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Your adorable cat and loyal dog miss you even more than you miss them when you’re away from home. So a pet camera installed in your home that lets you see them snoozing by the front door, lets them know that you’re coming home (and to stop clawing at the carpet) and even tosses them their favorite treat is worth every penny.
The ability to virtually “drop in” on your pet anytime from anywhere you have a Wi-Fi signal is reassuring, and finding the best pet camera is really about choosing the right model that works for your unique home, lifestyle, and animals.
Since your pets deserve nothing less than the best, I’ve compared listed features, researched both the most popular and lesser-known devices, and teamed up with my own cat and dog to personally test a number of models to find the most entertaining, value-packed, and user-friendly pet cameras of the year.
This pet camera includes a wide-viewing angle to keep an eye on your dog, loud and crisp two-way audio to correct your pooch if they’re acting out while bored, and most importantly, a sizable treat hopper so you can launch your puppy a snack at the press of a button. In addition to accommodating a range of treat sizes, I also appreciate how simple the Petcube Bites 2 Lite is to set up. I’m also impressed by its sharp night vision, and how the camera reliably follows a dog as they walk around the house. Although this model is great right out of the box, its supplementary subscription service is worth considering if you want up to three days of video storage, an alert whenever your dog barks, and the ability to download pet videos to your smartphone.
While all pet cams can be used to monitor your feline friend throughout their busy day of doing nothing, the Furbo 360° Cat Camera is easily the most cat-focused model on the market today. Some of its standout features include its swiveling 360-degree camera that allows you to keep an eye on your cat between trips to the litter box, a built-in feather toy that wobbles about when you move the camera to keep them interested in the device, and a genuinely fun treat launcher that can hold up to 100 dry snacks. This bestselling camera is perfectly suited to keep tabs on your cat, but its subscription service adds a bunch of worthwhile bonus features such as an alert when it detects meowing, automatic video backup of short clips captured throughout the day to the cloud, and a cute “Kitty Diary'' feature that automatically curates your cat’s activities for convenient viewing.
Although not made specifically as a pet camera, the Kangaroo’s low price, weatherproof design, two-way audio, and sharp video quality makes it a top pick for affordable indoor or outdoor pet monitoring. These little wired Kangaroo cameras sport crisp color night vision, motion-sensing, an array of notifications to its companion app, and since they’re so inexpensive, it’s easy to chain up to five cams for a comprehensive property or home-covering pet surveillance system without breaking the bank.
For those times when you cannot be home to feed your pet in person, or need to give them specific portions throughout the day to suit their dietary needs, this pet camera-food bowl combo is the perfect solution. This device from PetLibro is easy to program via its companion app to dispense meals of dry kibble cat or dog food in whatever portion sizes needed, and its wide-angle lens makes it fun to watch as the device drops food for puppies, kitties, and other little animals while they excitedly bolt into frame. There’s no subscription service to consider, and it’s excellent for checking in on and feeding small to medium-sized pets when you’re away from home.
If user-friendly controls are your biggest concern when it comes to picking out the best pet camera for your home, this model from TP-Link and its intuitive video game-like handling is your best bet. I’m a big fan of this model — it’s inexpensive, features a crystal-clear 2K resolution, and is a breeze to set up — and it’s also simple to pivot its camera 360-degrees via its digital control stick from my smartphone to zoom in on my pets. It may not have been explicitly made to be a pet camera, but its two-way audio, clear night vision, and motion detection makes it an excellent candidate for watching your pets while you’re on the go.
It can get frustrating to sort through a bunch of pet cameras just to learn that the one you liked isn’t compatible with your smart home. Although it’s obvious that Amazon’s Blink Mini would work with Alexa, this affordable little indoor camera works well as a thrifty pet cam and was optimized for responding to voice commands. The Blink Mini effortlessly integrates into an Amazon Alexa-based home, where you can tell the device to activate, deactivate, begin, and stop recording via speech controls. Alexa integration aside, the Blink Mini stands out for its two-way audio, motion detection, sharp night vision, and especially low price tag.
If your smart home uses the Arlo Secure platform (see: our roundups for the best doorbell video cameras and best security cameras), the Pro 5S 2K’s excellent video resolution, wide field of view, ultra-rugged design, and two-way audio makes it your best pick for watching over a pet indoors or outside. Sure, the Pro 5S 2K is a fairly pricey camera, however its integrated spotlight, extra-long battery life, crystal-clear night vision, and simple installation makes it a particularly versatile option for all kinds of pet owners.
If you are training your pet, consider this handy camera from eufy that allows you to correct them and encourage good behavior at any time remotely, to help you avoid coming home to scratched furniture or a chewed TV remote. The eufy Pet Camera Pro N140’s loud and clear two-way audio allows you to scold or praise behavior at it happens, auto motion tracking and a 360-degree viewing range works together to continuously keep wandering pets in frame, and an exciting treat launcher makes this a reliable training tool while you’re out of the house.
The fatal flaw of most pet cameras is if kitty decides to leave the room, doesn’t want a treat, and won’t respond to your calls, you won’t be able to see her. That is, unless you have a roaming pet cam like the EBO Air. The Air feels like a droid right out of Star Wars, as its onboard AI actively recognizes your pet and dutifully follows them around the home so you’ll always have a perfect view of whatever they’re up to. Cool sci-fi design aside, I also like the Air’s two-way audio and intuitive remote controls—via its companion app—so you can pilot the device. The Air also scores points for automatic recharging, how easily it glides over all floor surfaces, and its integrated laser pointer and top-mounted feather toy to play with your pets via Wi-Fi.
