This Affordable Reader-Favorite Device Can Give Pet Owners Peace Of Mind

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Apple AirTags are infamous around HuffPost Shopping for being just that good. They’re a favorite among HuffPost shopping editors, one of the top-selling items among HuffPost readers and vouched for by nearly 90,000 5-star rating on Amazon for helping track down stolen vehicles, lost luggage, misplaced keys and wallets and more.
But the reason I’m finally pulling the trigger on this cult-favorite location-tracking item is because of my pet cat, Bee.
I’m haunted by the prospect of her getting lost. Although she is equipped with a collar and a microchip with my contact information that could be read by a scanner at a vet’s office or shelter, and she is mainly an indoor cat, I know all it would take is an errantly open door for her to escape. The bottom line is that I don’t want to have to depend on someone else’s goodwill to find, report or return her. I want to have tools at my disposal to quickly find her myself.
After all, I’ll never forget when my family lost our childhood dog, before the advent of GPS trackers and AirTags (or the ubiquity of smartphones, for that matter). Being at the mercy of someone else approaching him to read his collar or get his microchip read was unbearably stressful and scary. Luckily, a neighbor did find our dog, but I never want to be in that position again — and thankfully, with today’s technology, pet owners don’t have to be.
Equipping Bee with an AirTag takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I have peace of mind that should anything ever happen, I’ll be able to access her location straightaway and find her. If she’s just hiding in the house, all the better; if she’s down the street or even miles away, I’ll be on my way.
Owners can also have an AirTag notify them when a pet (or whatever item they’ve attached it to) is getting further away, so they can be aware of the situation before it gets out of hand or before a pet gets farther away. The AirTag can also make a sound to help you find it quickly, which is especially handy when a pet — or your wallet — is simply under the couch.
Apple encrypts AirTags for maximum privacy and safeguarding, and the gadgets are also water- and dust-resistant to withstand whatever hijinks a pet gets into. If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem with other Apple devices, all the better, since AirTags use the same Find My app. You’ll be able to track your dog or cat’s location through your phone or laptop or from the Cloud, wherever you are.
Tile Mates, another customer favorite tracker, can also track objects and pets, though only within a limited Bluetooth range of up to several hundred feet, after which you can view the last place the Tile was detected within that range. After combing through way too many reviews for AirTags and Tiles, I found that users generally find that AirTags are easier to use and offer a more intuitive setup, especially since many folks are already using the Find My app for their other Apple devices.
AirTags are sold individually as well as in packs of four; I’ll probably pick up a four-pack so I can also keep track of my car, wallet and keys while making sure my princess is safe and sound.
There are a number of products on the market that enable pet owners to simply slide an AirTag onto a pet’s existing collar. Since a hanging “keychain” design can weigh on pets’ necks, jostle around and generally be a bit uncomfortable, I’ve rounded up some the best slide-on AirTag holders available. Check out these great options from Amazon and Etsy: