The best pet cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your cat or dog when you're away from home. I've had the Petcube Bites 2 Lite (my top recommendation overall) since we brought our puppy home three years ago, and I still use it to check up on her remotely and toss a few treats around the room. All the cameras in this guide give you a live stream and two-way audio to help soothe pets from afar with your voice or get alerted by barking or mischievous behavior.
Pet cameras have a lot in common with the best indoor security cameras in that they connect to your home Wi-Fi and can be controlled by a smartphone app. There are different shapes, sizes, and prices – the more expensive models offering higher resolution cameras, 360-degree views and pan and tilt functions to allow you to see more of the room. Some seemingly cheap cameras lock pet-tracking features behind a monthly subscription, so it's a good idea to compare what you might need and end up paying for when weighing up the costs of each camera.
As a pet owner, I understand the worry of leaving my furry pal at home alone for too long, and a pet camera goes some way to help alleviate that. Every pet camera in this guide has been thoroughly tested by pet owners – including myself – to provide you with an honest review, and we've looked at the clarity of the picture and audio, the app experience, the free features and the design to help you decide.
Lauren is a writer, reviewer, and photographer with ten years of experience in the camera industry. She's the former Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, and previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine. Lauren has tested several of the pet cameras in this guide with her Flatcoated Retriever and commissioned reviews of the rest from expert reviewers and pet owners.
The Quick List
The Petcube Bites 2 Lite looks good and works so well that I recommend it to all my dog-owning friends. It has pet-specific app features like bark alerts, and the treat-tossing feature is also a real winner. The static camera is less versatile for different rooms than a 360-degree option, but it balances price and performance the best.
The Petcube Cam is a basic HD security cam connected to a pet-friendly app over WiFi. Live-streamed video has a 110 wide-angle view, and two-way audio is great for interacting with pets. It's the cheapest pet camera, but a subscription to unlock smart alerts and recordings will push up the price.
The Furbo 360 is what I recommend to dog owners with a bigger budget, as it can cover more of the room thanks to its swivelling camera. See your dog from every corner of the room, toss treats, hear barking and say hi with clear two-way audio. It even looks good.
View the full list ⇩
This cute companion can roam around the floor and follow pets with your steering. It's a good option for cats with a red laser to encourage playtime, but a pricey one too. The app was harder to navigate than other pet cameras, but we had great fun using the EBO Air 2 at home for tracking felines and family.
This unique wheeled robot can be driven around with a smartphone app to watch pets. It dispenses treats, has interactive toys and lasers, and a high-quality 2.5K camera with live video streaming. The catch? The top features, such as the treat dispenser and advanced AI-powered alerts, are paid add-ons.
The SpotCam is a subtle and sturdy camera with pet-tracking features. There's 2K resolution, plus a 360-degree view and 90-tilt to give lots of room coverage in awkward-shaped rooms. But you can't roam, toss treats or interact with pets beyond the standard two-way audio.
The Nooie gets you a wide, motorized 360 view of your pet and the option of internal storage instead of a cloud subscription. There are no AI tracking features or treatos here, but the camera offers a simple way to monitor your pets with the added security of being able to see an entire room.
If you're looking for an outdoor pet camera rather than an indoor one, the Enabot ROLA Pet Tracker camera is a fun one. It attaches to a dog's collar or harness and can give you GPS information plus a live feed. It's a helpful tracking device with a camera attached.
Best pet cameras
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Best pet camera overall
✅ You want to feed your pet remotely: The camera includes a reliable treat dispenser that you can control from your phone, helpful for rewarding your pet's good behavior from a distance.
✅ You need to monitor a single room: The wide-angle lens is effective for covering most standard-sized rooms, and the option to wall-mount the camera provides a stable, unobtrusive setup.
❌ You want to follow your pet: The camera is stationary and doesn't rotate, making it unsuitable for tracking pets that roam throughout multiple rooms.
❌ You want the best video and audio quality: The two-way audio can be slow sometimes, and the digital zoom quality is poor past 4x zoom.
The Petcube Bites 2 Lite is the one I recommend to pet owners most often. Its 1080p resolution isn't the highest on the market, and the 160-degree wide‑angle view might be limited in bigger rooms. But it's the best pet camera with treats, night vision, real-time sound and motion detection, and 4x digital zoom, all at a reasonable price. In short, it gives you a balance of affordability and features.
