The best pet cameras mean you can leave home without worrying about your cat or dog. They allow you to check up on them remotely, and some of them even can even toss treats from afar at the touch of a button.
Any new pet owner will understand the difficulty of leaving their furry pal at home alone, and a pet camera will go some way to alleviating the worry. But given the amount of options out there, how do you choose the right model? There are a number of factors to consider, and we've picked the best cameras below.
The best pet camera: what to look for
Like the best spy cameras (opens in new tab) and the Best baby camera monitors (opens in new tab), the best pet camera will essentially keep on eye on your precious things – in this case, your pets. As with any type of camera, resolution is key. Okay, you probably don't need 4K or cinematic quality, but Full HD 1080p will make a big difference. (If you're on a budget, 720p HD will do the job, but we'd advise against going lower.)
What else? Well, do you want a camera that can move? Do you want it to be able to record high-quality audio? Do you need cloud storage for all your images and videos? Some cameras even have smart features that will give you push notifications if your pet starts barking, which can be a great advantage if you're in the process of training.
With all this in mind, read on to discover best pet cameras on the market right now, based on video resolution, features, build quality and price. And we'll give you all the facts and figures you need to choose the right one for you.
The best pet camera in 2022
The best pet camera for dogs right now is the Furbo 360° Dog Camera, which is an improvement on the original Furbo (opens in new tab) and packed full of features. It still has a full 1080p Full HD camera with night vision and two-way audio (so you and your pet and both hear each other), plus a system which alerts you via a smartphone notification when it hears barking.
You can also use the smartphone app (available for iOS and Android) to throw treats at your pet, and the all new Treat Toss allows you to adjust the size of treats size to suit your dog's needs (the OG Furbo had space to store 100, up to 1cm in size).
Key to this product is the 360-degree rotating view, which offers 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 homes quite nicely. Plus, and the size can be helpful if you’re positioning directly on the floor.
This aluminum pet camera by Petcube is pretty large, but its size means it can store a lot of treats. The system even brings choice (via the app) in terms of the distance treats are thrown. There is also a scheduling feature to throw treats at set times during the day. And it can even re-order treats with Amazon Dash Replenishment service, when they run low.
This pet camera sports a four-microphone array and speaker bar, improving audio quality making for more reliable bark and meow detection as well as two-way “chats” with pets. It can be set up to do the same with your vet.
When it comes to visuals, it offers a 1080p Full HD resolution, a wide 160-degree lens, and there is night vision too, so you can still see your pet once it gets dark. Wall-mounted or sat on a low table, the Petcube Bites records video to the cloud, and can be controlled by speaking to Alexa.
If you like the sound of the Petcube Bites 2, number two on our list, but want to save cash, the Petcube Bites 2 Lite is cheaper but actually very similar. The main difference is that the former has Alexa built in, and four microphones, while the lattter only has one. The Bites 2 has a sturdier and more durable build, too, being made of aluminium and plastic, while the Lite is all plastic.
On the plus side, the Petcube Bites 2 Lite still offers the same 1080p resolution, 160° wide‑angle view, ability to toss treats, night vision, real-time sound and motion detection, and 4x digital zoom as its pricier cousin, but at a much lower price. So if you're not bothered about built-in Alexa, and are willing to compromise on audio quality, you can save a huge wad of money with the Petcube Bites 2 Lite.
The Skymee Dog Camera is a good one for covering all your bases: with night vision, two-way audio, a treat dispenser and Alexa control on offer, it has pretty much everything a pet owner could want.
Mobile control works well on both iPhone and Android devices, and you can have up to eight devices logged in, meaning the whole family can get in on the action. It also makes it easy to share images and videos to social media.
The camera provides 1080p video and a useful 4x digital zoom. It connects via Wi-Fi, though bear in mind it only works with a 2.4G Wi-Fi connection, not 5G. Still, being able to toss treats to your pet with wild abandon is a great way to keep them entertained, all the while offering encouragement via the two-way audio connection.
If you're on a budget, you can save some cash by not actually buying a dedicated pet camera, because a simple indoor security camera can also work well. As long as you don't need advanced features like dispensing treats or playing with your pet, and just want to check up on your pet remotely, this very affordable smartcam from Neos will still do a great job.
Despite the low price, it has a 1080p Full HD image sensor with 110-degree lens, night vision, two-way audio, and it works with Amazon Alexa. Videos can be recorded continuously and are stored online for free for 14 days, so you can log on and see that your pet has been up to in the past, or watch a live video feed on your phone. The base is magnetic and the camera also comes with adhesive pads, so it can be fixed to any wall and at any height.
The Neos above can be difficult to find in the USA, so here's a great alternative. The Wyze Cam Pan is a low-priced home security wifi camera (opens in new tab) that you could use to keep an eye on your pet. The camera records in 1080p Full HD, can be controlled by speaking to Alexa or Google Assistant, and the camera can be panned, tilted and zoomed using the smartphone app.
The camera can spin through a full 360 degrees, so you should be able to see your pet no matter where they have gone, and there’s also night vision for watching them after dark, and two-way audio for interacting with them too. The camera pans quickly, spinning through a full 360 degrees in just under three seconds, and the lens captures 93 degrees of vertical range, too. Six infrared LEDs provide a clear image at night from up to 30 feet away.
As well as being controlled manually, the camera can be set to follow movement, so it will pan from one side to the other to keep your pet in frame as they walk past.
A person detection system (powered by on-camera artificial intelligence) alerts you via the phone app and records video for 12 seconds, which is then stored to an SD card in the camera (up to 32GB). Video is also stored online, where it can be accessed for free for up to 14 days.
WOpet Smart Pet Camera is an interactive pet camera that ticks an awful lot of our boxes. With a 165-degree, wide angle lens, 4x digital zoom, and 1080p Full HD resolution, the picture quality from the camera is excellent. There's good night vision too, because pets don't necessary go to sleep when the lights go out.
You can use it to give treats, and talk to your pet using two-way audio. It's compatible with Alexa, and connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, too. This isn't the cheapest pet camera on the market, but overall it does a good job.
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, as well as night vision that is said to work up to 10 meters. Working alongside the free Petcube app, the camera connects to your home Wi-Fi, so that you can view and monitor your pet while you're out. The app will also send you notifications when it detects your pet moving around or barking.
The simple design and feature set of the Petcube Cam is what sets it apart in price and size from its competitors. If you don't need the bells and whistles of the Furbo 360 or the Petcube Bites 2, it's a great model for occasional check-ins.
