If you want to be aware of the whereabouts of your pet at any time, a reliable pet tracker is definitely your best option. However, similarly to both pets and people, no two pet trackers are exactly the same, so picking the right one is an important task for every owner who wants to take care of his or her pet’s needs properly. There are several crucial characteristics that you need to bear in mind when purchasing a pet tracker, including:
Real-Time Tracking
This is probably the most important feature when it comes to locating your dog or cat quickly – and the quicker the location update time, the better. There are pet trackers that can update your pet’s location in a few seconds, although anything within sixty seconds is more than enough to locate your wandering friend successfully. However, you should keep in mind that the term “real-time tracking” tends to be used pretty loosely by sellers – almost all of them will tell you that their tracker is the quickest. If you are prone to panic attacks concerning your pet and your budget is not very limited, you should probably get one of the best pet trackers on the market, for your own peace of mind.
Activity Tracking
One of the most prominent features of top-quality pet trackers enables you to monitor your pet’s activity levels during a certain period of time. It can be especially useful to know what your pal is up to if he or she is struck by an illness or injury. This will help you set their daily schedule when it comes to training, playtime, food and medicine intake, and so on. The device can also track their activities in your absence, so you could always know how your precious pet feels and what he or she is doing. More advanced trackers enable you to see your pet’s location history, which gives you the opportunity to check past walks and know the route he or she usually follows. Some of the trackers can also inform you about the direction, covered distance, and speed of your pet.
Safe Zones
For pets that are incurable wanderers, setting up safe zones is one of the vital features of high-class pet trackers – define an area where your canine or feline family member can run around carelessly and play safely and then get notified instantly when he or she leaves the predetermined area. Some trackers set safe zones automatically, others allow you to change the locations and dimensions of the safe area. There are even trackers that let you define danger zones, which are then considered restricted areas for your wandering friend.
Waterproofing
Most advanced trackers have this seemingly not very important but actually seminal feature. Just remember that there is a difference between water-resistant and waterproof when it comes to the degree of impenetrability – whereas water-resistant trackers are impervious to water to an extent, the ones that are waterproof are completely untouchable by it. This comes in handy when your pet enjoys being around water and likes to swim – you can relax and let him or her play without being afraid that the device might possibly get damaged.
Sharing
This feature gives you the possibility to travel without worries, as you can let your family and friends take care of your pet when you are not around. They can join you in looking for your lost furry pal or search for him/her independently, using the parameters you have already set on your device. If you decide on a non-cellular pet tracker, this characteristic enables you to track your beloved friend remotely. Sharing is, indeed, caring, and depending on the tracker you use, you can either be allowed to see the full location information or just emergency alerts if you are an authorized user.
Battery Life
Naturally, one of the most significant factors when choosing an appropriate pet tracker is also battery life. Generally speaking, top-class pet trackers usually have good-quality batteries that do not need to be recharged very often. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where your battery is empty when you need your pet tracker to be functional and ready.
Price
Last but not least, the factor you should take into account when selecting a pet tracker is certainly the price. As with any other merchandise, a higher price will generally mean better quality, but the price does not always equal the degree of quality of a certain product. The best solution when it comes to pet trackers is to purchase a device that suits the needs of your dog or cat and yourself best. You determine what the best option for you and your furry friend is and do not let persuasive sellers, attractive prices or flashy packages fool you.