The Bites 2 Lite has a simple, all-plastic minimalist design and can be wall-mounted, which is helpful if you have a boisterous pup that might knock it over. I found the built-in treat tossing function fun and reliable – plus easy to fill and clean – and I loved being able to feed my dog from the app and talk to her when I was out. An occasional audio lag affected communication.
The camera's wide-angle lens gives you a clear view of a medium-sized room, and the night vision works surprisingly well. But the 8x digital zoom is fuzzy at the highest level. Setting up the Bites 2 Lite is incredibly easy and took me less than 10 minutes. The biggest drawback here is paying for a subscription to store video recordings and get features like bark alerts. This isn’t unique to PetCube, and paying for storage is an issue with all security-type cameras. If you're looking for a static pet camera with interactive features and want to spend less than you would on a Furbo, the Petcube Bites 2 Lite is the perfect all-rounder.
Read my Petcube Bites 2 Lite review
Features ★★★★☆ | The treat dispenser and night vision are great, but the two-way audio lags |
Design ★★★★☆ | Minimalist and clean, but toppled by boisterous pets |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Full HD video is clear, and the night vision is surprisingly effective. |
Value ★★★★☆ | More affordable alternative to the Furbo 360 |
Best budget pet camera
✅ You need a compact and discreet camera: The small size and magnetic foot allow you to place it on a shelf without it being an eyesore.
✅ You want a basic, uncomplicated model: It offers solid, no-frills features for checking in on your pet while you are away.
❌ You want to treat your pet: There's nothing here that allows you to reward your pet with food when they've done a good deed, only your voice to give praise.
❌ You want reliability: The app and connection did some stuttering and freezing during testing, and the 1080p video quality was variable even with fast Wi-Fi.
The Petcube Cam is the company's simplest smart pet camera. Doing without a treat dispenser makes this model much smaller and more affordable than the Petcube Bites 2, but you still get two-way audio (a microphone and a speaker) so that you can talk to your pet and hear what they're up to.
The camera offers 1080p HD video, with a 110-degree wide-angle view, and night vision that we found to work well up to 10 meters. Petcube's free app is the simplest of all the brands, and like others, the Cam connects to your home Wi-Fi to let you view and monitor your pet while you're out. The app also sends you notifications when it detects your pet moving around or barking, but we found the reliability of the alerts unreliable.
The Petcube Cam's simple design and fewer features make it smaller and more affordable than others in this guide. If you don't need the full view of the Furbo 360 or the treat dispenser Petcube Bites 2, it's a great choice for occasional pet check-ins.
Read our Petcube Pet Camera review
Features ★★★☆☆ | Basic but useful features limited by a buggy app and pricey subscription |
Design ★★★★☆ | A simple, unassuming design that is surprisingly sturdy and easy to place anywhere |
Performance ★★☆☆☆ | The camera's image quality is passable and we found video lag |
Value ★★★★☆ | Most affordable camera in the guide |
Best pet camera for dogs
✅ You want to cover a big room: The 360-degree rotating camera view and responsive tracking are good at capturing any of your dog's movements.
✅ You want to interact with your pet: The treat dispenser is a major draw for rewarding good doggos, and the clear mic is great for barking orders or giving reassurance.
❌ You want a quiet camera: The motor for the 360-degree rotation can be noisy, and the camera itself, while sleek, is pretty big on a shelf or counter.
❌ You're on a tight budget: This model is significantly more expensive than other pet cameras on the market, and app features can add to this.
The Furbo 360 Dog Camera is designed with canine owners in mind. Like the Petcube Bites Lite 2, it can launch treats high and far to keep your dogs entertained or aid with remote training. The Treat Toss function even allows you to adjust the size of treats to suit your dog's breed.
The fully rotating view gives you full room coverage, should your dog be roaming around – and let's be honest, that's what they do. The Furbo is larger than some alternatives, but thanks to the white and bamboo design, it blends into the decor of modern homes nicely.
Unlike the Nooie below, or a general security camera, the Furbo's smart alerts are tailored to pick up barking rather than general noise. With a Furbo subscription, the camera will automatically record those moments for you to review. Without it, you can only view live footage and manually record short video clips.
