Best Indoor Pet Camera to Watch Your Dogs & Cats in 2023

It’s hard to leave your beloved cat or dog alone at home, but a good pet camera might be the solution to your worries.

Pet owners need to know their fur babies are happy and safe at home, and the best pet cameras can provide this peace of mind.

You may be tempted to use a hidden spy camera or security camera to keep an eye on a new puppy or kitten at home, but the latest pet cameras offer much more than just animal surveillance.

Features such as treat dispensers, night vision, smart alerts, laser toys, two-way audio and motion detection will keep both pets and pet owners entertained and anxiety-free.

Whether you have a cat, dog or pet gerbil, these are the best pet camera models of the year so far.

You may also be interested in our article on the best cat collar cameras too.

What is the Best Pet Camera in 2023?

Image	Product	Features
	PetCube Play 2 Wifi Pet CameraOUR #1 CHOICE	Laser Pointer Feature Supports Amazon Alexa Durable Build Quality Easy Install	View Price →
	PetCube Bites 2HIGHLY RECOMMENDED	Supports Amazon Alexa Easy Install Enhanced Night Vision Treat Dispenser	View Price →
	Furbo Dog CameraTOP RATED	Treat Dispenser Excellent 1080p Image Quality Easy Install Bark Censor	View Price →
	PetCube Cam	Durable Build Quality Inexpensive Easy Install Quick Connection Streaming	View Price →
	Wopet Smart Pet Camera	No Subscription Required Sturdy Build 2 Way Audio Airtight Container for Fresher Treats	View Price →
	YI Pan-Tilt Indoor Dog & Cat Cam	2 Way Audio Enhanced Night Vision Flexible 360° Monitoring Superior 1080p Image Quality	View Price →

 

1. PetCube Play 2 Wifi Pet Camera

A smart pet camera offers much more than traditional security cameras for pet owners, with additional interactivity on top of great video quality and night vision mode.

The Petcube Play 2 is an interactive pet camera that offers around-the-clock pet monitoring with 1080p full HD video, with a range of excellent features to keep your pets occupied while you’re away.

With a 160° ultra-wide-angle view lens, the Petcube Play 2 delivers great quality live stream video, while the impressive 4x zoom allows you to get up close on the action and save your favorite moments to the cloud storage.

Video recording is automatic and can be triggered by a meow or barking alert, while motion detection adds another mode to ensure every important moment is captured and saved to your video history.

You can also use it to talk to your pet, since the Petcube Play has a 4-microphone array and speaker bar built into it, allowing for two-way audio with great sound quality.

In addition to the excellent image quality from the live video feed, there are some neat pet-specific features that separate this device from basic home security cameras and can help deal with your pet’s separation anxiety.

You can use the Petcube Play 2’s built-in laser pointers to get your pet’s attention, either controlling this yourself via the app or setting it on autoplay mode to keep them occupied while you do something else.

It also comes with Amazon Alexa included in the device, so if you’re already invested in Amazon’s smart home ecosystem, this will fit well in your range of devices and allow you to double it up as another smart hub.

The Petcube Play 2 is a premium pet camera that you can easily control from your mobile device, merging versatile video recording options through the HD camera with two-way communication, and a laser pointer guaranteed to entertain your pets while you’re out of the house.

If you’re a pet owner looking for a high-performing pet camera to integrate into your existing Amazon Alexa smart home setup, the Petcube Play 2 comes with our strongest recommendation.

• How do you take good pictures of pets?

2. PetCube Bites 2

Another excellent pet camera from Petcube is the Petcube Bites 2 pet camera, which as the name implies comes with a treats dispenser so you can toss treats to your furry friend while you’re out of the house.

The core camera and audio features here are similar to those found in the Petcube Play 2; that is, you get full HD image quality through the 160° ultra-wide-angle view lens, as well as two-way communication along with responsive sound detection.

The Petcube Bite 2 is simple to set up and can be running through your home’s Wi-Fi in a few minutes, although it should be noted this device only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and can’t be used with 5G.

Once installed, you can control the camera through your smart devices, using the two-way talk feature to say hello to your pet when you spot them in the room, and even taking them to the online vets by using the 24/7 Vet Line feature.

While many other pet cameras include these features, the built-in treat dispenser is the core appeal of the Petcube Bite 2, letting you dispense treats at the touch of a button, or dishing them out at intervals using the device’s automatic treat schedule tool.

The treat container fits an impressive 1.5L of dog and cat biscuits, with variable throw settings which can toss treats at short, medium, and long distances.

