When You Use a Pet Camera, Your Pet Will Never be Left Home Alone
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As some of us return to the office, we don’t think about how our pets have become used to us being home 24/7. This dramatic change in behavior can be stressful on pets, but it doesn’t have to be, thanks to pet cameras.
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Pet cameras not only help you know what your pets are up to when you are away, but many of them have technology to communicate with your pet, allowing your pup to see you, even when you aren’t physically home. Pet cameras can even help encourage good behavior while you are away and help you keep up on their training.
What To Look For in a Pet Camera
HD resolution
The ability to differentiate between your pets and anything else
Additional features such as two-way audio and treat dispensing
The best pet cameras will have 1080p video resolution and at least a 160-degree wide-angle lens to keep your pet in view. Motion and audio detection can be used to send push notifications to your phone when your pet is acting erratically or making a lot of noise, like when they bark uncontrollably at the robot vacuum. When this happens, pet cameras with two-way voice — in some instances, video — allow your pet to hear your voice, or hear and see you. From here, you can potentially calm your pet down, give it instructions, or simply tell them they’re the bestest pet ever. Some even have a treat dispenser to give good boys and girls a little something extra for good behavior.
Just because you’re heading back into the office doesn’t mean you have to leave your loved little furballs behind. Below you’ll find our recommendations for the best pet cameras to keep your pets in mind, and in sight.
What the Experts Say
There are plenty of valid reasons to own a pet camera, but we spoke to Sally Williams, the executive director of Mission Meow and retired cat behaviorist. She has built a career working with non-profits, animal rescues, and other pet owners who needed tips on how to interact with their pets. One of the biggest benefits of owning a pet camera to her is to address behavior issues.
“Behaviorally, it’s a great tool. I mean, to have a camera when you’re having any issues at the home with any kind of furniture destruction, shoe chewing, it’s great to see who’s the issue and causing the problem,” explained Williams.
She made an even more poignant remark about homes with multiple pets, since it can be nearly impossible to determine who’s being naughty. Cats can be temperamental, which is why it’s not uncommon for some to do their business outside of the litter box. “It’s hard to know who it is when you have three to four cats, but if you set the camera up and you find out who’s doing it, then you can address the behavioral issue,” Williams.
Alternatively, she said that pet cameras are great tools for pets that have negative reactions when they’re separated from their owners — especially dogs. “Studies do show that it helps with separation anxiety for dogs to hear your voice when you’re gone for longer periods of time. They find it comforting.”
Reolink Wireless Security Camera
Buy Now On Amazon
$40 at reolink
Best For: Pet owners on a budget.
Key Specs:
Night vision
Two-way audio
Pet detection
Why We Chose It: This pet camera from Reolink is one of our budget options, but don’t let that scare you because it has a bunch of useful features that make it one of our favorites on the list.
In addition to night vision, two-way audio, and AI technology that detects different shapes, this camera uses tilt and panning to give it an almost 360-degree field of view.
Pros
AI pet detection
Great field of view
Night vision
Cons
Wired power connection reduces placement flexibility
Furbo Dog Camera
Buy Now On Amazon
$236 at walmart
Best For: Pet owners of any kind, but specifically dog owners
Key Specs:
Dispenses treats at your command
Full HD camera
Two-way audio allows you to talk to your pup
Why We Chose It: When you want to continue to train your pup while you’re away, calm a nervous pet, or just keep tabs, the Furbo Dog Camera can be a great asset for pet owners.
As you watch a live feed of your pet, you can reward it for good behavior while you are away by dispensing treats (not all size treats fit though). If you have an anxious little animal in the home, you can receive alerts on your smartphone when your dog is barking and then use the two-way voice to talk to your animal through the camera to promote positive reinforcement or calm the little one down. It really is a great pet camera for dog owners.
Pros
Treat dispenser
Two-way audio
Great for remote training
Cons
Not compatible with some treats
Petcube Play 2
Buy Now On Amazon
Buy Now on chewy
Best For: Cat owners who are distracted by work, but still want to play with their carts.
Key Specs:
Laser pointer to keep your cat busy
Comes with Amazon Alexa built-in
1080p lens
Why We Chose It: Really, this is great for both dogs and cats, but the addition of a laser pointer toy helps keep frisky little felines entertained while you are away.
Like the Furbo, you can chat with your pet through two-way voice and watch their behavior thanks to a 1080p lens with a 160-degree wide-angle view. Plus, Play 2 has built-in Amazon Alexa, so you can turn on some music or control other smart home devices before you walk out the door.
Pros
Laser pointer
Built-in Amazon Alexa
Two-way audio
Cons
Somewhat expensive
Petcube Bites 2
Buy Now On Amazon
$249 at walmart
Best For: Pet owners of any kind, but specifically dog owners.
Key Specs:
160-degree wide-angle view
Allows you to dispense treats from anywhere
Two-way audio
Why We Chose It: The Petcube Bites 2 is every bit as impressive as the Furbo Dog Camera and costs the same, but has a slightly lower rating on Amazon, albeit 4.2 stars from just under 300 ratings, which is still fantastic.
You can watch your dog via 1080p video with a 160-degree wide-angle lens and even make recordings. It also has two-way voice to talk to your animal while you are away, as well as a treat dispenser. But this treat dispenser actually flings the treat to help entertain your pet with a little fetch while you aren’t home.
