Pet Tech Picker
Find the right gadget for your dog or cat. Five categories, honest pros and cons, no fluff.
Pet tech can help — if you pick the right thing
For senior pet owners, the right gadget can take pressure off daily routines: a feeder that handles breakfast on a tough morning, a camera that lets the grandkids wave at the dog, a tracker that takes the panic out of a slipped leash. The wrong gadget gathers dust on a shelf. Below: five common categories, what each one actually does, and which type of household it fits.
Tractive GPS
What it does: Clips to the collar and shows your pet on a live map any time, anywhere in the country.
Best for: Outdoor cats, dogs that bolt, or any pet that has wandered off before.
Pros
- +Real-time location with no distance limit (uses cell towers).
- +Works on a regular phone app — Apple or Android.
- +Battery lasts 2-7 days on a charge.
- +Cheapest monthly fee of the major trackers.
Cons
- −Monthly fee never goes away — about $60/year.
- −Needs a charge every few days.
- −Slightly bulky on small dogs or cats under 9 lbs.
Fi Series 3 Smart Collar
What it does: A full collar (not an attachment) with built-in GPS, activity tracking, and escape alerts.
Best for: Active dog owners who want one collar that does everything.
Pros
- +Battery lasts up to 3 months between charges.
- +Tracks daily steps and sleep — like a Fitbit for dogs.
- +Sends an alert the moment your dog leaves the yard.
- +Tough collar built for swimming and rough play.
Cons
- −Higher upfront cost than Tractive.
- −Yearly subscription required to use GPS at all.
- −Dog-only — no cat collar option.
Apple AirTag (indoor pets only)
What it does: A Bluetooth tag that pings off other Apple devices nearby. No live tracking.
Best for: Indoor cats or dogs you only worry about if they slip out the front door.
Pros
- +No monthly fee, ever.
- +Battery lasts about a year.
- +Tiny and lightweight.
Cons
- −NOT a real-time tracker. It only updates when an iPhone passes nearby.
- −Useless in rural areas with few iPhones around.
- −No alert when your pet leaves the yard.
- −iPhone owners only — no Android support.
PETLIBRO Granary Automatic Feeder
What it does: Drops a measured portion of dry food at scheduled times. Works for one pet at a time.
Best for: Single-pet households where you travel, sleep in, or want consistent feeding times.
Pros
- +Holds about 17 cups of food — a full week or more.
- +Wi-Fi version lets you feed from your phone.
- +Battery backup keeps it running during a power outage.
- +Voice recording — your pet hears your voice at mealtime.
Cons
- −Dry food only. No wet food, no treats.
- −Some smart pets figure out how to tip it.
- −Wi-Fi setup takes 10-15 minutes the first time.
Watch for subscription creep
Many pet gadgets look cheap on the box and then quietly add a monthly fee. A Tractive GPS at $5/month is $60 a year. A Fi collar plan can run $189 a year. Furbo charges $7/month for the smart features most owners want. Add a pet camera, a tracker, and a feeder, and you can be paying $200+ a year in fees on top of the device cost. Before you buy, check the fine print: which features stop working without the subscription? Add up the first three years total cost — device plus fees — and compare it to a no-subscription option like an AirTag (indoors) or PETLIBRO feeder.
Quick decision guide
- Outdoor cat or runaway dog? Tractive (cheaper monthly) or Fi (better battery).
- Indoor pet only? AirTag is plenty — no monthly fee.
- Travel a lot or sleep in? PETLIBRO automatic feeder.
- Two pets, one steals food? Sure Petcare microchip feeder.
- Want to check in from work? Furbo if you have a dog, Petcube if you have a cat.
- Tired of scooping the litter box? Litter-Robot 4 — pricey but life-changing.
Related
Quick Tip: ask your vet to confirm your pet has a working microchip before buying any microchip-based device. About 1 in 10 chips have shifted under the skin or stopped reading.