When you want to protect your cat, three options always come up: the microchip, the AirTag (or another Bluetooth tag) and the GPS tracker. They are often lumped together, but they meet three different needs.
The microchip: identification
The microchip is implanted under the skin by your vet. In many countries, including France, identification is mandatory (since 1999 for dogs and 2012 for cats in France).
- What it does: when someone finds your cat and takes it to a vet or shelter, the chip is scanned and your contact details come up.
- What it doesn't do: it has no battery and no GPS. It doesn't tell you where your cat is.
AirTags and Bluetooth tags: location "by chance"
An AirTag has no GPS. It sends a Bluetooth signal picked up by iPhones passing nearby, and their position is what shows up on your phone.
- In a city, it can work if there are people around.
- In the countryside, a garden or under a car, it may report nothing for hours.
- No alert when your cat leaves home: you find out it's gone when you look for it.
- Apple itself has said AirTag was designed to track items, not people or pets, and that a pet must come within range of a Find My device to appear on the map.
The 4G GPS tracker: live location
A GPS tracker like PawTrack calculates its own position by satellite and sends it over the mobile network, thanks to a built-in SIM card. Under open sky, consumer GPS is typically accurate to about 5 m; accuracy drops near buildings and trees.
- Live location on your phone, without depending on passers-by.
- No range limit, wherever there is 4G coverage.
- Instant alert if your cat leaves the zone you set.
- The trade-off: it needs charging (up to 9 days of battery for PawTrack) and a subscription for the SIM card.
In short
| Microchip | AirTag | 4G GPS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies your cat | Yes | No | No |
| Live location | No | Only near an iPhone | Yes |
| Alert when it wanders | No | No | Yes |
| Works in the countryside | - | Rarely | Yes, with 4G |
Our advice
The best protection is a microchip and a GPS tracker: the chip so your cat can be identified, the GPS so you know where it is right away. Our cat Willy was microchipped. If we had known where he was on that first evening, he would probably have come home.
So it never happens again: PawTrack is a 28 g 4G GPS tracker that clips onto the collar and shows your pet live, with an alert the moment they leave their safe zone. Loss Guarantee included.
For a dedicated side-by-side comparison, see our AirTag vs GPS tracker for pets guide. For cat-specific fit and tracking advice, see our GPS tracker for cats guide.
Sources: Apple executives' interview with Fast Company (April 2021); U.S. government, GPS.gov, "GPS Accuracy"; I-CAD, French national pet identification registry.