The 6 Best Pet Cameras to Keep an Eye on Your Furry Friends While You’re Out

The 9 Best Pet Cameras to Keep an Eye on Your Furry Friends While You’re Out

Leaving pets home alone is hard. Keeping them off the furniture when you’re out is almost impossible. Luckily, there’s a solution: pet cameras. In 2018, the pet camera market was worth about $50 million. By 2028, experts anticipate the industry will be worth nearly $526 million. That’s because pet owners, especially millennials, increasingly see pets as family members and want to make sure they’re happy and safe all day. The best pet cameras out there can connect to apps, send alerts and even dispense treats. It’s the closest thing we have to FaceTiming our pets from work, and we’ll take it.

What to Look for in a Pet Camera

It’s worth noting some of the best pet cameras are actually security cameras designed to keep tabs on your home. Explore a variety of options—not just dedicated pet cameras—before settling on a product, as the cameras designed to deter crime will also do an effective job monitoring Rocky’s routine while you’re away.

Here are a few things to consider when shopping for pet cameras:

• Compatibility and requirements: What operating system will you need on your phone? How great does your wireless have to be?
• Purpose: Do you need to make sure Rocky is safe or do you want to ease separation anxiety with two-way audio and treat dispensers?
• Storage: If you want to look back at the footage of your pet from the previous day, you’ll likely need a paid subscription, as most pet cameras will only alert you to movement and store short videos to the app or the cloud, which won't be accessible later.
• Placement: Does your pet spend more time indoors or outdoors? Will you need multiple cameras or a whole network to accurately keep watch?

THE BEST PET CAMERAS AT A GLANCE

• Best Views: Furbo 360 Pet Camera
• Best Features: Petcube Cam HD
• Clearest Images: eufy C24 Security Camera
• Most Customizable: WoPet Pet Feeder Camera
• Best Night Vision: Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera
• Best Battery Life: Blink Mini Camera

1. Furbo 360 Pet Camera

Two-Way Audio: Yes

Nightvision: Yes (Infrared LED, color)

Requirements: Apple iOS 12 or newer, Android 8.0 or newer

Stand-out Feature: 360-degree camera view

Size: 9-inches by 5-inches

Recorded Footage: With a subscription

Okay, picture the Furbo pet camera, but new and improved. This updated model offers a quiet, 360-degree camera view that rotates as your furry friend moves to keep them in view. Terri Rockovich, co-founder of dog food brand Jinx and dedicated dog mom and foster, said this Furbo is her favorite camera. She loves that she can control it from her phone, and the two-way audio feature lets her chat with her pets. “The design is sleek and modern, translating really nicely to any room,” Rockovich adds. Plus, unlike the original, this camera has color night vision, which means you can keep watching over your babies even in low light.

2. Petcube Cam HD

Two-Way Audio: Yes

Nightvision: Yes

Requirements: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

Stand-out Feature: Vet chat option

Size: 1.97 inches by 1.97 inches

Recorded footage: With a subscription

The PetCube HD camera offers 1080p HD video and a 110-degree wide-angle lens. The key feature, however, is right in the title: vet chat. If something looks off from afar, you can contact a licensed vet 24/7 through the app and send them pics or videos from PetCube for consultation. This camera also allows you to receive notifications for motion and sound or talk to your pet to keep them company. For an extra $6 per month, you can use PetCube Care to automatically record video and store footage for up to three days. This camera has more than 9,500 5-star reviews on Amazon.

3. eufy C24 Security Camera

Two-Way Audio: Yes

Nightvision: Yes

Requirements: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

Stand-out Feature: Activity zone alerts

Size: 2.24 inches by 2.24 inches

Recorded Footage: Yes

This is an example of a high-quality security camera that easily doubles as a pet camera. Using AI, it detects whether a person or a pet is coming into view and lets you speak to them if you want to. This eufy indoor camera is also known for its clear images and storage options (it's compatible with iCloud, an SD card, or eufy Cloud Service for an additional $3 per month). Its activity zone alert feature lets you choose specific spots in your home you want to monitor more closely (aka the couch Rocky knows he shouldn’t climb on). You can also connect it with Alexa or google home.

4. WoPet Pet Feeder Camera

Two-Way Audio: No, recorded audio only

Nightvision: No

Requirements: 2.4GHz WiFi

Stand-out Feature: Food dispenser

Size: 13.7 inches by 9.8 inches

Recorded Footage: Yes, in-app

WoPet's automatic cat feeder camera can totally work for dogs too and has more than 1,200 5-star reviews on Amazon. It allows you to set up six specific times each day for the auto feeder to open. Each meal can be set to dispense a different portion size, and you can skip auto feeds to dish up food manually if you need to. The feeder holds up to 29 cups of dry food, and you can even customize a recorded message to play before, during, or after your pet eats. Yes, this plugs into an outlet, but it also has a battery backup in case the power goes down and you’re not home to feed them yourself. One user noted: “The app, as mentioned, seems a little janky. It doesn't feel very modern but once you get the hang of it, it's very easy to use.”

5. Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera

Two-Way Audio: Yes

Nightvision: Yes

Compatibility: Apple Home Kit, Alexa, Google Home

Stand-out Feature: Wireless

Size: 3.5 inches by 2 inches

Recorded Footage: With a subscription

This is another security camera moonlighting as an excellent pet camera. Its object detection feature can tell the difference between people, animals, and stuff (like packages that have been delivered). It works outdoors and has crisp night vision, so if you need to monitor your pup at all hours, this is a great option. While the Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight camera allows for live video streaming, you’ll need the Arlo Secure subscription for $3 per month to store video on the cloud for up to 30 days. That subscription also comes with additional emergency response options that seem worth the extra few bucks. Plus, it’s wireless and works outdoors.

6. Blink Mini Camera

Two-Way Audio: Yes

Nightvision: Yes

Stand-out Feature: Customizable alerts

Size: 2.8 inches by 2.8 inches

Recorded Footage: With a subscription

Say hello to the camera that has more than 150,000 5-star ratings on Amazon. The Blink Mini is wireless, compatible with Alexa, and can run up to two years on the two AA batteries that come with it. Decide what kind of motion alerts you want to receive on your phone, so you aren’t bombarded with alerts all day. Though you can only livestream video for five minutes each day (in 30-second intervals), the Blink subscription plan allows you to stream for 90 minutes continuously and save video for up to 60 days. The plan costs $3 per month and also lets you record automatically when the camera detects motion.