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Photograph: Molly Higgins
Anabot Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion for $229 (without attachments): This rolling pet camera has good intentions, but sometimes the glitchy app combo makes the pet camera/toy/feeder a little unpredictable. Through the app, you can watch your pet on a security camera and watch the robot move around, perform tricks and deliver treats by pressing buttons. You can view the camera feed live from the app, but you can also schedule recordings, which are viewable via cloud playback, and it compiles a 30-second “day in the life” compilation. The robot is also expected to detect unusual activities or sounds like barking or broken glass and send a smart alert to the owner with a timestamp when it is away from home. Through AI-powered pet recognition, the bot can even capture a photo of your pet, but the AI features were unreliable.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Petcube Cam for $32: This simple, compact camera doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but it’s a good price to have for a reliable, basic pet camera. Like others in PetCube’s lineup, it has a 1080p HD camera, night vision, and two-way audio. It sits on hinges and can angle up and down, there’s also an option to flip the video feed in the app if you want to position it horizontally. You’ll need the brand’s Subscription Care plan to get any features beyond the live feed. You can set “Motion Zones” to only receive notifications in a specific area, and you can connect your phone’s location to the app so you’re alerted more often when you’re away. You can also share the camera feed with other people so they can view remotely and only specify certain times you want to share. This camera is basic, but it has a high-quality camera feed and advanced extra features that make it attractive at this price.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Catit Pixi Smart Mouse Camera for $75: This cutie looks like a tiny mouse with oversized magnetic feet that attach to a metal stand, and the mouse’s feet are hinged so you can adjust the height and angle of the camera. It’s beautiful but expensive as is – the lens doesn’t move and a microSD is required to get video footage beyond the live feed (with an SD card, you can scroll through the video to see the past day’s activities, record live footage, and save photos and videos to your smartphone’s camera roll). However when reviewing footage it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what moment in time you were watching, the video feed could be slow, and there were connectivity issues at times. It is a bit expensive at this price because of its (lack of capabilities).
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Closer Pets Treat View with Pet Camera for $100: This solid pet camera features an HD camera, two-way communication, motion detection, a built-in memory card, and 1-cup storage for kibble or treats that can be scheduled or delivered at random. The video feed was always crystal clear, although the sound was a bit slow and difficult to hear properly. The treat portions were huge, delivering more than a handful of kibble even on the lowest setting. The alert sound when dispensing is extremely annoying, and my pets were afraid of it – there was no way to silence it. Due to the location of the holes for dispensing kibble, the camera is tilted down, which made it difficult to see the area I wanted. This is a solid pet camera whose extra features become a liability rather than an asset.
With the above criteria in mind, I looked for security cameras that had additional pet-specific features. I set up each camera individually, taking into account any difficulties or issues with initial setup, configuration with Wi-Fi, and the speed and reliability of the camera feed. I tested each camera for at least a week (at most, much longer) in various locations around my home and rigorously tested the additional features available on most cameras, such as scheduled feeding, food-delivery, play time, and scheduled recording, and I noted no issues. During the months of testing, I went out of town several times and relied solely on these cameras to keep an eye on my two children – I mean, cats.
So, there is In fact Difference between security cameras and pet cameras? like
Security cameras enable you to keep an eye on your home (and pets) while you’re away, but pet cameras often have some more pet-specific features, like the ability to interact with your pet via a two-way speaker or to deliver a treat. These cameras with special features can help reduce common problems like separation anxiety or boredom. For example, the Anabot Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion has attachments so you can remotely give your pet treats or engage in “play time.”
This doesn’t mean you can’t use a security camera as a pet camera, but like any other smart home device that connects to Wi-Fi, there’s a possibility that it could be hacked and your privacy compromised. Make sure your Wi-Fi password is strong, set up two-factor authentication with your camera’s app, and as an extra precaution it’s not a bad idea to keep it turned off when you’re at home.
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