PETKIT vs Cat Tailer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PETKIT
Monitor and manage your pet's health and well-being remotely. Track activity, feeding, hydration, and litter box usage with smart devices. Receive alerts for health changes and gain insights for proactive care.
- Remote pet monitoring
- Litter box usage tracking
- AI health insights
- Smart feeding schedules
- Hydration tracking
- Multi-cat facial recognition
Read full descriptionHide full description
Life with Your Pets—Smarter, Healthier, Effortlessly Trusted by over 6 million pet parents worldwide, the PETKIT app helps you monitor and care for your pets smarter, healthier, and more effortlessly. Stay connected anywhere with a closer view of your pet’s condition. Track litter box use, meals, hydration, and activity 24/7, and spot subtle behavior changes so you never miss the moments that matter. AI camera-equipped devices reveal hidden health signals, providing detailed insights into stool consistency, urine health (with compatible litter), and food intake—so you can care proactively and share insights with your veterinarian. All your devices work together in one smart ecosystem. Manage everything from a single app and turn everyday moments into actionable insights for confident pet care. Compatible Devices Works with PETKIT automatic litter boxes, smart feeders, water fountains, and pet dryer boxes. Feature availability may vary by model. Automatic Litter Boxes Standard Features - Real-time monitor: Get notifications for usage, cleaning cycles, full waste drawer, and accessory status. - Automatic usage tracking: Track every litter box visit, including frequency and duration, to spot early signs of health issues like constipation or urinary problems. - Remote control: Adjust cleaning modes, deodorization, litter leveling or dumping, and night mode—keeping the litter box clean and comfortable wherever you are. AI Camera-Equipped Models - AI health monitoring: Learns each cat’s litter box habits and alerts you to unusual changes and early health signs—like stool consistency (solid to loose), urine health (with compatible litter), inactivity, or unusual meowing—so you can act early. - Event-based video & image capture: Automatically records litter box activity. Watch live or review clips and share insights with your veterinarian for timely guidance. - Multi-cat facial recognition: Tracks each cat individually, even cats with similar weight, ensuring accurate monitoring and organized health data for multi-cat households. Smart Feeders Standard Features - Flexible feeding schedules: Keep your pet’s diet consistent no matter where you are. - Feeding insights: Daily, weekly, and monthly reports help you track trends and adjust meals for optimal health. - On-demand dispensing & alerts: Serve snacks or meals anytime and get notified when food runs low or device needs attention—so your pet is always cared for. AI Camera-Equipped Models - Stay informed and connected at mealtime: Monitor meals, portion intake, and feeding habits with live and recorded video. Interact with your pet as if you were right there. - Multi-cat facial recognition: AI identifies each cat and tracks meals separately, ensuring accurate data in multi-cat households (select models). Water Fountains - Hydration tracking: Monitor drinking habits and trends to ensure your pet stays properly hydrated. - Low-water & filter alerts: Get notified when water is low or filters need replacement—so your pet always has clean water. - Remote control: Adjust water flow and schedules from anywhere. Supports Bluetooth connection, with remote access available when paired with a PETKIT feeder or automatic litter box via interconnection (devices within 8 m / 26 ft). Pet Dryer Box - Customizable settings: Adjust wind speed, temperature, and duration—tailored for a comfortable drying experience for your pet. Before You Start - Compatible PETKIT devices required. - 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi required (5 GHz supported on select models). - Some features may require setup or subscription. PETKIT CARE+ Subscriptions Optional subscriptions unlock advanced features such as extended data history or cloud video storage. All pricing and terms are clearly shown before purchase. All video and data are securely stored and encrypted, keeping your pet’s information safe and private.
Cat Tailer
This device attaches to your cat's collar and uses Bluetooth to help you locate them within a 328-foot range. Receive alerts when your cat returns home. It's waterproof, lightweight, and has a long-lasting, replaceable battery.
- Bluetooth tracking
- Long range (328 ft)
- Waterproof design
- Smartphone/tablet compatible
- Return home alerts
- Lightweight for kittens
- Long-lasting replaceable battery
Read full descriptionHide full description
Cat Tailer is a tracking device for your cat. Cat Tailers can be ordered at: http://www.cattailer.com None of us wish to experience the anxiety of not having our pet come home, but with Cat Tailer you can go out and track your pet. Or, with Cat Tailer's notification system you can be alerted when your cat has come back home. Cat Tailer was designed specifically with cats in mind therefore it: -is fully waterproof (Yes, dunk it in the water bowl!!!) -is very simple to use with your smart phone or tablet -tells you when your cat is in range, or comes into range -has a long range of up to 328 feet (100 meters) -is small and light enough for a kitten to wear -has an easy to replace battery that lasts 6 months -uses simple and safe Bluetooth technology to tell you how far away your cat is Does your cat wander off and ignore your calls? Cat Tailer is an innovative pet tracking device designed specifically for cats. Cat Tailer is not GPS. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology with a long 328 foot range (100 meters) to assist you in finding your pet within your yard or neighborhood. Note: Maximum useable range will vary depending on the local environment. Cat Tailer is a simple device you attach to your cat's collar and use the companion smartphone application to find your cat when needed. Small and light (just like cats!), Cat Tailer is water proof, unobtrusive and sturdy enough to keep up with your pet’s rambunctious nature. It features a user replaceable battery that lasts 6 months.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: PETKIT at free against Cat Tailer's paid. PETKIT also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (20K vs 358). Cat Tailer's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for PETKIT against 4.6 for Cat Tailer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PETKIT has 20K ratings behind it against 358, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of PETKIT's written reviews are positive against 57% of Cat Tailer's.
PETKIT ships an update fortnightly, Cat Tailer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PETKIT | Cat Tailer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (20K ratings) | 4.6 (358 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | 57.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20K — better | 358 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 688 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Petkit Smart Technology Limited | Ambystoma Labs Inc. |
Customer experience
PETKIT
Cat Tailer
User reviews
PETKIT
From 20K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📊 Detailed tracking of pet activity
- 🔒 Secure connection
- 👍 Convenient automation
- 💡 Helpful notifications
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔍 Confusing app interface
- 💸 Expensive subscriptions
- 🔄 Unreliable updates
- 🔍 Cluttered with ads
Cat Tailer
From 358 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helps find cats
- 👍 Good for peace of mind
- 👍 Customer service is good
- 👍 Works well for cats that don't wander far
- 👍 Light can be turned off for stealth
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate distance readings
- 🐛 Limited range
- 🐛 Sound feature doesn't always work
- 🐛 Collar can be bulky/uncomfortable
- 🐛 App can be laggy
Bugs and requests
PETKIT
Reported bugs
5 issues- Repeated login issues
- Devices randomly going offline
- Feeding schedule resets unexpectedly
- Litter box sensor malfunctions
- App crashes during setup
Requested features
5 requests- Allow custom feeding schedules
- Add option to disable unnecessary notifications
- Improve app translations and localization
- Provide more flexible litter box settings
- Integrate with smart home platforms
Cat Tailer
Reported bugs
4 issues- Distance readings are inaccurate
- Sound feature stops working
- App requires constant GPS access
- Tracker shows incorrect distances when cat is close
Requested features
8 requests- Improve accuracy of distance readings
- Increase range
- Fix sound feature
- Make collar less bulky/more comfortable
- Improve app responsiveness
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Add directional compass
- Allow app to use location services 'while using app' instead of 'always'
- Design tracker to attach to collar instead of swinging
In-app purchases
PETKIT
No in-app purchases
Cat Tailer
No in-app purchases