The Furbo 360 is three times the cost of a basic pet camera like the Petcube Cam, but you might be able to swallow the premium price for the peace of mind it offers. Having tested the camera as a new dog owner, I'd recommend it for its AI-powered dog-specific Alerts and useful and entertaining treat-dispenser alone.
Read our Furbo 360 review
Features ★★★★☆ | Wide rotating view, two-way audio, and a pet-pleasing treat tosser |
Design ★★★★☆ | Looks great, but its rotation motor can be distracting in a quiet room |
Performance ★★★★★ | Connectivity is quick and stable, and the picture quality is clear |
Value ★★★★☆ | High price justified features, camera and design |
Best pet camera for cats
✅ You want a unique view of your home: The Ebo Air 2 gives you the freedom to explore your house from anywhere with an internet connection, a feature that stationary cameras can't offer.
✅ You want a fun gadget that doubles as a security camera: Its cute design and ability to drive around make it a great toy to amuse pets and people, while also having a serious side.
❌ You want a simple app: The best way to use it is by manually driving it around, so it's not a great choice if you want to just hit a button and let it do its thing.
❌ You want a practical device: This is a novelty item, and a simpler, cheaper camera would do a better job of providing consistent home security.
The Enabot Ebo Air 2 is a fun, remote-controlled robot that doubles up as a pet and security camera with motion detection alerts. Unlike a static camera sitting on a shelf or sideboard, it’s a drivable, first-person camera that lets you explore your home and interact with pets remotely over an app (and anywhere with an internet connection).
This 2nd-gen version has twice the resolution of the original EBO Air, and our reviewer found the 2K camera and wide fisheye-angle of view to be high-quality. There's excellent night-vision and an LED laser to play with cats, although they may need some coaxing to get used to it. We also found the robot robust enough to withstand paw swipes. Helpfully, it can navigate over carpets and rugs, returning to its charging dock automatically when its battery runs low.
The EBO Air 2 is fun, but the app (like all in this list) can be a bit tricky to navigate, and the pre-programmed "skills" are fiddly to activate. The novelty value may wear off, but the combination of a quality camera, solid build, and remote-controlled fun makes this a unique pet camera. It’s a surprisingly affordable option, too. Pets don't tend to stay still for long, so this is a good choice if you have multiple rooms to keep an eye on.
Read our Enabot EBO Air review 2
Features ★★★★☆ | The 2K camera and easy controls make it a fun toy with security benefits |
Design ★★★★☆ | Customizable 'eyes' and caterpillar tracks that allow it to traverse carpets |
Performance ★★★☆☆ | Fun to drive, but its app is not intuitive |
Value ★★★★☆ | Fairly costly for a novelty toy, but is well made and hosts interesting tech |
Best robot pet camera
✅ You're a tech-savvy pet owner who wants AI features: This camera can automatically detect your pet, take pictures and video, and even create daily highlight reels.
✅ You want a camera to interact with your pets in new ways: With optional modules for a laser and toys, the ROLA PetPal goes beyond just treats to provide a fun way to play with pets.
❌ You want a straightforward camera: The ROLA PetPal is relatively expensive, especially if you want the extra modules for toys and treat dispensing, and many of its best features are locked behind a subscription paywall.
❌ You want a camera that can go everywhere in your home: While the ROLA can handle rugs and carpets, it can't climb stairs and lacks home-mapping capabilities. It can get stuck on obstacles and can't patrol a specific route.
If you're considering the best pet cameras, the ROLA PetPal stands out as a strong option, offering a blend of engaging features to help you stay connected with your pet. I found it easy to navigate, with impressive camera control allowing for seamless monitoring around the home. The image quality was excellent, though it does come with a slight purple tint.
At $229 (£208), I expected a bit more, particularly in terms of included features. Some core functionalities, like smart alerts and daily pet updates, are locked behind a subscription, which feels unnecessary. Even without these extras, PetPal performs well, so charging extra for such features seems counterintuitive.
Another consideration is the bundled accessories. Currently, the camera comes with a basic storage module, and customers have to purchase additional play or feeder modules separately. It would be ideal if buyers could choose these at the time of purchase, especially since they enhance the "pet" aspect of the device.
Despite these small drawbacks, if you’re willing to invest, the ROLA PetPal is an excellent choice, offering both solid performance and interactive capabilities for pet owners.
