A pet camera lets you keep tabs on your fur babies 24/7, from wherever you are—some even let you give them treats! We've gathered the best pet cameras we've tested for monitoring and interacting with your cats and dogs from afar, as well as some traditional security cameras if you don't need pet-specific features.
I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.
Ever miss your pet when you're at work? Can't leave the house without wondering what your fur babies are up to and whether they're safe? You might want to consider investing in a pet camera.
Fortunately, there are plenty of cameras on the market that let you monitor the inside of your home—and any pets within view—from your phone. We've rounded up the best pet cameras we've tested, as well as some traditional security cameras that work as pet monitors. We also have a few pointers to keep in mind while shopping for the perfect camera for you and your furry friend.
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The Furbo 360 Dog Camera allows you to see your pet and dispense treats remotely, improving upon the original with color night vision and the ability to pan from side to side for 360-degree views.
The Petcube Bites 2 Lite camera lets you see, hear, talk to, and give treats to your pet from wherever you are, for less money than the competition.
The Petcube Bites 2 is a pricey Wi-Fi camera that lets you keep an eye on your pets and even toss them treats remotely.
The Eufy Indoor Cam 2K Pan & Tilt P24 is an affordable indoor home security camera that delivers vivid high-resolution video and is packed with features typically found on pricier models.
The inexpensive Wyze Cam V3 is an indoor/outdoor home security camera that packs a ton of features into its tiny frame including color night vision, intelligent motion detection, voice control, a built-in siren, and local video storage.
The SimCam 1S is a moderately priced security camera that offers a wealth of features including face recognition, mechanical panning, smart alerts, local storage, and interoperability with other smart devices.
The relatively affordable Arlo Essential Indoor is a Wi-Fi-enabled smart home security camera that delivers sharp 1080p video and works with lots of other smart devices.
The Eufy Solo IndoorCam C24 is an affordable home security camera that offers lots of features for the price including sharp 2K video, voice control, and intelligent motion alerts.
If you want a camera primarily to keep tabs on your pet, a general-purpose indoor home security camera might serve you just fine—and save you some money. We've included some on this list, all of which offer intelligent alerts that differentiate between animals and people.
All of the cameras we've selected also offer night vision, so you can see your pet in the dark, and two-way audio, so you can listen for and respond to barks, howls, and meows.
Pet-specific cameras take things a step further. They let you not just see, hear, and talk to your animals, but remotely play with them and toss treats. And beyond just alerting you when your cat or dog is moving around, pet-specific cameras can tell you when they're making noise. The Furbo even alerts you when your dog is looking directly at the camera (which it calls a selfie), has been barking for over one minute, or is crying or howling. It also notifies you when it detects a person, or if your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm goes off. That makes it useful as both a home security camera and a dog nanny.
One of the hallmark features of Furbo and Petcube Bites models is their ability to toss treats on command. When setting up the Furbo, for instance, its companion app walks you through the process of properly introducing the device to your dog to foster a positive association. Treats don't typically motivate my dog, but he still got the hang of it right away and eats all the treats I toss out using the camera.
To get your pet's attention, the Furbo makes a barking sound when it's about to dispense a treat. Furbo recommends using this feature as a distraction when your dog is anxious, pacing, licking, or barking. You can also use it as a reward when it stops any of those behaviors.
Some pet-specific cameras feature interactive toys so you can play with your feline or pooch from your phone. The Petcube Play 2(Opens in a new window) , which we haven't yet reviewed, features a built-in laser pointer that's perfect for cats.
The cameras let you tap and drag your finger over the video feed to shine a laser on nearly anything in the frame. It lags a moment or two behind the video, so you can't be particularly precise, but it's still a welcome diversion for bored pets (and owners).
As pet parents, we often worry about our furry friends, but not every issue requires a trip to the vet. The Petcube Cam(Opens in a new window) offers a tele-vet feature that can help you determine if an in-person visit is necessary. If you capture any concerning activity on camera, you can chat live with a licensed veterinarian via its companion app, as well as share photos and videos of your pet. You get one free consultation with the camera, after which you need to pay a $4.99-per-month subscription.
As you can see from our picks, many of the top-rated pet-specific and general-purpose indoor home security cameras are in the $200 range, but prices vary. If you have a large home, you may want to spring for a system with multiple cameras.
Keep in mind that some devices in this category require an additional fee to store video recordings in the cloud. We break down any extra fees in our reviews, so it's worth taking a look at each one to find out which camera best fits your budget.
The good news is that prices are coming down. If you're not looking to make a big investment, you can get a quality general-purpose home security camera like the WyzeCam V3 for around $20, or a pet-specific one like the Petcube Cam for $50.
Once you find the right camera, consider investing in a pet tracker or GPS collar for additional peace of mind. We've rounded up our favorite wearable trackers and collars, which can monitor your pet's location and activity to help make sure it's safe and healthy.
And to help you stay on top of shedding, be sure to check out our list of the best robot vacuums for pet hair.
Finally, if you're the proud owner of a mutt, but you're curious to know just what its background is, check out the best dog DNA kits we've tested.
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I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.
Before becoming an analyst in 2020, I spent eight years as a reporter covering consumer tech news. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
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