Pros
1080p video
Two-way audio
Treat dispenser
Cons
Fairly expensive
Wyze Cam v3
Buy Now On Amazon
$42 at home depot
Best For: Pet owners that want a legit security camera
Review: The Wyze Cam V3 Sets a High Bar for All Low-Cost Indoor Cameras
Key Specs:
Free cloud storage
Simple interface
HD resolution
Why We Chose It: Technically this isn’t a dedicated pet camera, but we love the easy-to-use interface, sharp video quality and affordable price.
You can actually cover your entire home with Wyze cameras for the price one Furbo or Petcube Bites. It offers free cloud storage for recorded video, and you can grant access to the feed to others without sharing your password, which is great for people who share a pet. We reviewed the Wyze Cam V3, and we were so impressed that we featured it on our list of the best security cameras for 2023!
Pros
Affordable
Easy to use
Doubles as a home-security camera
Cons
Not designed specifically for pets
Wopet Smart Pet Camera
Buy Now On Amazon
Best For: Pet owners on a budget that still want fancy features.
Key Specs:
Treat dispenser
Two-way audio
1080p HD camera
Why We Chose It: Sporting a 1080p camera and night vision that can see even in the darkest of homes, you’ll capture great footage of your pet while you are away.
You can use the treat dispenser to pamper and reward your pet or the two-way voice to talk directly to your pet while you are gone. We think it has all the makings of a solid pet camera, and it’s a little bit cheaper than others with treat dispensers.
Pros
HD camera
Easy-to-use two-way audio
Cheaper than other treat dispensing cameras
Cons
Some reviewers found it to be too noisy
Petcube Cam Indoor
Buy Now On Amazon
$35 at chewy
Best For: Pet owners that work at night.
Key Specs:
Night vision up to 30 feet in low light
“Chat with a vet” allows you to connect with a veterinarian if your pet appears to be in distress
Push notifications when your pet barks or acts strangely
Why We Chose It: When we work at night but want to keep an eye on our pets, the Petcube Cam Indoor boasts night vision that can see up to 30 feet at night.
If your pet is acting erratically or barking a ton when you are away, you can set up push notifications to be sent to your phone, so you can peer in and see what is happening. There’s also a “chat with a vet” feature that quickly connects you with a vet if something appears wrong with your animal. It might not have some of the fancy features that others offer, but it’s a solid pet camera and an affordable one at that.
Pros
Night vision
Affordable
“Chat with a vet” for peace of mind
Cons
No interactive features
Echo Show 5 & Blink Mini Bundle
Buy Now On Amazon
$120 at Lowe's
Best For: Pet owners that want a home security bundle
Read More: Got Naughty Pets? We Kept Eyes On Them With This Echo Show And Blink Mini Pairing
Key Specs:
Easy setup and operation
2 MP camera
Compatible with Alexa smart home
Why We Chose It: Another entry that isn’t necessarily a pet camera: the Amazon Echo 5 and Blink Mini Camera bundle. If you’ve already got some Alexa smart home gear, this bundle will be right at home. If you don’t, it’s super easy to get started! SPY.com’s tech editor John Velasco recently reviewed the bundle and was impressed by both how affordable it is and the straightforward operation.
There are no fancy laser pointers or treat dispensers included with this bundle, but we’d be hard-pressed to find a better indoor security combo for such a good price!
Pros
User friendly
Integrates with Amazon Alexa
2-megapixel camera resolution
Cons
No “pet-specific” features
eufy security S220 Indoor Cam
Buy Now On Amazon
$55 at walmart
Best For: People who want their camera to talk to their pets.
Review: The Eufy S220 Is The Camera That Follows Wherever You Go
Key Specs:
2K resolution
360-degree field of view
Easy setup
Why We Chose It: This is one of the few pet cameras that will literally shout at your pets when they detect them.
Our next entry is one of our favorite home security cameras. Our tech editor, John Velasco, set it up in his home and was startled when he heard it shout at his cats. Besides being able to differentiate between humans and pets, the eufy Solo IndoorCam P24 is incredibly easy to install and provides an excellent 360-degree field of view thanks to its tilting and panning.
Pros
360-degree view
Talks to your pets
Can discern between humans and pets
Cons
Struggles with dynamic range
Blink Indoor (3rd Gen)
Buy Now On Amazon
$80 at target
Best For: Pet owners with Alexa smart home.
Key Specs:
Battery powered
Up to 1080p resolution
Infrared night vision
Why We Chose It: This indoor security camera from Blink is very reasonably priced, considering its high quality.
The Blink Indoor is battery-powered and wireless, which allows for flexible placement. It integrates easily with Alexa and is capable of two-way audio, so you can say “what’s up?” to your pup.
Pros
Two-way audio
Wireless
Night vision
Cons
Cloud storage requires a paid subscription
How We Chose The Best Pet Cameras
There are a ton of cameras on the market these days. On the one hand, it’s great because the competition keeps the prices down; however, it can be difficult to sort through the sea of products and figure out what’s right for you. We at SPY aim to find you the best products for the best prices. We considered many different factors when building our list, including:
Price: We tried to find a range of products to help you get the best pet camera, no matter your budget
Accuracy: The best pet cameras should be able to discern your labrador retriever from your roommate
Additional features: Things like treat dispensers and two-way audio to talk to your pets
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