GPS Trackers

A cat GPS tracker collar exists for one specific evening: the one where your cat hasn't come home and you have no idea where to start looking. This collection covers real time GPS trackers and Apple Find My compatible options, so you can choose the tracking method that actually suits how your cat lives.

How cat GPS trackers actually work

Most dedicated GPS tracker collars combine GPS, WiFi and LBS, local base station, positioning to estimate your cat's location and relay it to a smartphone app in close to real time. Many also support geofencing, letting you set a safe area on a map and receive an alert the moment your cat crosses outside it, along with a playback feature to review where your cat has been over recent days or weeks.

GPS tracking versus the Apple Find My network

Dedicated GPS trackers give the most detailed, real time picture but typically run on their own battery and sometimes need a data connection through their own app. Apple Find My compatible trackers instead rely on nearby Apple devices to anonymously relay a location signal, which needs no data plan of its own and often gives a longer battery life, but location updates depend on being near enough other Apple devices, which matters less in busy areas and more in rural ones.

Battery life and waterproofing

Battery life varies considerably between trackers, from replaceable button cells lasting up to a year on standby to rechargeable batteries needing a top up every week or two depending on how often the device pings its location. Waterproof or water resistant trackers matter for any cat that spends time outdoors in the rain or near water, since a tracker that fails after getting wet defeats the purpose entirely.

On subscriptions and ongoing costs

Some trackers here use the free Apple Find My network with no ongoing subscription at all. Others use their own tracking app, which may involve an app based subscription for continuous real time tracking, managed and billed directly through that app's own provider, never through Wild and Cat. Always check the specific tracker's app requirements before you buy if ongoing cost is a deciding factor for you.

Setting up geofencing

Most GPS trackers with geofencing let you draw a safe zone directly on a map within the app, usually centred on your home, and will send a push notification the moment the tracker crosses that boundary. It's worth setting the zone slightly larger than your immediate garden if your cat regularly and safely roams a bit further, since an overly tight zone can lead to constant, low value alerts that make it easier to miss the ones that actually matter.

Multi-cat households and trackers

Each GPS tracker is generally tied to its own device profile within its app, so tracking more than one cat usually means running a separate tracker per cat rather than sharing one between them. This is worth budgeting for from the start if you have multiple cats that spend time outdoors, since retrofitting tracking to a second or third cat later is straightforward but does mean a separate purchase.

What GPS trackers can't do

A tracker can tell you where your cat currently is or has recently been, but it can't prevent your cat from getting into a dangerous situation, fighting with another animal or getting genuinely stuck somewhere. It's best thought of as a tool that speeds up finding your cat if something does go wrong, alongside a properly fitted breakaway collar, rather than a replacement for the collar itself.

A quick checklist before you buy

If reliable location data matters more to you than avoiding a subscription, a dedicated GPS tracker with its own app is usually the better fit. If you'd rather avoid any ongoing cost and your area has reasonable Apple device density nearby, a Find My compatible tracker can work well, provided you're comfortable with slightly less frequent location updates in quieter areas.

Browse the full range below and compare tracking method, battery life and waterproofing to find the right tracker for how your cat spends their time outdoors.