TL;DR: Cats are incredibly resilient and hide pain well (some even purr when they're hurting. I didn't know that for ages). I'm sharing personal stories of my cats' health scares, the subtle signs I look for and how Tractive helps me spot changes early (now that I know what to look for!).

I was looking at my cat's Activity Monitoring data the other day out of curiosity and it got me thinking. Cats are incredibly resilient when it comes to tolerating pain. Thinking back to late 2025 and early this year, when one of my cats came home injured, he was so good at hiding it...

For me, the most important thing is knowing the signs that a cat feels sick or hurt so you can act fast.

Here's what I watch for:

• Change in activity levels: Does he move less, or does he seem restless?
• Change in sleep patterns: Does he sleep more or less? Is he in a new or unusual spot?
• Weight fluctuations: Any sudden weight gain or loss.
• Eating and drinking habits: Does he eat or drink more or less? There have been times he wouldn't eat, not even his favorite treat and it turned out he had a bad tooth. Our female cat who passed away not long ago showed signs of diabetes because she started drinking a lot of water all of a sudden. We went to the vet, but the diagnosis was inconclusive at that point.
• Changes in breathing or heart rate: Another cat we had started to struggle with breathing and lost a lot of weight quickly. It turned out fluid was building up in her lungs, putting pressure on her heart. We didn't have a tracker at the time, but having Vital Signs Monitoring in the new cat tracker (this means it tracks resting heart rate and respiratory rate) would have been incredibly helpful to spot this sooner and ease her pain.
• Behavioral changes: Does he act grumpy or aggressive? Does he scratch or lick his coat more? Earlier this spring, my cat had irritated skin that pointed to an allergy.
• Physical symptoms: Watery eyes, runny nose, coughing, sneezing. We have been there! Every year in spring, his eyes turn red and watery, he starts sneezing and sleeping a tad more. Our vet confirmed it is a mild allergy, but luckily not bad enough to need medication.

All of these things may sound straightforward, but it can still be difficult to spot them because cats endure quite a lot before they show us. That is exactly why I appreciate having the Tractive on my almost 14-year-old cat now. I get a much better understanding of how he is actually doing, especially during pollen season. His sleep changes slightly, but it's enough for the tracker to notice.

What are the signs you spot immediately in your cat when something is up? Or have you also had situations where the Tractive helped you act sooner?

We want to hear your ultimate Tractive feature wish list! If your Tractive app could track LITERALLY anything, what would you want it to track?

We're always looking for ways to improve the Tractive experience, but today, let's just dream big together. If our trackers could monitor absolutely anything in the future, what would you want to see on your screen?

I'll go first with mine:

A "Stolen Sock Locator": My cat is convinced socks are mice and hoards them. I NEED to know where the stash is to organize them in pairs again. Also, it'd be interesting to see how fast she runs while playing with them.

But you guys always come up with the best stuff.

So hit me: what's your dream feature? The wilder the better, but practical genius is welcome too. Drop 'em below!

Hi everyone! I know several of you have raised questions about the status of your order. You can now find all the available information in this article.

Before anything else, we want to apologize for the delays in shipping these devices, and, just as importantly, for not keeping you informed as clearly and promptly as you should expect from us.

In the article, you’ll find a detailed overview of the current status of pre-ordered CAT 6 Mini devices, including shipping timelines in the US, Canada, and Europe, answers to your top questions, and suggestions for how to contact our support team for more information. 

Below you can find the main points:

What caused these delays?

Demand for the CAT 6 Mini was significantly higher than what we forecasted, which stretched our supply and fulfillment capabilities, resulting in the delays you're experiencing today.

With that said, this instance has highlighted several ways we can improve our internal processes around shipping and logistics - we aim to address them head-on to avoid similar delays on future shipments.

How we’re making things right

Customers whose CAT 6 Mini order was shipped 3 or more days after the estimated pre-order date (such as July 1, July 15, etc.) will receive a free, three-month Tractive subscription. 

This will be sent via discount code, or if you already have a subscription, we’ll apply three free months on top of your current plan. We’ll email each customer with the details of their individual free subscription.

As always, you can reach our team by submitting a request via the Help Center. We're here to help with anything about your order, timeline, or the options above.

Thank you for your patience and for trusting us with your pet's safety. We're working hard to get your CAT 6 Mini to you as quickly as possible.

Hi all, summer heat waves can be rough on our furry friends...some of us are already experiencing that...

Here’s a quick guide (based on the Tractive blog) on how to spot the early signs of heatstroke in dogs and cats plus, how your Tractive tracker can help you keep an eye on their energy levels. Thought it was worth sharing!