Read our Enabot ROLA PetPal review
Features ★★★★☆ | You get remote-controlled mobility, treat dispensing, and AI pet detection |
Design ★★★★☆ | Unique-loo, with gritted wheels and a racing stripe |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Excellent 2.5K UHD live video streaming and night vision |
Value ★★★☆☆ | Many of the best features are part of a subscription plan |
Best pet camera for small spaces
✅ You want a hard recording of footage: With a MicroSD to record video, it's possible to keep and curate all of your content in a physical place, whereas all other cameras use cloud storage.
✅ You need an affordable, smart camera: The Nooie Cam 360 is priced very competitively for a camera with motorized movement, and its sensors were quick to respond to sound or motion
❌ You need a camera that can record a smooth video. The low frame rate of 15fps means the video isn't as fluid as other models that record at 30fps, which could be an issue for some.
❌ You don't need the microSD card: Our reviewer noted that the SD card slot is difficult to access, and the recorded clips are poorly organized. To get continuous recording and better video history, you'll need to pay for a monthly subscription.
The SpotCam Mibo is a mid-range 2K resolution pet camera. Although very affordable at first glance, many of the Mibo's most useful features, such as pet sound detection and a virtual fence, are locked behind a monthly subscription.
But with AI-powered pet tracking, 360-degree pan and 90-degree functionality, and a bendy mounting kit for easy placement, the Mibo is a great option if you've got a small room or awkward-shaped space to monitor. Although the power cable is ugly and can be hard to hide away, it depends on where you place the camera.
Our reviewer found the image quality good, but slightly oversharpened, while the night vision was "crisp and sharp, [showing] the entire room very clearly even with all of the living room lights switched off." The biggest issue during testing was a buggy and inconsistent app experience, especially for Android users. While the Mibo offers a good basic service, a better, more reliable experience can be found in slightly more expensive, all-inclusive competitors.
The SpotCam Mibo is a good choice for awkward-shaped rooms, thanks to its mounting kit. And it might suit those new to pet monitoring or indoor security cameras, thanks to an entry-level price. Just beware the extra add-ons and cloud storage purchase.
Read our full SpotCam Mibo review.
Features ★★★☆☆ | Pet tracking feature, night vision, and two-way comms, but with a subscription |
Design ★★★★☆ | Comes with a magnetic base and mounting kit, but you have to hide the cable |
Performance ★★★☆☆ | 2K video and clear night vision but the app can be buggy |
Value ★★★☆☆ | The initial price is low, the need to pay for cloud storage can make it expensive |
Best cheap 360 pet camera
✅ You want a wall-mounted camera: The Mibo's lightweight design and included mounting accessories make for a good wall-mounting option. Up and out of the way, it won't be easily knocked over or chewed on by pets.
✅ You need a full 360-degree horizontal view: The pan and tilt features, combined with the 360-degree horizontal rotation, make it easy to follow your pet around a space, high and low (great for climbing cats).
❌ You want reliable software: No owner would say that they want unreliable apps, but Mibo's experience was extra temperamental for Android users, which made it frustrating to activate and use the camera consistently.
❌ You don't want to pay extra for essential features: Many of the Mibo's key features, such as extended cloud storage and AI-powered pet sound detection, require a monthly subscription, which adds a significant cost beyond the initial purchase price.
The Nooie 2K camera is marketed as a baby monitor, but really, it's a multipurpose home security camera with one standout feature: a motorized head for a full 360-degree view of any room. This "freewheeling" design allows the camera to automatically follow sound and motion – like barking – but there are no 'pet-specific' detection features for this.
The footage is 1080p resolution rather than 2K, and looks functional rather than impressive. One advantage of this camera over others on the list is a microSD card slot, which helps you avoid costly monthly cloud subscription fees with local storage. But going down this route also means you can’t access recordings remotely. Our reviewer also found the card slot difficult to access and the video clips badly organized.
The Nooie Cam 360’s smooth movement and responsive tracking make it an agile pet camera on a budget, with two-way audio for that all-important pet interaction. It costs just slightly more than the fixed-view Petcube Cam, so at this price, it depends on whether you want unique pet perks like a built-in vet chat service or a bigger view of what your pet is up to when you're away.
