What do you think about this new device, which is yet to hit shop shelves; the CatNav? It is for indoor/outdoor cats or perhaps cats living in a very large house! I suggest below how it may help to protect cats from abuse.
It is a variation on the CatCam, the video camera attached to a cat’s collar. The CatNav, as you have probably guessed, tracks your cat’s movements using GPS (Global Positioning System), just like the device in your car, that tells how to get to a preset destination.
The ultra-light weight device he invented is worn as a cat collar. The device tracks the cat’s movements. On returning home the CatNav is removed from the cat and plugged into the USB socket of a computer. The information gathered can then be mapped using Google Maps. It will cost about £50.
The information that the CatNav collects on your cat’s travels would probably look somewhat like this when downloaded to Google Maps (this is illustrative and not an actual example).
View CatNav Example Route in a larger map
The product was invented by a Brit, David Evans. Brits are very inventive. His cat “Yollo” routinely goes a-wandering and returns well fed. This reminds me of some cats I know.
David wanted to know what his Yollo was up to and, perhaps, find out who was feeding him – maybe he wants to reimburse the person for the cost of cat food!
My Conclusions
Any Use?
This is a clever idea but…I am not sure that it will tell you much more than you can already guess at. If your cat goes out and roams, you’ll be able to guess that it will be for up to about 2 miles and he’ll probably have to cross a road or roads, depending on where you are, and he’ll probably jump over or through garden fences and walls to wander around someone else’s garden because cats don’t recognise the concept of boundaries and property rights etc.
You may be able to discover who is feeding your cat other than you. However, do you really want to meet that person? Perhaps he or she is fed up with you and you don’t even know it ;).
Protecting the Cat
The information may help to protect your cat. If a neighbour wanted to harm your cat, let’s say by poisoning him using antifreeze, it may be possible to discover where the person lives. If, for example, five cats in one area wore the device and the owners kept records of their movement you could the compare the maps. If one was poisoned there may be a convergence where the poisoned food was put down and that poison might be on or near the property of the poisoner.
I would place a little note on the collar saying:
“This cat’s movements have been tracked”.
That is likely to be a barrier to a person who wishes to harm the cat. It is also useful to put a phone number on the collar for common sense reasons.
Of course, if a nasty person gets close enough to the cat he could remove the device. However, the notice is written in the past tense so the person would then know that he has already been identified.
They happen to people that should read, sorry for the typo
Marc it could have been a one off trip Red was on that day, he could have followed another cat, maybe chased a mouse so far and became a bit bewildered at where he found himself, having a sat nav couldn’t change fate.
Cats becomes streetwise, you have to weigh up giving your cat quality of life, some cats like ours at present would just pine away if they had no freedom. Luckily we live in a safe cat friendly place.
You must not blame yourself, accidents are tragic but they have to people and to children and to dogs, as well as cats.
Would you have bought a CatNav if it had been available at the time? You’re quite techy so I expect you would have.
When my Missie was killed on the road I wasn’t even thinking straight. I was going through a very tough time for various reasons and simply thought about letting her go out. It was actually a fairly quiet road but…say no more. Essentially I was not switched on as I am now about cat welfare. This was about 20 years ago.
If I knew Red went where he did I would have kept him in or been alot more careful. I was shocked at where I found him. I couldn’t believe he went right to the busy road and I never saw him go there myself although I kept a close eye on him.
Good point about collars. As you say, collars have a history of being dangerous. There are some sort of safety or quick release collars but I don’t know how good they are or whether this device will be attached to such a collar. I think this device will not be a commercial success. Some cat owners will buy one but not enough to make it profitable.
Purr-sonally I don’t like the idea, the main reason being that even supposedly safe cat collars can be dangerous, a neighbour’s cat’s collar had her hobbled and helpless as she had somehow got her front legs pinned to her sides through it.
Our cats have never worn collars, they are microchipped.
It seems a bit too intrusive to me too, how would we like someone watching where we go, all the time, not one moment of privacy.
I don’t think neutered cats go very far from home and anyone who doesn’t bother having their cats neutered won’t care where they go anyway.