OK, up front; yes, I know I "should" keep my cat indoors instead of letting him be outdoors during the day.
Not gonna happen. He and I both discovered early on that he would have killed me in my sleep had I not allowed him to be an "indoor-outdoor" cat. Some cats are just NOT going to be indoor cats.
All I'll say on that matter...


I bought my cat (ok, more for ME than for him....) a Cat Locator... ( [www.thecatlocator.com] ) radio tracking collar and reciever.

Got it out of the box last night.
First impressions;
Tracking collar is a bit smaller than it looks on the web site.. which is good, that was my main concern; that the collar transmitter would be too bulky and cramp Max's style.

The reciever is a bit bulky, but not hard to use...
I "tracked" the collar from across the house.
It has a "short range, medium range, long range" sensitivity setting, AND a "Volume" control..
I'm not quite sure how they work in conjuction with each other yet.


The antenna is the bulkiest part of the operation, and the part that could stand the most improvement.


I'll give a more detailed report this weekend, after I try actually field testing it with Max and seeing if I can locate him from several hundred yards away.


I really hope it works... it cost a fair amount! (collar: $49.95, Receiver: $199).

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Let us know how it goes. I have a max cat (a high strung siamese) but he has a tendency to go nuts outdoors.

---

______________________________________________
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend....
...inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho

Any remote cotrol functions?

I take it this is signal strength rather than GPS position.

Plotting his tracks on a daily/weekly/monthly basis would be cool.
Hmmm...

Bill b;

Correct...
I get direction of strongest signal, and signal strength reading.
From there I have to do some dead-reckoning to estimate a position of my furry buddy.

Hopefully, Max is outside playing this afternoon when I get home from work, and I can try it out.
I strapped his new collar on him before I left this morning.... he was still under his "blankie"... spoiled lazy beast.

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

So you can't track him on Google maps, then?

Hmmmm, that might be handy for me as well.
We have two hyperactive meezers who are somewhat destructive. After I hear a loud crash, they seemingly have the power to become invisible for hours at a time. Locating the culprits might be quite satisfying!

I happen to know that a tracking collar is NOT what Max asked for.

<I happen to know that a tracking collar is NOT what Max asked for.

I happen to know you're right... but rgG's Boo Boo and Bun Bun were not available

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Paul F. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I happen to know you're right... but rgG's Boo Boo
> and Bun Bun were not available
>
>


Ummm - maybe you should clarify the Boo Boo and Bun Bun are cats

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Uh.. good idea 'fil...

Boo Boo and Bun Bun are rgG's CATS... storied in post and sig graphics..

Just to be clear before I get in trouble!

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Sorry - just my dirty mind I guess

---

Thanks for all the clarifications guys. I hope everyone knew BooBoo and BunBun were kitties. But I'll post here so everyone, who has images turned on, can see BooBoo's lovely picture. She has those bedroom eyes. That's what attracted Max, I'm sure.

BTW, I think that is a great idea for Max. At least now you can keep tabs on the boy's whereabouts. We wouldn't want Max spending too much time down at the local Pool hall, now would we?

---

Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

<We wouldn't want Max spending too much time down at the local Pool hall, now would we?

That's actually pretty close to the truth!
He spends time with the troublemaking dairy barn cats down the road...
They teach him to fight, swear, drink... etc.

I try to keep his attention away from those "friends"... keep him closer to home..

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Hmmmm... I wonder if someone here could comment on how this compares to an implantable chip?

Not that I would let a kitty outdoors, but it might still be nice to have in case of cat-napping...

In case anyone is wondering, my mother has two cats at her place-- one of them is strictly indoors, but the other is allowed out. Just recently, the one who is allowed out came back looking like she had been through a lawn mower-- full of scrapes and scratches, and bleeding heavily; seems that a new cat in the neighborhood really dealt her some punishment. Methinks they'll consider to keep her indoors from now on...

As far as I know, the implantable chips are only very short range Identification aids, not location aids..

The RFID chips are a great way to identify your cat if they end up in a shelter, but you can't take a handheld unit and locate your cat from 3 blocks away...