Dogs and cats handle heat really differently, so the signs of overheating aren’t always the same. Here’s what to look out for:

Signs to watch for in dogs:

• Excessive panting or drooling
• Dark red or bright red gums
• Lethargy, seeking shade or collapsing
• Dizziness, confusion or muscle tremors
• Rapid or irregular heart rate
• Vomiting or dry and pale gums

Signs to watch for in cats:

• Rapid breathing, panting or drooling (unlike dogs, cats rarely pant unless they’re really stressed or overheated!)
• Sweating from their paw pads
• Licking their fur a lot to cool down
• Restlessness, anxiety or ears that feel super hot
• Rapid pulse, vomiting, weakness or clumsiness

Here’s what I do to keep my cat cool:

1. Timing his outdoor time: I only let him out early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun isn’t so intense.
2. Lots of water (and treats): I keep his water topped up all day and sometimes I’ll whip up frozen treats for him too!
3. Cool resting spots: I bring him inside to his cool sleeping spot during peak heat. When he’s outside, his favorite thing is napping in the shade under the tree by the pool.
4. Keeping an eye on his energy: I check his Activity Monitoring in the Tractive app regularly. If his active minutes are really low, I check on him and usually bring him in.

What do you do to keep your pets cool in the summer? Cold water? Frozen treats?

TL;DR: Fireworks can be incredibly stressful! Here is a quick reminder on how to use your Tractive tracker to monitor your pet's sleep, activity, and stress levels during the 4th of July.

Recently, I posted about firework safety here, but tbh, a quick reminder never hurts with the 4th of July just around the corner! Fireworks can cause a lot of anxiety for our pets. This is why I thought it would be helpful to share some thoughts on how to make use of your Tractive to keep an eye on your pet's stress levels through health monitoring.

Here is how you can use the health features to keep an eye on they're doing (edit: formatting, links to relevant threads):

• Sleep Monitoring: Keep an eye on their rest. Frequent wakeups or disrupted sleep patterns can be a huge indicator that your pet is feeling anxious or stressed.
• Activity Monitoring: Look at their active minutes. Are they pacing a lot more than usual? Or are they completely hiding and moving less?
• Bark Monitoring (for dogs): If you have the new DOG 6 or DOG 6 XL, you can check for changes in barking patterns which is a common sign of anxiety.
• Health Alerts: If their overall behavior patterns deviate significantly from their normal baseline, the app will send you an early warning alert!

Don't forget to make sure your battery life is topped off. Also, remember, you can use LIVE Tracking too...just in case they get spooked and try to run.

Did anyone notice big changes in their pet's sleep data last 4th of July? Sending calm vibes to all your pets this week!

Did you know that some pet insurance providers reimburse the cost of Tractive subscriptions? Note: Coverage varies by provider and policy but it's still worth checking in with your insurance.

Does Tractive have official insurance partners?

Yes! Here are a few partners:

• Uelzener (Germany)
• Musky (Spain)
• Calingo (Switzerland)
• Figo (Netherlands and Belgium)

What if my provider is not listed?

You might still be covered. I'd recommend contacting your provider directly and ask about coverage.

How do I actually get the money back?

Just to be super clear: Tractive doesn't process these reimbursements. You will handle the claim directly with your insurer by submitting your receipt. Also, policy terms change, so verify your coverage is still active before your next renewal!

Hope this helps. If you've got something to share (infos, experience), feel free to do so. The community appreciates it for sure!

What weird little habits do your pets have?

My friend's cat Sal is a complete himbo: gorgeous, zero thoughts, all vibes. And his ONE obsession in life is their guests' shoes. 😅 The second someone walks in the door he's all over their sneakers, smelling and rubbing his face on them like they're the greatest thing he's ever encountered. For context: he reacts harder to a stranger's shoes than he does to actual catnip toys (apparently). Make it make sense...

Imagine how much activity the Tractive tracks when he goes nuts playing with these shoes too!?

We all know the drill: fireworks go off, our pets panic, and then we panic because they're panicking. Nobody's happy.

Also, more pets go missing on the 4th of July than any other day of the year.

The good news is that a Tractive tracker can help keep your pet safe. So read these tips ahead of time and here's hoping we all have a safe and uneventful holiday.

• Charge it up: Double-check that your tracker has full battery life before the sun goes down (sounds obvious, but easy to forget).
• Set up a Virtual Fence: This is a custom safe zone (like your house or yard) where your pet is supposed to stay. If your pet gets spooked and bolts out the door, you get an instant alert in the app. Watch out, there's a difference between a safe zone and a power saving zone, tho.
• Create a safe space: Set up a cozy area indoors. Close the blinds, play some calming music or white noise and stay close to your buddy.
• Use Sound and Light: If your pet does get scared and hides in a dark spot inside the house (or outside!), this feature will help you pinpoint exactly where they are.
• Turn on LIVE Tracking: If the worst happens and your pet escapes, this feature will give you real-time location updates every 2 - 3 seconds so you can catch up to them quickly. (btw, you have different tracking modes available so it's good to know the differences).

At the end of the day, you can't promise your buddy that the sky isn't actually falling. But you can make sure that if they make a break for it, you'll be right behind them.

How are your dogs and cats handling July 4th?