If you need an outdoor pet cam for monitoring playtime in your yard, the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus and its wide viewing angle, two-way audio, and signature extremely bright LED lights makes it a must-buy. It’s easy to set up motion zones to get alerts if either a pet or person shows up where they shouldn’t be, and if you don’t want to activate its dual LED floodlights, its color night vision is surprisingly crisp and clear.
Comprehensive research of the models and brands on the market, extensive testing, and years of interacting with my own cat and dog with these fun and convenient devices led me to select this year’s best pet cameras. There are many important aspects I considered when narrowing my list down to the greatest pet cameras you can get to day, including:
I considered the quality of two-way audio which allows you to both hear and talk to your pet remotely. Along with fun, yet vital, extras like treat dispensers to pamper and reward your pet; interactive toys that allow you to play with your pet while way; along with a wide field of vision so you can watch your pet even when they walk out of the video frame.
Crisp and clear video quality—indoors and outdoors—makes a big difference in user experience. I don’t recommend buying a pet camera with less than a 1080p (Full HD) resolution, so every camera on this list has 1080p or 2K resolution. As I noted above, 2K higher resolution (and higher )pet cameras offer stellar picture quality, but will usually cost you more than their Full HD counterparts.
There are so many high-tech pet cameras on the market, but they will do you little good if it is not compatible with your smartphone or smart home platform. I chose cameras that are compatible with a wide variety of devices and smart home platforms so you can easily connect with what you already have.
Like many pet owners, I tend to splurge on accessories for my pets, whether it’s a decked-out pet carrier or self cleaning litter box. And while higher end pet cameras offer many fun features and top-notch quality, you can still find great pet cameras without breaking the bank. I picked household and lesser-known brands in a variety of price points from $25 to $250 to meet all budgets and needs.
Since you’ll want a crisp and clear video feed when you check in on your pet, don’t settle for anything less than a 1080p (Full HD) resolution. Note that 2K and higher resolution pet cameras exist and provide a much clearer picture, but tend to be pricier than their Full HD counterparts.
There are plenty of fun and exciting features built into the best pet cameras that you and your animal friends will appreciate. These include the ability to launch a treat to get their attention, a moving toy-on-a-string or laser pointer for entertaining cats, and a free-rolling design that will follow your pets around the house that continuously keeps tabs on them. Since each animal is different, it’s worth comparing models to find a pet camera that includes a list of features that your special puppy or kitty will get the most use from.
No matter how many great features a pet camera may have, it’s useless to you if it’s incompatible with your smartphone or smart home platform. Ensure your pet camera will work with your devices before you buy.
When they aren’t peacefully napping, pets move from their food bowl, to their toys, to another place to snooze when you’re away, so it’s critical to find a pet camera with a wide field of view so you’ll always be able to keep an eye on them.
The best pet cameras have a 360-degree swivel feature so they can scan the entire room, as well as a continuous motion tracking feature that’ll keep its focus on your pet, ensuring that they’ll always be in view when you activate the camera.
While it’s always nice to see your pet going about their day, nothing is as heartwarming as speaking directly to them through a pet camera’s two-way audio. It’s fun to watch and listen in as they get excited to hear your voice.
While some security and surveillance cameras work well as pet cameras, these two types of devices have unique features that differentiate each other:
Pet cameras are literally made to keep an eye on your animals when you’re away from home. These specialty cameras include pet-themed features such as a treat dispenser, two-way audio so you can talk to your pet while on the go, a swiveling 360-degree base so you can keep them in frame as long as they’re in the same room, and night or low-light vision so you can clearly see your pets after sundown.
On the other hand, security cameras tend to be made to withstand temperature extremes, rain, and an all-around sturdy design for easily surviving being installed outside. These cameras are often pricier than the average pet camera, but without the fun interactive features that keep animals and their owners connected like treat dispensers and laser pointers.
Although pet cameras range anywhere from $30 to over $200, I recommend spending what you need to for the features you want. For instance, there are many inexpensive models on the market, but if you want to reassure your pet with your voice, give them a treat to make their day a little more fun, or a sharper resolution, it’s always worth spending extra for a superior pet monitoring system.
Generally speaking, indoor cameras tend to be more affordable than their far more durable outdoor counterparts, partly because most outdoor cameras are packed with additional security-related features and a higher video resolution.
It’s easier than you may expect! Many pet cameras include two-way audio, and your loyal pet will come running when they hear your voice coming from the camera. In addition, some models include a treat container that dispenses a snack with a tap of your smartphone, making it even easier for your animal buddy to get excited to interact with your new camera. A few editions sport dangling toys, long streaming feathers, and integrated laser pointers, making them perfect for grabbing and keeping a pet’s attention.
The relatively low investment cost and time spent setting up a pet camera is absolutely worth the peace of mind that comes with being able to check in on your cat, dog, or other animal at a moment’s notice.
Pets get lonely when you’re gone, so the ability to see them going about their day, speak to them and watch them light up with excitement, and fling them a treat to break up the boredom of spending time without you is priceless.
While many pet cameras use a Wi-Fi connection to livestream video to your smartphone, some models record footage on a hard drive or SD card to be viewed later.
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