Cats are finally getting the same advanced health-tracking tech that dog owners have enjoyed, with the new Tractive Cat 6 Mini smart collar. This device goes beyond basic location and activity monitoring, offering features like heart and respiratory rate tracking, AI-powered health summaries, and a visual health history timeline. While it provides valuable insights, especially for owners of aging or unwell cats, the collar has some drawbacks, including a short battery life, tricky clasp, and a reliance on a subscription.
The Tractive Cat 6 Mini, released this spring, is designed as a complete collar, not just an attachment. Available in black, brown, and lavender, it weighs just 1.1 ounces and is suitable for cats between 6.6 and 17.6 pounds, with neck sizes from 7.5 to 9 inches. Setup involves downloading the Tractive app, choosing a subscription plan, and creating a pet profile. Subscription options range from one-year ($10/month) to five-year ($5/month) contracts, all including LTE cellular coverage, 365-day location history, and GPS data export.
In testing, the collar provided surprisingly accurate health and activity stats. The app tracks daily activity and sleep patterns by the hour, offering weekly AI summaries that compare your cat's metrics to those of similar cats. This feature can highlight whether your cat is more or less active than average and estimate calories burned, which is helpful for managing diet. The built-in accelerometer continuously records movement, translating it into "active" minutes and sleep/calm time, with algorithms designed to filter out minor movements.
A significant upgrade is the inclusion of heart and respiratory rate monitoring. The app provides resting heart rate data, which, in one instance, showed a resting heart rate lower than the average range for similar cats. While the app suggested reasons like fitness or cold temperatures, this data could be crucial for identifying potential health issues. Respiratory rate was also tracked, with daily averages falling within the normal range. The collar syncs health metrics continuously via cellular networks, and users can request data copies or erasure.
However, the Cat 6 Mini isn't without its frustrations. The battery life, claimed to last up to seven days for indoor cats, consistently died around the fourth day in testing. Charging takes about three hours, and since the device is the entire collar, it means your cat is without a tracker during charging, which can be stressful for owners. The collar's clasp and adjustment mechanism proved difficult to manage, particularly for users with reduced grip strength, and required pulling the breakaway feature, which could be alarming for the cat. Location tracking, while functional, isn't highly granular, and false alerts regarding virtual fences were occasionally reported, especially when the battery was low.
Ultimately, the Tractive Cat 6 Mini offers compelling health monitoring features that can help owners stay on top of their cat's well-being. For owners prioritizing detailed health insights, especially for cats with existing health concerns, it's a valuable tool. However, potential buyers should weigh these benefits against the short battery life, the somewhat cumbersome design, and the ongoing subscription costs.
