The tracker weighs only 1.1 ounces and is suitable for cats weighing 6.6 to 17.6 pounds, to ensure the breakaway collar opens when it should. Basil is 17 pounds, and the Cat 6 Mini fits him well with room to spare. This smart collar fits necks between 7.5 and 9 inches, whereas the previous Tracker Mini model could fit virtually any neck size because it attached to your existing collar.
Tractive claims the collar’s charge lasts up to seven days for indoor cats and that it needs to be charged nearly daily if your pet roams outside. When I tested the smart collar on my indoor-only cat Basil, the battery needed to be charged by the fourth day of use.
Because the device itself is the entire collar, I felt like I was taking Basil’s collar off more often than I’d like in order to charge—I didn’t like that he was collarless while it charged. My anxiety told me that in this brief moment of his nakedness, he would escape. Also, because charge time took several hours, there were a few times I forgot to put it back on him until the next day.
Another gripe I had was that it was very difficult for me to remove the collar and adjust its diameter. I’m physically disabled and have reduced grip strength and fine-motor function. The collar has a simple looped clasp, but the thick material was difficult to slide under the plastic buckle; it often fell too long or too short, and I couldn’t take off the collar without pulling it to trigger the breakaway feature, which was stressful for Basil—especially since the collar needed to be charged every four days.
I would’ve preferred the clasp to open by easily squeezing the top and bottom to release. Again, this would probably not be as big of an issue if I were able-bodied, but it is a potential issue for other pet owners who may have reduced motor function.