Tracking Cats with GPS

It should come as no surprise that cats sleep most of the day, but where exactly do they go when they are not loafing around? Cat Tracker, an organization whose aim is to solve some of the biggest mysteries of the feline, is wanting owners to equip their outdoor roaming pets with a tracking device so their movements and behaviors can be observed.

How The Experiment Works

Cat Tracker is recruiting pet owners from all around the world to participate in this activity, and if you can assemble a makeshift GPS collar for your cat, you can join in, too.  They want to collect data from your cat’s movement patterns over a period of 9 days so they learn more about where exactly they go and the types of food they hunt — in fact, one of the primary reasons for this experiment is to help conservationists save some of the wildlife preyed upon by cats in addition to finding out what other impacts they have on the ecosystem.

After the 9 days are up and the data is sent, owners can download the data themselves and get an explanation on what their furry friend does when they are out and about. Even if you don’t have a cat yourself but are interested in their journeys, you can log on to Cat Tracker’s website and access the GPS maps to see the many adventures they have gone on.

Funny Cat Stories

There are already some humorous tales emerging from the experiment. Banjo the cat, for example, never seemed to wander too far from the house when he was let outside. The GPS data collected did confirm his owners’ suspicions, though — that he had been going to other neighbors’ houses for attention (and more than likely food). Other cats, however, have wandered great distances, with some traversing through both urban and rural environments.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Cat Tracker project and hear other stories about the secret life of cats: