Pet Surveillance Camera Reviews: The Best Devices in 2020

A pet camera is an essential gadget for your home if you have a cat or a dog that you need to always keep an eye on. See, for most pet lovers, separation anxiety kicks in after staying away from their furry friends for some time. After all, no one can enjoy a peaceful mind when they do not know what their beloved companions are engaging in when they are in the house alone. Rather, every pet parent prefers to stay in total charge of the safety, well-being, and actions of their dear ones.

Thanks to the innovations of other pet lovers, there’re several indoor cameras on sale all over the planet. These gadgets are there to help you observe the daily activities of your canines and felines whenever you are working or enjoying a vacation. However, since there’re many options to choose from, deciding on a gadget can be quite challenging. But do not fret about that. The reviews below will provide you with sufficient information to see you pick the best pet camera.

Our Top Choice:

We recommend the Petcube Play Wi-Fi Pet Camera as the best surveillance camera specified for pets. It has numerous features allowing to play with your furry companion and watch them doing their tricks when you’re outside. It’s definitely #1 on the pet gadgets market now.

Comparison Table

Features:
Our Rating:
Buy from:
Petcube Play Wi-Fi Pet Camera
  • 3x zooming capability.
  • 138 degrees wide-angle cover.
  • 1080p high definition feed.
  • Motion and sound notifications.
  • Two-way audio.
Pawbo Wi-Fi Pet Camera
  • Two-way communication.
  • Laser dot chasing game.
  • Video recording function.
  • Treat dispenser.
YI 2pc Home Camer
  • 112-degrees wide-angle lens.
  • Cloud storage.
  • Effective notifications.
  • Two-way audio.
NETVUE 1080P Camera
  • Works with Alexa.
  • Remote tilt & pan.
  • High-quality night vision.
  • Customizable motion sensors & live alerts.
Wyze Cam v2
  • Sound & movement detection.
  • SD & cloud storage provided.
  • Intuitive & straightforward app.

Why You Need a Camera for Your Pet

The first reason you need a camera is your pet misses you anytime you’re gone. As such, you check up on your dog/cat occasionally or many times during the day to ensure that it is cheerful. Most of the time, your voice will do the trick. However, dispensing a treat can also help cheer up your furry friend.

Another reason you should get a monitoring device is pets can be mischievous. Often, pets entangle themselves in cables, get stuck under the seats, or get their paws caught up by something. So, with an excellent camera, you can take note of such situations and take necessary action on time.

Lastly, a camera can help you know whether your pet has good behavior. You will know if your companion poops anywhere, chews on pillows, barks aimlessly, etc. After taking note of such things, you can proceed to take appropriate actions to mitigate unwanted behavior.

Reviews of 5 Great Cameras for Checking on Your Cats or Dogs

Below are five our favorites. Each surveilling device has a description, and a list of its advantages and disadvantages. Go through each of the reviews to identify the pet surveillance camera that is right for you. The gadgets we review here are:

Our Favorite

#1 Petcube Play Wi-Fi Pet Camera

It is an advanced Wi-Fi pet camera that boasts of a highly effective people-and-animal-safe laser toy. It enables you to view, communicate to, and exercise your mutt or feline from any location on the planet.

With the Petcube application installed on your Android or iOS gadget, you can supervise the activities of your pet in quality 1080p high definition feed and night vision. On playing with your cat or dog, you can sway the laser accessory to get your fur baby to move in the room trying to catch an elusive red dot. Alternatively, you can adjust the game to Autoplay which means that the red dot moves in random patterns without you having to sway the toy.

It is a 2-way pet camera that allows you to listen to your cat or dog and vice versa. If your pet shifts around, the movement and voice notifications will always inform you so that you can take actions that make your home companion secure. And given that this home animal surveilling gadget is compatible with Alexa, you can avoid any hassle by setting Alexa to engage your dog or cat using the auto mode.

This home pet camera has over 100K satisfied users and can assist in mitigating dog or cat separation anxiety. It’s also pretty portable with a weight of 1.1 lbs., and dimensions of 3.2 x 3.2 x 3.2 inches. This animal monitoring device ensures an issue-free first year of use with its 1-year limited warranty. It has a comprehensive manual to help you understand how to utilize the distinct features of the gadget effectively.