Read our Nooie Cam 360 review
Features ★★★★☆ | Responsive movement with its 360-degree camera rotation |
Design ★★★★☆ | Assembling the camera is quick and easy, but the SD card slot is fiddly to access |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Motor is zippy and responsive to sound or motion, but the low frame rate is a drawback |
Value ★★★★☆ | Good value for the price, especially considering the motorized movement |
Best camera for dog walks
✅ You want peace of mind when your pet is off-leash: The ROLA Pet Tracker is a great for locating your pet if they wander off, using accurate GPS and a live-stream camera to give you visual clues to their whereabouts.
✅ You like the idea of seeing the world from your pet's perspective: it offers a fun way to capture a unique point of view, and you can save the footage to your phone to look back on.
❌ You want action-cam-quality photos and video: This tracker isn't designed to be a GoPro. The footage was often a bit shaky, even with some level of stabilization.
❌ You have a large dog: The tracker is difficult to attach securely to larger, more boisterous dogs and may not stay in place, potentially falling off and getting lost.
The Enabot ROLA Pet Tracker isn't a traditional home pet camera, but I've added it into this guide as an option for outdoor adventures and walks. A bit like an affordable collar-mounted GoPro, it combines a GPS tracker with a camera, so you get fun, first-person POV from your pet's perspective. Our reviewer found the ROLA pet tracker gave her accurate, live location data through the app, and the two-way mic might help if they run off.
The ROLA Pet Tracker can record video and has built-in stabilization like an action camera. But the footage was shaky and unstable with a running dog, which might be frustrating for some users. If you're looking for the peace of mind of a GPS tracker and the bonus of livestreamed video, the ROLA pet tracker might be a good buy. Use it to keep tabs on your pet on the go, rather than at home.
Read our Enabot Rola PetTracker review
Features ★★★☆☆ | The tracker's camera, GPS, live-streaming, and two-way voice communication are versatile |
Design ★★★★☆ | Not too bulky, but the attachments could hold it steadier |
Performance ★★★☆☆ | GPS is accurate and the app is easy to use, but stabilization is poor on a fast dog |
Value ★★★★☆ | An affordable alternative to a GoPro for your dog |
How to choose the best pet camera
Like the best indoor security cameras and the best baby camera monitors, the best pet cameras keep an eye on your precious things – in this case, your pets. What to look for is similar to those products.
As with any camera, the resolution is important. You don't need 4K for a sharp view of your pet, but at least Full HD 1080p will make a big difference. (If you're on a budget, 720p HD is the minimum resolution we'd recommend). Night vision is helpful for pets that are active in low-light conditions or in dim rooms, but it's now common on most products.
Consider how much of your space you need to see. A wide-angle lens (110-160 degrees) will give you a broad overview of a room. If you want to follow your pet's movements, look for a camera with a motorized pan-and-tilt function, which allows you to move the camera's view remotely. Of course, some pet cameras like the robot Enabot EBO Air 2 can move with your pet around so you can watch it at all times – great if you give your pet the run of the house.
Two-way audio is one of the key differences between a basic home security camera and a dedicated pet cam. It means you can hear your pet (and any barking or meowing), but also speak to them through a built-in microphone – a great way to soothe an anxious pet, give a command, or say hello when you're away from home.
Pet cameras work alongside an app, and most will alert you with push notifications if your pet starts barking, which can be helpful if you're training them to be at home alone. Some apps also allow work alongside interactive features like treat dispensers (the Furbo 360), but cost more. We generally outline whether an app comes with video storage, daily summaries, or even a chat with a vet, and whether you need to pay for a subscription.
How we tested the best pet cameras
Every pet camera in this guide has gone through weeks of hands-on testing with real cats, dogs and their owners. We start with the camera setup, assessing how easy it is to start recording straight out of the box, and how easy the apps are to connect to WiFi, use and and stream from remotely.
We'll compare the video resolution and night vision quality in a variety of lighting conditions, from bright daylight to a dark room, test the audio for clarity and the features and responsiveness of the app and its notifications.
For cameras with interactive features, such as treat dispensers, we'll use them repeatedly to see how reliable they are. Design is important too, as pet cameras need to be durable enough to withstand curious paws. By using these products just as you would, we can confidently tell you what works, what doesn’t, and which camera is the best choice for keeping an eye on your pet.
