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Update, 3-2013: the system continues to work perfectly: it's a great solution for when our cat decides to go AWOL. We got a second cat, so I'm buying a second collar transmitter (the remote can handle up to 4).
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We bought this item to track our cat when she wanders or hides. We've been using it for a few months now and it has worked perfectly every time. The remote unit is easy to use and quickly leads us to her.
Our cat now recognizes the beeping of the collar as a sign that we're looking for her and when she hears it she'll give up and come out of her hiding place, or come running across the lawn toward us! So often we don't even have to step out to find her: as soon as we activate the tracking function on the remote, she comes to us.
The range is reasonable, probably a couple of acres in an open environment like a field or about an acre in a place where houses and concrete foundations are blocking the signal. When we don't get a signal immediately, walking in increasingly larger circles (with our house at the center) quickly gives us a signal to follow and she is found in a matter of minutes.
We have a very tiny cat (runt of the litter) and she has no problem at all with the tiny collar unit; she doesn't even seem to notice that it's there and has never attempted to get rid of it (unlike other "costumes" and harnesses and such that our kids have tried to afflict her with!).
She's gotten caught in pretty heavy downpours where she and her collar have been completely soaked and has dragged the collar through deep snow on a few occasions, but the silicone collar unit protector has always kept the unit totally dry.
I admit that I was a bit skeptical when we purchased this, but it's completely fulfilled and exceeded my expectations.
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I was skeptical about Loc8tor. I really didn't expect it to work, but after my diabetic cat got trapped in someone's garage for three days, I decided it was worth trying in case it ever happens again. My cat needs insulin injections twice a day, so finding him can be a matter of life or death for him.
In one of my tests after it arrived, he was in the living room and I was able to get a signal from across the street, through two brick walls. This is much better than I expected. I've tested it through several brick walls and to my amazement, I can still track him.
The silicon splash protector slips over his collar; he doesn't seem to mind it. I've just received it today so I can't address how Loc8tor will hold up over time. If problems turn up, I'll post a follow-up review.
UPDATED REVIEW:
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My cat was killed by a coyote six months after buying the Loc8tor, but I was consistently impressed with the Loc8tor for the six months I used it on my cat and will use it on my future pets.
The Loc8tor proved useful even after my cat's death. I suspected a coyote had taken him, but could not have confirmed it without the Loc8tor. It allowed me to easily locate his remains in the woods uphill from my house. It was upsetting, but at least I knew for certain not to hold out hope for him returning home. Finding his remains would have been impossible without the Loc8tor. This alone made it worth buying.
I did experience two glitches with it, which at first I thought meant the Loc8tor was defective. What happened was that on both occasions, the lights began flashing in meaningless ways. The first time it happened, I replaced the battery in the hand unit and that solved the problem. The second time, I simply reseated the battery and the problem went away. I suspect that this would have solved the problem the first time also.
I think the problem is that the battery is located precisely where you hold the unit, and that the pressure of your fingers might eventually move the battery enough to cause the problem. After I became aware of the problem, I was careful in how I held it and I had no more problems. With most products I'd dock a star for this, but the Loc8tor was so extremely useful to me and is such a unique product that I gave it five stars. Based on my experience, I highly recommend this device.
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this seemed like a good idea as we have a cat that gets out reasonably often. the collar tag is small, which is nice. it worked well for awhile, as long as the cat was close by, but we had to 're-register' the tag with the monitor a few times as it just wouldn't 'find' the tag even when the cat was close until the tag was reset. the following spring, it just flat-out stopped working despite battery replacements in all the tags and the homing unit. of course, it's no longer covered by any warranty, so we're just going to have to throw it away and try another type of unit.
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I'm really giving 5 stars to the Locator Plus here and warning people about problems with the the Loc8tor Pet. (I am editing this review 3 months after the first 5-star review.)
I would not let the cats go without a locator. BUT, after two plus years with the Loc8tor PLUS, we switched to the Locator Pet. Loc8tor Pet was confusing to use, impossible to see in sunlight, and it's on-off button broke. Here is my advice (it will cost a little more but worth it): Get a Loc8tor Plus and buy the plastic pet tag collar holders for the tags.
This is what I originally wrote about Loc8tor PLUS, which we love and would not live without: We used the Loc8tor Plus device for 2+ years on our young Siamese cats. (I wish I had had it a few years ago when I spent two harrowing weeks looking for a lost cat!) In nice weather they go out and roam around in the fenced yard but many times we have used this device when one of them found an escape route. We have a large house and we use the loc8ter to find them inside as well. When a guest let a cat out the front door we were able to find her fast. We used the old model, not the one made for pets, which came later, with the tags sewn to the collar, and rain and some water didn't seem to be a problem. One interesting and convenient thing has happened: When we look for a cat, the collar beeps and tells him or her we are looking and the cat starts to head back to the house. Hope this helps you find your pet!
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If your cat has not gone far and you'd like to know where it is, this is a great product hopefully some day, there will be a truer system in place let's face it, 400 feet (although I have not yet tested 400 feet) is not a lot. But my cat wears this everday and it is light and uncumbersome, and I feel 100% better knowing that in the event she is locked in some neighbor's garage or just being a pain in the butt trying to hide somewhere, that I can retrieve her. I highly recommend this product if your needs are limited and do not think your cat will hitch a ride to the next town.
update: once the battery went dead, it stopped working I have tried several batteries (the ones recommended) and although the light indicates there is power, it does not respond to the remote. The company has not responded to my voicemails.
I would not buy this because there is no support if it does not work for you.