When using this animal watching tool, you can replay 4 hours of action on a feed timeline to learn what your pet does in secret. Moreover, you can share and download videos pretty fast. Finally, this pet camera lets you monitor the security of your house from wherever.

Pros

  • Enables you to replay 4 hours of feed
  • Can sync with Alexa
  • Can be adjusted to auto mode

Cons

  • Works with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only

This surveillance gadget is a renowned interactive pet camera that is guaranteed to make the supervising of your dog or cat easy. It consists of a 720p camera that enables you to see good videos and images of your fur companions. Two-way communication is also possible, meaning you can hear your domestic companions and talk back to them.

When logged in to your free and safeguarded Pawbo app, you can access a live stream of what your pet is engaging in and also freeze precious moments using the snapshot provision. That said, you do not have to worry about storage because all videos are downloaded into Dropbox cloud storage.

You can make the days more fun by playing a laser catch game with your dog or cat. Better yet, you can enhance the experience by playing the different sound effects included in the voice component of this pet surveillance product. Whenever you want to reward your loyal companion, you can drop a treat through this pet camera to light up their day.

This monitoring gadget is unlike any other pet treat camera out there since it’s the only one covered with an intimacy rating system. This functionality enables you to assign a score for the experience you have with your dog or cat. Additionally, it allows for social sharing and feeds quality setting.

What is inside the packaging? First, the camera. It weighs 1.25 lbs., and measures 4.4 x 4.4 x 7.9 inches. Moreover, you will find a 110~240v A/C power adapter and a guide on how to start using it.

Pros

  • Installation is a breeze
  • Allows for social sharing
  • Supports Android and iOS

Cons

  • Has a limited 110 degrees wide-angle

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This 1080p high definition camera can act like a great pet video camera which enables you to view clear pictures of your house and what your cat or dog is engaging in.

It comprises of a YI Cloud that provides loop-recording without any storage limit. It means that even if your cameras are broken or stolen, you will still access your footage from the cloud. Your home data is safeguarded with encryption that is considered standard in the financial sector. Additionally, the YI Home application enables you to check up to four live camera feeds on one screen. Therefore, you can observe multiple rooms to track your pet as they move around your abode.

Furthermore, there’s an advanced motion detection feature, which sends notifications to your hand-held device informing you of the location of disturbance and time of occurrence. Also, it presents an excellent night vision that enables you to supervise your pet in the darkness and daylight without compromising picture quality. This animal monitoring gadget packs 8 non-invasive infrared LEDs that provide high-quality videos in the darkness without bothering your pets.

Finally, it has super-charged two-way audio that helps you send commands to your dog or cat. The item weighs 9.6 ounces and has dimensions of 4.3 x 5.9 x 4.3 inches.

Pros

  • It is possible to share your camera with five people
  • Ensures the safety of your footage by storing it in the cloud
  • Offers 24/7 emergency services

Cons

  • It’s not wireless

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This full HD camera by NETVUE is terrific in taking high definition images and videos of your animal at home. It comes with a two-way audio functionality: a speaker plus microphone, so that you can hear your pets and even speak to them from a remote location via the NETVUE application.

By placing it in one strategic position in the house, you can spy on your pets across every spot of your property. That’s because this camera rotates 360 degrees horizontally as well as 100 degrees vertically.

Equipped with ten 850nm LED lights (infrared), this pet camera for home enables you to automatically change to night vision so that you surveil your pets even in dark places or at night. In the night vision, it can capture 1080p full high definition images for approx. 32 feet. Since it also features motion sensors, you can track the activities of your pet from anywhere. When the camera senses movement, a message is immediately sent to you. You can, however, reduce the sensitivity of these sensors or completely blind some points. This way, you will not get unnecessary alerts.

You’ll want to put a micro SD card as large as 128GB in the storage on the camera to keep your videos. Alternatively, you could save them on the Amazon Web Service Cloud to access them for 14-30 days. And a unique advantage of this NETVUE camera is that it can be linked with Alexa device to enjoy voice control functionality. The camera is sold along with a quick guide to help you set up both the camera and the app. NETVUE offers 24/7 customer support too. You can talk to them if you face any issues through either phone call (toll-free) or live chat in the application.

