Tractive FAQ -  GPS Cat Tracker Questions

There are lots of blogs and articles out there about cat GPS trackers and how great they are. This is 6 questions to unveil the mystery that surrounds the Tractive GPS Cat Tracker. Many people know who Tractive are, however, I have received some questions about how to setup the Tractive GPS cat collar and some other questions and mis-understandings about the data subscription plans. I thought I would answer these cat GPS Tracker questions with a short and sweet article for you. 

How Do I use the Tractive GPS Cat Tracker?

Unboxing – What are the contents of the Tractive GPS Cat Tracker

You will find a tracker, a mounting device, and some name labels along with a guide for a quick setup of the cat GPS tracker.

How do I turn on a Tractive GPS Cat Tracker?

There is a status button and light on top of the tracker. Pressing this will tell you if it is switched on with the light indicator. If you are unsure, then just long press (about 5 or 6 seconds) the button on the top to turn it off and then long press it again to turn it back on again and you will see a quick green blink to show it is on.

How do I charge the GPS Cat Tracker?

Press the two buttons found in the middle of the cat GPS tracker at the top AND the bottom using your index finger and thumb and detach it (gently pull apart) to open the device into two pieces. You will easily identify which of the two pieces will now plug into your USB cable which came with the device. You can then plug the USB into any USB plug socket to charge it.

How do I know if the Cat GPS Tracker is charging?

It will show a red light indicating that it is on charge. This will no longer be displayed once it is fully charged. You can then re-attach the unit back together.

How do I mount the Tractive rubber clip to the collar to become a GPS cat collar?

The clip will look like this but might be a different colour:

You need to open it up like this.

You then slide the GPS cat collar into this and then close it back up and reattach the little noggins. Now attach the device onto the clip and your collar now has the Tractive GPS cat tracker attached to it. You have gone from a basic cat collar to GPS cat collar in a matter of minutes and you are ready to link up to your Tractive App.

The Tractive GPS Cat Tracker App and the Data Plan

Once you have the device, you need to download the Tractive App. Then you need to activate the device and buy a subscription data plan.

Can you pay Tractive monthly?

When choosing a plan, you can go for the basic or the premium. What is the difference between the Tractive basic plan and the Tractive premium plan?

Taken from Tractive and something to be aware of, you must pay a yearly upfront cost for the premium plan, but the basic plan will allow monthly payments.

 ‘On the BASIC subscription plan, you can pay monthly, yearly, or every two years. On the PREMIUM subscription plan, you can pay yearly, every two years, or every 5 years.’

What is the difference between the Tractive GPS Cat Tracker basic and premium plans?

On the premium plan you get the following extra features:

• Public and family sharing if you like social media.
• Worldwide coverage – This means you can use it in more places than just your own country.
• 365 days location history – If they are missing and it is serious, you would want this.
• GPS Data Export – If you are into Excel sheets then sure.
• Premium customer service – To be honest, I would expect this regardless just for buying the product.

There are two key features that stand out to me which I would want.

• Worldwide coverage for travelling.
• 365 days location history should the worst happen.

If you want these features, then you need the premium plan. To buy the premium plan you will need to pay the yearly data plan upfront. Do you need a 5-year plan? I think not and new models are released, and things change.

A 2-year plan seems reasonable, however, it is £99.99 for the two years which is a lot of money, right? Well, buying the Tractive device is not the full purchase, it is an investment, and you need to look at the ‘total investment cost’ and the true cost of a two-year plan is the device price + the £99.99 plan for two years. How much is your cat’s safety worth? You probably would not question this kind of money to find your cat should the worst thing happen, and they go missing. You are already halfway there so why cut back on functionality for some of the most important functions at the final hurdle?

There is no problem with choosing a basic plan on a monthly fee as this may be more suitable to different circumstances and this is why we have options. 

The Tractive is a radio frequency pet tracker. Is it dangerous for my cat?

The Tractive GPS Tracker complies with the same Federal Communications Commission regulation that mobile phones have to comply with when it comes to radio frequency. A radio frequency pet tracker will not harm your pet. 

Taken from the Tractive website:

Tractive GPS products are designed and engineered by pet lovers in order to provide pet parents with a safe and reliable pet-tracking solution. The health and safety of your four-legged friend is our number one priority here at Tractive!

You can rest assured that the Tractive GPS will cause no harm to your pet or to you. Here's why:

The Tractive GPS complies with all guidelines and does not exceed European and US "SAR" regulations.

What does a 'radio frequency pet tracker' actually mean? 

Mobile phones and other devices such as the pet trackers emit low levels of non-ionizing radiation while in use. The type of radiation emitted by cell phones is also referred to as radio frequency (RF) energy hence this being a radio frequency pet tracker. As stated by the National Cancer Institute, "there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk in humans or pets. 

To buy a Tractive GPS Cat Tracker go here. 

If you are looking for an alternative to Tractive then you could explore the new Pawfit 2 Pet tracker.  

For more information from Tractive you can visit them here.