Pet trackers have offered dog and cat owners a sense of relief over the last decade as they’ve become a reliable way to keep an eye on your furry ones. Whistle, one of the original innovators in the pet tracking space, will be shutting down its services next month, but existing users can switch to an alternative for free.
Whistle has been bought by rival Tractive. Both have been releasing pet trackers since 2013, but Tractive has gained more market share in recent years and has even taken PCMag’s title for the best tracker with fast escape alerts.
If you own an existing Whistle product, your service will shut down on August 31, 2025. That’s a tight turnaround between announcement and shut down, but Tractive has ensured it’s easy enough to switch to its service.
Those with Whistle or Tagg trackers are able to claim either a free Dog 6 or a Cat Mini from Tractive. To do this, you’ll need to head to this website where you’ll put in the serial number on the rear of your device and the email address for your existing account. From there, you can then choose your service, and it’ll be sent to you as soon as possible.
This offer is only valid until September 30, 2025. Tractive is also giving users two months subscription to ensure you’re happy with any changes. If you have an outstanding subscription to Whistle, those months will also move over to Tractive.
As part of this announcement, Tractive highlights how its service is more powerful than Whistle offering health monitoring, better battery life, and both improved light and sound on the trackers themselves.
However, Tractive may cost you more than Whistle. Its basic plan costs $108 per year, and it’s discounted to $144 if you opt to lock in for two years. This plan covers activity monitoring, escape alerts, GPS location, heart rate, sleep tracking, and virtual fences.
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There’s also a more expensive tier if you want family sharing, cellular connectivity and a full year of your pet’s location history. That costs $120 per year, which is then discounted to $168 for two years, or $300 if you opt in for five years.
The brand said, “Tractive holds deep respect for everything Whistle has built over the years. However, maintaining and developing two separate ecosystems – devices, apps, and software – doubles the complexity and could limit the quality of service and innovation.”
If you decide to keep your Whistle tracker instead, you’ll lose access to the service and your warranty will no longer be valid. Those that take the new product from Tractive are covered by a new two-year warranty.
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About James Peckham
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