Dogs and cats are as prone to getting fat as us humans, especially older pets. PetMD says 17.6 percent of US dogs (13.9 million) are obese and 35.1 percent (29.9 million) are overweight. And according to the American Humane Association, more than 10 million pets—cats and dogs—go missing every year, either lost or stolen.
Those numbers are disconcerting, especially when you consider just how much happiness our fluffy friends bring into our lives. It’s our duty to keep them happy, healthy, and safe. And while regular trips to the vet along with some good old-fashioned TLC do wonders, technology can help play a pivotal role as well. We’ve tested plenty of pet trackers and GPS collars designed to trace your pet’s activity, location, and more. Here’s what to look for, along with our favorites.
All the trackers we’ve tested use apps for Android or iOS devices to give you a quick read on the data they collect. Few provide a web-based interface—PetPace does, but only to veterinarians who pay extra for it. Tractive offers a free web interface, but you still need the mobile app to use certain features. If you’re not a smartphone user, you’re probably not going to be a tracking customer.
Base stations are sometimes used to establish a line of communication between the tracker and your phone via Wi-Fi. They come in lots of shapes and sizes. The Fi and Link AKC have bases that double as battery chargers. The Whistle doesn’t need a separate base station—it has Wi-Fi built in, so it uses your home router to create the base station.
The majority of pet trackers use Bluetooth for the initial setup. A few use Bluetooth exclusively. For example, the Link AKC utilizes Bluetooth to talk to your smartphone and its base station/charger—as long as it’s within range of either, your pet is considered to be in a safe zone. It isn’t until your pet wanders out of range that the alerts arrive warning it might be on safari.
Lire la suite: sea.pcmag.com
