate. Frequent updates drain the battery faster. A tracker that updates every few seconds while your pet is lost, and rarely while they are home, gives you the best of both.
- Escape alerts. A geofence around your home and yard sends an alert the moment your pet leaves, which is often the difference between a short search and a long one.
- Weather and water. Dogs swim, roll in mud and run through rain. Look for a sealed, water-resistant housing.
- Secure attachment. The tracker should attach firmly to the collar or harness, and the collar itself should be one your pet cannot slip out of.
- The plan. Real-time GPS trackers send their location over a cellular network, so most need a monthly subscription. Budget for it before you buy.
GPS Tracker vs Bluetooth Tag vs Microchip for Pets
| Option | Shows live location? | Range | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS tracker | Yes, in your app | Anywhere with cellular coverage | Needs charging and a monthly plan |
| Bluetooth tag | Only when a compatible phone passes nearby | Short, relies on other people's phones | No reliable location in quiet or rural areas |
| Microchip | No | Read only by a scanner at a vet or shelter | Someone must find your pet and take it in |
| ID tag | No | Whoever finds your pet | Can fall off or be unreadable |
Fitting a GPS Tracker to a Dog or Cat
Most problems with pet trackers come from the fit rather than the device. Attach the tracker so it sits under the chin or on the back of a harness, not dangling where it can catch on fences or branches. Check the collar is snug enough that it will not slip over the head, with room for two fingers underneath. Give your pet a few days wearing the tracker around the house before relying on it outdoors, and check the collar for rubbing once a week. Cats are more sensitive to weight and more likely to squeeze through gaps, so choose the lightest device you can and use a breakaway collar designed for cats.
What’s the Best Option?
The answer is all three! Tags help strangers contact you and show that your pet has their shots, RFID chips help shelters and vets know that the pet is yours along with your contact information, and GPS trackers allow you to always know where your pet is. With all three tracking and identification precautions, the chances of your pet becoming one of those 10 million lost is slim to none.
But if you were to only pick one, then the best option is the one that provides you with long-term, reliable, and up-to-date information on your pet’s exact location. With a GPS tracker for your pet, you do not have to lean on unreliable sources and people finding your pet in the first place to get them back home.
Are They Just For Pets?
Certainly not! As we say at Logistimatics, We Track Everything, and that includes assets like important packages, your family truck, or even your loved ones like children or elderly family members. Whether in a backpack or on a wristband, GPS trackers are able to help you keep an eye on everything that’s most important to you.
Whether you want to keep an eye on your cat who’s out at all hours of the night or you just want the peace of mind on the off-chance an inside dog accidentally wanders, you have some of the best, most reliable tracking options with Logistimatics. With our dedicated trackers and app, you can always know where your pet goes.
If you have any questions about which tracker suits your pet best, we have a knowledge base and customer service representatives ready to help. If you’re interested in tracking multiple pets or other assets, please contact our sales team for a thorough breakdown of our products and services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do GPS trackers for pets need a subscription?
Most real-time pet GPS trackers do, because they send your pet's location over a cellular network and that data costs money. Bluetooth tags have no subscription, but they only report a location when a compatible phone passes nearby, so they are much less reliable for finding a lost pet quickly.
Can I put a GPS tracker on my cat?
Yes, if the tracker is light enough and fitted to a breakaway collar made for cats. Cats are sensitive to weight and squeeze through small gaps, so choose the smallest device available and watch how your cat moves in it for a few days before relying on it.
How far away can a pet GPS tracker locate my pet?
A cellular GPS tracker has no fixed range. It reports its position wherever it has a satellite fix and mobile coverage, so you can see your pet across town. Bluetooth tags are different: they only show a location when a compatible phone comes within a short distance.
Does a GPS tracker replace a microchip?
No. A microchip is permanent identification that shelters and vets can read even if the collar comes off. A GPS tracker shows where your pet is right now, but it is attached to the collar and needs charging. The safest setup is an ID tag, a registered microchip and a GPS tracker together.
Deciding whether to fit a tracker is a separate question from choosing one. If you are at that earlier stage, our guide on whether a GPS tracker is right for your dog covers the temperament, size and containment factors that decide it.
