click to enlarge
If you're thinking about purchasing a GPS pet collar to use for locating your dog or cat, make sure that you read up on the device first. These locators come in a number of different flavors and have a wide variety of functions – some are only capable of tracking your pet within a few miles of your home while others include more global tracking capabilities. This latter type of GPS collar usually requires you to pay a monthly fee on top of the initial cost of the equipment, so the expenses can add up pretty fast.
Speaking of costs, these devices can be pretty pricey. The collar itself can cost anything from $100 and up with some devices well over the $500 range. On top of that, to get the full benefits of the collar, you'll often have to purchase a monthly subscription service from a company such as Petsafe, which can run in the neighborhood of $20 per month.
Although there are GPS collars that are small enough and light enough to be worn by cats and small dogs, most are really meant for mid-sized and larger dogs. Even if a product is advertised as being compatible with smaller pets, check the weight and size before you buy. Imagine how you would feel if you had to wear something around your neck that weighed a significant percentage of your own body weight! Not only would this make your pet extremely uncomfortable, but it also increases the likelihood that your dog or cat will try to remove the collar every chance it gets.
Despite some of these downsides, GPS pet collars do offer one significant advantage – they allow you to track and locate your pet at any time (subject to the constraints of the particular device, of course). Not only can this provide ample peace of mind, but it could prove crucial to saving your pet's life if it is subject to health problems or if it becomes lost in a dangerous or unfriendly locale.