Pros

  • It is super-easy to set up
  • Quite cheap
  • Provides clear videos during the day or night
  • Has in-app live support

Cons

  • It doesn’t provide instructions for micro SD installation and only functions with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

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Wyze pet monitor camera by Wyze Labs is among the more affordable gadgets out there that offer wonderful features. It can live-transmit 1080p FHD live video of your home to a connected smartphone with just a couple minutes of setting up. You will, nonetheless, need to have the app on your iOS/Android device to go through the camera’s feed remotely. The app also allows you to manage several cameras as well as share pictures and videos. This camera functions well with Wi-Fi networks within 2.4GHz.

The Wyze pet monitoring camera features motion tagging tech for detecting movements during the live stream or playback. These motions and sounds detected within the camera’s vicinity are then sent as alerts to your mobile phone. You can save your feed in either SD card or the AWS cloud (free to retrieve for 14 days). The camera is packed with a free 32 GB (class 10) micro SD, which enables you to save up to 48 hours of high definition video.

Wyze cam also includes night vision. It can record clearly for up a 30 feet distance in pitch darkness. You can switch the LED that enables you to see at night on and off via the downloadable app. Additionally, this pet camera can be bought on Amazon along with an Alexa device. By combining the two, one can control the camera by voice from anywhere. The Wyze camera comes with a magnetic base and includes a metal plate that can adhere to surfaces. These two things make this camera unique because you can attach it almost anywhere with no need for screws.

Pros

  • It gives you good resolution and colorful pic for the price
  • Offers free cloud service for storing your feed
  • It’s easy to mount anywhere in your house

Cons

  • It doesn’t connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi and has no sound

How to Pick the Right Camera for Your Pet

When you’re buying a cam to checking up on your pet during the times you’re away, there is a couple of things you should always keep in mind. These are:

  • Design
    You will most likely desire to choose something that blends perfectly with your interiors since you install it somewhere within sight to get the maximum view of your house. Luckily, you may select different designs and color variations in the market. Also, as you compare designs, you could consider the specific place you intend to mount the camera. For example, if you want your dog/cat to wear it when playing outdoors, a pet camera collar or harness would be your best bet.
  • Instant alerts
    If you’re purchasing a camera to keep yourself updated on the wellbeing of your pet, select one that sends motion/sound alerts to your phone. That way, you will catch your pet when it is naughty, and you can notice when it is agitated quickly.
  • Treat dispenser
    If you are searching for a way to reward your animal for excellent behavior, especially when you aren’t there, a pet camera with treats is a brilliant idea. These models usually issue treats following your command. Others may come with games that keep your pet busy.
  • Two-way audio & video
    A two-way pet camera is a wise idea if you’re out of your house for long, or your pet suffers from separation anxiety. With this cam you may talk, sing to, or generally soothe your pet, should they become nervous when you aren’t around. Some models come with 2-way audio while others may have an additional 2-way video system. However, expect to spend more cash on sophisticated cameras.
  • Usability
    Some cameras won’t take a lot of time to set up. Others are not so straightforward and may need some time to get used to it. So, identify a camera that you’re comfortable using. The best pet monitoring camera should be pretty quick to understand. Also, make sure the packaging includes a guide to help you install it.
  • Price
    Decide which features you desire (pet collar camera, indoor camera, etc.), how much money you are comfortable investing in it, and finally, compare options within your budget. Different cameras will have varying prices based on the brand and characteristics.

Conclusion

As seen above, we’ve compiled and tested gadgets from all the best brands on the market to give you a well-informed review of each one. If you would like to watch on your pet when you are out and about, then you definitely need any of these pet cams.

The best pet camera overall is the Petcube which lets you monitor, chat and play with your furry friend remotely. Pawbo is the next best alternative to Petcube if you require a camera that comes with treat-dispensing capability. The third one, YI 2pc camera, is a low-priced alternative to the first two and provides all basic features you would expect plus round the clock emergency services that you can instantly connect to in case of danger. NETVUE and Wyze are good choices if you require a camera that works well, day plus night, for a cheap fee.

Get yourself a camera for indoors or outdoors surveillance on your pet, and you’ll never worry about them while you are far again.

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