Of course, I could be wrong...

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

$250 for a radio tracking device to keep track of kitty!

Really Paul what are you thinking!!!

Why don't you just teach him to come when you call or whistle?

I had a cat that would do that when I was a kid (Yancy).

I could go to the door and whistle for him just like you would for a dog and moments later he would come running.

Not hard to do either just use a little positive reinforcement (treats!) and your cat will be answering your call in no time at all!

---

Aloha, Ken


“I have developed significant attachments to several members even though I wouldn't recognize them if I sat next to one on a park bench. I'm often tempted when in an airport to walk around, hollering "The Løpe", to see if anyone other than the Homeland Security people will acknowledge me. ” - The Løpe

"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us." Justice Robert Jackson

<Why don't you just teach him to come when you call or whistle?

Actually, he DOES... most of the time.
He knows there's treats in it for him if he comes in when I call him.

But being a cat, his attention span is about as long as the average kindergardener hyped on suger and raised on video games....so he gets sidetracked real easy.

I'm tired of tromping the hills for him in the spring and summer when he's got a mouse cornered, and doesn't want to leave the hunt.. and it's getting dark out.


Plus, I admit it.. it's a tech-toy

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2005 04:25PM by Paul F..

It's also good to know if a neighbor is feeding him.

bill b, let's not start on that subject...

I have neighbors here who are leaving their kitties out at night, and it's been about 10-30oF here at night recently...

I've been tempted to bring them in (and the cats clearly want to come in, they see me open the door and want to sneak inside), but what do I say to their owners the next night?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2005 06:03PM by PeterB.

I just don't understand why they would leave the kitties out in that type of weather. Do these kitties ever go inside at your neighbor's house?

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

rgG, some people (not necessarily Paul F. though) will let their kitties out in any weather-- maybe to let them do their business? I don't know, since I've only ever had indoor cats. I've heard of people here in my neighborhood who have been catching outdoor wandering cats belonging to other people, and stealing them in this way (not that I would do that intentionally, but there is also an element of animal cruelty going on here)-- that's another reason I would say that letting the cats out, at least in my neighborhood (urban), is not a good idea.

I understand letting cats out, in a non-urban setting particularly, but you have to let them back in, especially at night or when it's cold. These people just seem irresponsible. If the cats are trying to get in at your place they must want to get back in at home. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to have pets.

<but you have to let them back in, especially at night or when it's cold.

Bingo!

<Some people just shouldn't be allowed to have pets.

Bingo again!


Heck, if it's cold and/or raining out, Max is bright enough to poke his nose out his cat-door and then come back in and give me the "screw that... I'm not going out there! Gimme some treats and my blankie".


Update on the tracker;

It works!
It zeroed me to within a few feet of Max's hiding place about 200 yards (uphill, grumble grumble) away.
Unfortunately, that far from home base, he goes into "fight-or-flight don't touch me" mode. Even though he knows me, he won't let me get near him.. he has to stay "loose and alert" in case of danger.

But after I left him, it wasn't 5 minutes before he came trotting home...
(right on time, I might add...)

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Paul,

Surely you saw that Dish Receiver that was posted here, didn't you?

You could do some serious tracking of him then.

Many cats and dogs don't want you anywhere near them when they're 'taking care of business'.

I had a dog that for 14 years I NEVER knew where he took a dump, nor lifted his leg.
Never ever found evidence anywhere either.

(luckily surrounded by about 100 acres of undeveloped land/woods.)

When he was old and at the end could hardly see, I had to take him for leash walks. I swear he was embaressed. Seemed a bit odd being "eyes" for the dog, but he needed his exercise and to go. Luckily, it was not for too long.


Uphill sounds like a good view for small moving animals.
You were probably spoiling his hunting.

Bill,

Your dog TOOK dumps instead of leaving them?

Man... that dog needs some therapy!

Apparently, that explains why I could never find them.

Not that I went looking specifically for any reason, but sometimes it's wise to watch one's step(s).