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Hello again, humans. It’s me, Champers, your nap-loving, people-hugging Siamese.
I’m 15 years young, extremely clever (if I do say so myself), and after years of watching my brother Kepler zoom around with his Fi Series 3 collar, I finally have my own tracker… the new Fi Mini.
It’s built for pets like me; smaller, more refined, and not trying to break records for daily step counts. I’m here to share how it’s been going, what I like, what I’d tweak, and why I think other cats (and small dogs) might benefit from it too.
Key specifications
- Price: $129 per year at tryFi.com, or from $3/week (includes hardware + membership). Comes with a 30-day risk-free trial + 2-year warranty
- Weight: 16g / Size: 42mm × 30mm × 12.5mm
- Waterproof: IP68 (even saltwater tested!)
- Battery life: Up to 3 weeks standalone and up to 3 months with a Fi Base
- Connectivity: GPS + Verizon LTE-M live location tracking. Smart escape alerts + geofencing. Works with iOS/Android; your phone can be on any network.
- Activity & sleep tracking: Yes
- AI Health insights: Coming Fall 2025 with the “Mini Plus” upgrade. It will track licking, scratching, drinking, eating, and even vocalization (barking and miaowing!). I can’t wait for this, because then my human will get notified when I want to come inside.
- Collar compatibility: Works with collars from 3/8″ up to 1.25″ wide. Includes strap and soft case attachment options
What’s in the box
In the box you’ll find your Fi Mini device, 3x silicon cases that wrap and protect the device, and also allow it to be attached to any collar, and 1 USB-C charging cable,
Performance review
As the household’s head of security (and sleep), I take my tracker duties seriously.
Here’s how the Fi Mini has performed after my first week testing it:
Lightweight and unobtrusive
I don’t like clutter, and I don’t like bulk so the Fi Mini suits me well.
To be honest though, for most of my life, I have roamed the house completely naked, wearing no collar at all, it’s just how I like to prowl.
And I definitely don’t want a clunky tracker hanging off my neck while I’m practicing my 12th nap of the day.
It may look a little large on my dainty neck, but it’s actually very lightweight and doesn’t get in the way, even when I’m drinking water.
At just 16g, the Fi Mini is shockingly light, I forget I’m even wearing it.
No collar swaps required either, it works with my favorite Pineapple pattern one that my humans bought me when we moved to Florida.
Location tracking works purr-fectly
Now, let’s be clear, I’m not the wandering type. I live a very refined indoor life, with my favorite spot being out by the pool or lounging in the lanai area.
It’s all fully enclosed, of course, my parents are very careful that I never sneak out. That said, the Fi Mini’s GPS and geofence features still bring a lot of peace of mind to them, not to me though, because it means I can’t sneak out and ride the local Alligators.
Even in a controlled environment like ours, things happen, pool maintenance doors left ajar, a loud noise spooking me toward the screen door (it was just a giant crane squawking at me, for those wondering).
So while I’ve never actually escaped, my humans have set up a geofence around our home just in case, its the same one they use for my brother Kepler (he’s a border collie, using the Fi Series 3).
If I ever did leave that safe zone, they’d get an alert within seconds, the same way they have in the past when Kepler went for a run around the neighborhood when we used to live in California, our gardener left the side gate open by mistake…
And if something really went sideways (like a surprise thunderstorm or a freak escape), they could activate Lost Pet Mode. That turns on live tracking and a flashing red light on my Mini to help them find me fast.
Thankfully, we’ve never had to use it but knowing it’s there is part of why this little tracker is so valuable to us all.
Sleep tracking fit for royalty
Thanks to Fi, my humans have irrefutable proof that I sleep for 19-20 hours a day.
It breaks it down into naps vs nighttime sleep, and honestly, it’s kind of impressive how detailed it is for such a tiny gadget.
I even overheard them saying I might sleep more than Kepler… and that dog runs 10 miles a day!
Kepler’s Series 3 collar gives similar sleep stats, but it’s much bigger and has a bigger built-in light and the app has a step leaderboard.
For me? This compact, collar-agnostic Mini version is more than enough.
Battery that lasts longer than my interest in toy mice
I think we’re averaging about 3-4 weeks between charges, which is ideal. I’m basing this on the fact that I have been wearing it 24/7 for the last 6 days, and it was about 80% charged when my dad first put it on my collar.
I’m mostly indoors and out by the pool, so I’m not constantly pinging GPS (I’m mostly connected to our home wifi).
Kepler’s collar lasts about 8 weeks but he’s a high-octane dog.
For a mostly-homebody cat like me? The Fi Mini battery life is excellent, and the USB-C charging makes things faster and more simple when compared to the Series 3.
If we ever wanted to stretch it to months, we could pair the Mini with a Fi Base (like Kepler’s setup), but honestly, it’s not necessary unless I start going on van trips too.
Health tracking? Soon, yes please
Later this year, the Fi Mini will get a Mini Plus software upgrade with AI behavior tracking. It’ll monitor changes in licking, scratching, drinking, barking, miaowing, and more.
I can’t wait for miaow tracking, because then my human will get notified when I want to come inside.
That’s going to be huge for older pets like me, subtle changes in behavior can mean something’s off, and this gives my humans another way to catch it early.
Another product I have that checks my weight regularly, in order to do the same, is the Litter Robot 4, that’s a super cool, automatic cat poo tray that you should read about next.
App experience
The Fi app is the same clean interface Kepler’s been using for years, and my humans tell me it’s cool how they can just swipe on the main screen and it changes either to me or Kepler.
You get activity stats, location maps, battery alerts, sleep summaries, and soon, behavior insights.
Mum and Dad use the same app for both of us, and there’s no limit to how many users can be added, so Helen, Alastair, and even the vet can access my data. That’s handy, especially when we’re traveling or if a sitter is watching me.
My verdict
The Fi Mini is everything I wanted in a smart tracker, and I believe it’s well worth paying $130 a year for the full service.
It’s compact, lightweight, accurate, and stress-free. It brings all the best parts of Kepler’s robust Fi Series 3 collar, like live GPS, sleep tracking, and safe zone alerts, into a form factor built for smaller pets like me.
The fact that it works with my existing Pineapple tropical collar is just the cherry on top.
For pet parents of cats, toy breeds, or even adventurous rabbits (don’t judge), this is a game-changer. If you’ve ever worried about a door left open, a new pet sitter, or sudden changes in your pet’s behavior, the Mini gives you peace of mind, and data to back it up.
If you’re already using the Fi ecosystem, like our family, adding a Mini makes perfect sense. It’s the same reliability, just… smaller.
Would I recommend it to other cats? Only the ones worthy of wearing tech, obviously.
Would I recommend it to humans? Without hesitation.
— Champers 🐾
(self-declared Head of Household Operations)
