Tile Trackers for Cats: Understanding what is Best
Since the advent of GPS tracking collars, a variety of innovative ways for pet owners to effectively track and monitor their cats have been developed. At the same time, some resourceful pet owners have found new and interesting approaches to reappropriate different technologies, such as Bluetooth, adapting them to fulfill a purpose that the products were not originally designed for. An example of this is the popular Tile trackers made by Tile, which has found a new application in the pet industry, particularly for cats. In this article, we will go over what Tile Trackers are, how they are currently being used for pets and how the technology in Tiles trackers is used in other products.
1. What is a Tile Tracker?
Founded in 2012, Tile is an American company that specializes in creating tracking devices. The company’s flagship product is the Tile tracker, a tracking device that is linked to a smartphone. Similar to the AirTag designed by Apple, the Tile tracker functions using Bluetooth technology and is primarily used for tracking smaller objects, such as bags and wallets. Tile trackers come in a variety of models, including a card-shaped slim model to slide into wallets and a sticker model with an adhesive to attach to remotes and other small objects. The Tile tracker functions through a proprietary Tile app, which can be installed on iOS and Android devices to help users find their lost items through Bluetooth technology.
2. Can Tiles be attached to Catss as GPS Tracking Collars?
While pet owners have begun to use Tile trackers to track the movements of their pets, it is important to remember that Tile trackers were not initially designed with this purpose in mind. This means that using Tile trackers can have limitations and drawbacks specific to tracking pets. The primary limitation of Tile trackers is that they depend on a Bluetooth connection and the Tile app for functionality. This characteristic limits them to being useful in short-ranged situations and urban environments. If a cat steps outside of the range of the Bluetooth connection, a Tile tracker would be unable to determine their location. Thus, using Tile trackers for pets best suits people who live in urban environments, where people with a Bluetooth connection and the Tile tracker app are always around.
4. What are some other Features to look our for in a Cat Collar?
While tracking cats is an important feature to have in a cat collar, it is not the sole consideration. There are a variety of other features that can help contribute to improving a cat’s quality of life. Technologies such as Purrsong’s LavvieTag and other IoT platforms are being developed and integrated into Bluetooth cat collars to provide pet owners with a holistic understanding of their cats’ needs. Here is a list of some of the features that pet owners should consider when purchasing a collar for their cat.
- Understanding diet
When considering a cat’s lifestyle, diet is a major factor in understanding what potential health problems might occur. For example, it is recommended that a 10-pound indoor cat should consume between 200-210 calories daily. By contrast, a similarly weighted cat with an active lifestyle may require between 330-340 calories daily. Moreover, as cats are carnivorous animals by nature, they tend to miss out on nutrients that are provided by vegetables. Using specialized sensors built into the collar, platforms such as Purrsong’s LavvieTag are designed to gather detailed data regarding a cat’s calorie burn. The data is aggregated into its analysis, allowing pet owners to create a personalized approach that is specifically tailored to their cat’s nutritional needs. By leveraging IoT technology, these collars provide invaluable insights into a cat's health, helping pet owners understand their cat’s diet better to make informed changes when necessary.
- Understanding daily activities
Cats exhibit a wide spectrum of activity levels influenced by their unique personalities. Some cats are “indoor cats,” who enjoy a more sedated lifestyle, whereas “outdoor cats” tend to engage in more adventurous, exploratory behaviors. Additionally, periods of intense activity, commonly known as 'zoomies', are also characteristic of many cats. Many IoT based pet collar platforms, like Purrsong's LavvieTag, provide a window into these varied activity patterns by tracking movement and behavior. Moreover, complementary tools like LavvieScanner can further enhance the monitoring of a cat's activities, even when they're beyond the confines of home. These innovations offer pet owners a comprehensive view of their cat's health and well-being, ensuring they can tailor their care to each cat's individual needs.
- Understanding sleep patterns
Cats often sleep for extensive periods ranging from 12 to 18 hours, and are usually active at night. This nocturnal behavior can puzzle pet owners, making it hard to gauge if their cats are getting enough rest. Innovative IoT-based pet collars like Purrsong's LavvieTag offer a solution by tracking and analyzing a cat's sleep patterns. This technology provides valuable insights into a cat’s sleep duration and quality. By understanding these patterns, owners can foster a more holistic approach to pet care and develop insights into their cat’s daily activities and sleeping patterns.
5. Conclusion
Although Tile trackers were originally designed with small inanimate objects in mind, forward-thinking pet owners have adapted the technology to track their cats, showcasing the versatility of the technology. However, it is important for pet owners to recognize that Tile trackers were not designed with pets as the primary focus, and this can lead to issues with pet owners using the technology. Moreover, other companies such as Purrsong have integrated the Bluetooth technology which Tile trackers use into a product that focuses specifically on cats. Therefore, Tile trackers should only be seen as a cost-effective alternative that has some serious drawbacks when compared to pet collars that consider other aspects of a cat’s lifestyle.
If you would like to learn more about Purrsong’s LavvieTag as well as other PurrSong products, click here.
