Experiences with the new Tractive CAT mini (2026) - has anyone else had same issues
I’ve been using Tractive trackers for about two years with several outdoor cats and have always been very satisfied with the previous CAT Mini models.
During that time, I was able to reliably locate both my cats and any trackers that became detached. In fact, I never had to file a Tractive Care claim or warranty claim during those two years.
A few weeks ago, I upgraded all of my trackers and purchased three of the new CAT Mini trackers (2026 generation), mainly because of the significantly improved battery life. To be fair, the battery performance does seem noticeably better than with the previous generation.
However, I have now experienced the same issue with two out of the three new devices, and it has become a serious concern.
Both trackers were lost while they still had sufficient battery charge. In both cases, I used every search feature available through the Tractive system:
Disabled Power Saving Zones
Modified or removed Safe Zones
Activated Live Tracking
Used the Radar feature
Waited for multiple location updates
Attempted to use the sound and light functions
Despite all of this, I was unable to recover either tracker.
The app only displayed the last known position and repeatedly reported that the network connection was too weak to update the location. At the same time, I was physically searching in the exact area where the tracker was last reported.
What puzzles me most is that I never experienced this with the previous generation. Over the past two years, I was always able to locate lost trackers, even when they had become detached from my cats.
My main concern is not the value of the tracker itself.
The reason I buy GPS trackers is to be able to locate a cat in an emergency. If I cannot reliably locate a lost tracker, how can I be confident that I will be able to find an injured, trapped, or missing cat when it truly matters?
For context, I am not a new user. I have been using Tractive for approximately two years and am very familiar with the system and its functions. I know how to use Live Tracking, Radar, Safe Zones, and all available recovery tools. I also took the time to familiarize myself with the new CAT Mini generation before using it.
Because of that experience, I find it difficult to believe that these two incidents were caused by user error.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems with the new CAT Mini generation?
In particular, I would be interested to know:
Have you noticed differences compared to the previous CAT Mini models?
Do Live Tracking and Radar work reliably for you?
Have you experienced situations where a tracker with sufficient battery charge could no longer be located?
Are there any known issues or settings that owners should be aware of?
I am genuinely interested in hearing real-world experiences from other users before drawing any final conclusions.