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So, is there really a difference between security cameras and pet cameras? Sort of.

Security cameras enable you to watch your house (and pet) while you’re away, but pet cameras often have a few more pet-specific features, like dispensing treats or abilities to interact with your pet via two-way speaker. These cameras with special features can help ease common issues like separation anxiety or boredom. The Enabot Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion, for example, has attachments so you can remotely give your pet a treat or engage in “playtime” (more on that in the review below).

That’s not to say that you can’t use a security camera as a pet cam, but like any other smart home device that connects to Wi-Fi, there’s a chance it can be hacked and compromise your privacy. Make sure your Wi-Fi password is strong, set up two-factor authentication with your camera’s app, and it’s not a bad idea to keep it turned off when you’re home, as an extra precaution.

How I Tested

Keeping the criteria in mind above, I looked for security cameras that had extra pet-specific features. I set up each camera individually, noting any difficulty or issues with initial setup, configuration with Wi-Fi, and speed and reliability of the camera feed. I tested each camera for at least a week (most, much longer) in various spots around my house and rigorously tested the extra features available on most of the cameras, like scheduled feedings, food-dispensing, playtime, and scheduled recordings, and I noted any issues. Over the months of testing, I went out of town several times and completely relied on these cams to keep an eye on my two children—I mean, cats.

What Are We Testing Next?

I’m about to start testing the newest camera in Enabot’s lineup, the EBO Air 2 Companion Robot. I also want to test the Furbo 360 Cat Camera (as if my cats don’t have enough toys or snacks).

Photograph: Molly Higgins

This food-dispensing camera from Petcube has HD 1080p live streaming video, night vision up to 30 feet, ability to zoom up to 8X, and two-way audio to talk to and hear your pets. There’s also an easily detachable plastic treat dispenser that holds up to 1.5 pounds of kibble, and you can toss treats remotely from the app, where you can also control the amount and distance.

With the subscription service, the app alerts you when motion or sound is detected, and logs it with playback video stored in-app. I like the customization capabilities and clear videofeed, but like other Petcube devices, you sort of need the extra Care plan to unlock all of the best features.

Resolution 1080p HD video
Angle View 160 degrees
PTZ Capabilities No
Image type Color, night vision
Storage Only live feed; storage with paid Care plan
Audio Two-way
Photograph: Molly Higgins

This model from Petcube attempts to combine popular laser toys that cats go crazy for with a pet security cam, to mixed results. Like many other cameras from the brand’s lineup, it has crystal clear color and night vision, an extrawide view, two-way audio, and fun features available with the paid Care plan, like video history, playback, and a 30-second compilation reel of highlights of the day.

The laser toy is supposed to auto-engage when motion is detected, but very often it didn’t, and when it happened to catch my cats’ attention, it stopped displaying the laser soon after. Plus, because the camera needed to sit high on a shelf to see the area, the laser was often too high for the cats to attempt to catch. You can manually play with the cat with the laser through the app, although it’s often laggy, and my cats ended up being more perplexed than playful when the laser was on. It’s a solid camera but the toy aspect falls a bit flat.

Resolution 1080p HD
Angle View 160 degrees
PTZ Capabilities No
Image type Color, night vision
Storage Only live feed; storage with paid Care plan
Audio Two-way
Photograph: Furbo

This Furbo 360 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is marketed toward dogs, but like gender, it’s a construct—both cats and dogs will like this treat-dispensing cam. Former WIRED reviewer Haley Sprankle praised it for its clear 1080p and color night-vision camera, two-way communication, noise notifications, 360-degree pan abilities, and treat dispensing. It also has Auto Tracking, which follows your pet to make it easier to find them without having to search your phone screen.

Like the majority of pet cams, there’s an option to subscribe to Furbo’s Nanny service, which snaps pics and sends safety alerts about things like smoke or fallen objects—even chewing alerts—and can spot intruders too. The video clips are stored in the cloud so you can review the footage at any time.

Resolution 1080p HD video
Angle View 360 degrees
PTZ Capabilities Yes
Image type Color, color night vision
Storage Extra storage with paid plan
Audio Two-way
Photograph: Molly Higgins

Catit

Pixi Smart Mouse Camera

This cutie doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but if you prioritize having an adorable pet camera, look no further. It looks like a miniature mouse with oversized, magnetic feet that attach to a metal stand, and the mouse legs hinge so you can adjust the camera’s height and angle. It’s cute but expensive for what it is—the lens doesn’t move and requires microSD to get video footage beyond a live feed. The videofeed auto-adjusts from color to night vision, and with the SD card, you can scroll through the video to see the goings-on from past days, record live footage, and save photos and videos to your smartphone’s camera roll.

Two-way audio is also supported, and you can set the camera to only capture select motion detection. Although it was hard to pinpoint exactly which time you’re looking at when reviewing footage, video feed can be laggy, and there were connectivity issues a few times. Overall, I still recommend this camera if it’s on deep discount, but it’s a tad expensive at this price point for its (lack of) capabilities.

Resolution 1080p HD
Angle View Not applicable
PTZ Capabilities No
Image type Color, night vision
Storage microSD memory card (not included)
Audio Two-way
Photograph: Molly Higgins

The Petkit Purobot Ultra Automatic Cat Litter Box (8/10 WIRED Recommends) uses a camera and AI technology to monitor litter box usage and the goings-on around your automatic box, and actually lets you see your cat’s stool to help more closely monitor their health. The camera’s 210-degree-wide angle is attached to an arm in front of the opening, which swivels 180 degrees and follows your cat when it senses motion and records both the outside goings-on and the inside of the litter box. You can also manually move the camera through the app to pan to the outside or inside of the box. It records in both color and black-and-white, plus it has night vision.

Through the app, you can view the camera footage live or watch short clips of each time your cat—or anyone—walks near the litter box and when a cat uses it. You get a free trial of Premium Petkit Care+ for 30 days from setup, and there are three tiers of subscription plans, starting at $4 a month for Basic and going up to $12 a month for Premium+, so that you can watch any and all footage taken. The automatic litter box also uses AI to identify which cat used the box through the videos taken.

Resolution Unspecified
Angle View 210 degrees
PTZ Capabilities 180 degrees
Image type Color, night vision
Storage Unspecified; stored and accessed through app
Audio Two-way

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