This makes it ideal for pet owners who are going on vacation and want the ability to use the treat dispenser to make sure their pets have plenty to snack on while they’re away.

The Petcube Bites 2 is a well-made device, but it’s worth noting it can be a little unstable and easily tipped over by over-enthusiastic pets eager to get more treats, so it’s a good idea to position this out of their reach.

Because of this, the Petcube Bites 2 can be wall-mounted, so you don’t have to worry about returning home from work and finding it smashed on the kitchen floor.

Overall, this is a great pet cam to keep an eye – and ear – on your pets while away from the home, with a handy treat dispenser to tide them over with snacks until you get home.

3. Furbo Dog Camera

The Furbo dog camera shares many of the same features found on most pet cameras, including two-way audio so you can talk to your pet, and high-definition video with night vision mode for 24/7 coverage.

Installing the Furbo dog camera is incredibly simple, and it comes with three pieces of 3M double-sided tape, so you can quickly fix it into place if you’re worried about your pet knocking it over.

It connects easily through Wi-Fi to your other smart devices, allowing you to receive push notifications when the sound detector hears your dog barking, while the onboard motion detection will alert you to any activity in the vicinity of the pet camera.

The stability of the Furbo dog camera makes this one of the best pet cameras with a treat dispenser and can fit approximately 100 treats at a recommended treat size of 1 cm.

You can control the treat tossing mode via the Furbo mobile app while you’re away, and the system is consistently accurate, so there’s no need to be concerned about biscuits getting where they shouldn’t be.

Unlike other pet cams, the Furbo also comes with a Dog Nanny feature, which adds a range of features including event-based cloud recording, scheduling support, and AI-powered smart alerts.

There’s also an excellent Dog Diary feature, which creates a 60-second highlight video of the day’s adventures of your furry friends, saving them to the app’s cloud video storage.

The Furbo is the only pet camera that sends alerts when the dog is looking at the camera (the selfie feature), and can also notify you whenever your pet is crying or howling for over one minute.

It even informs you if it notices another person in the room, and can detect if your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm has been activated, giving it the level of smart features usually found in a higher-end home security camera.

With its kitchenware aesthetic and easy-to-use functions, the Furbo dog camera is a quality purchase for any pet owner looking to keep an eye on their dog and feed them treats while they’re away.

4. PetCube Cam

The best pet cameras don’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and there are some great budget options out there for those who don’t want to spend a fortune, such as the Petcube Cam.

This easy-to-use pet camera can be set up in around a minute, with magnetic mounting brackets allowing you to place it on any wall or surface you desire.

It puts out video in 1080p full HD through a 110° wide-angle view, with decent clarity and sharpness considering the low cost (although the quality of night vision footage is unimpressive – you won’t be using it for a dog photoshoot, that’s for sure!)

Those who are happy to pay additional fees for the monthly subscriptions can unlock a selection of useful features, including instant sound and motion alerts, which sends out a push notification to your phone or tablet whenever a disturbance is registered.

A subscription will also give you access to your video history and downloads, replaying up to 90 days of footage and saving your favorite moments to cloud storage.

As with all pet monitors, the Petcube Cam features two-way audio, and while the sound quality can be a little on the tinny side, it’s adequate enough for you to command your dog to get down from the counter.

While it lacks the treat dispenser and other more advanced features found on other cameras, the features it does have are well supported, even if the app can be temperamental sometimes.

If you’re looking to replace your regular security camera with something with a few more pet-friendly options, the Petcube Cam is an affordable option that offers enough features to help keep a closer eye on your pets.

5. Wopet Smart Pet Camera

Wopet’s smart pet camera is a versatile device that functions as a security camera, treat dispenser, and of course, a pet camera, allowing users to monitor and interact with their pets while away.

Its sleek, white cylindrical design means it’s ideal to position on the kitchen counter, and won’t look out of place alongside your other kitchen appliances.

The built-in advanced microphone and speaker give you the necessary two-way audio so you can communicate with your pets remotely, while the full HD camera gives you a crisp streaming image of your home.

There’s a night vision mode that is crisp and clear, and the Livestream video feature makes it easy to monitor your pet in real-time, just as long as you have a good Wi-Fi signal in your home.

Installation and setting up the mobile app can be done in a matter of minutes, and once you’ve loaded the treat popper with biscuits it’s ready for use.

The treat dispenser works well, although it is worth bearing in mind the opening for the biscuits is on the small side, and will only work with smaller treats under 1/4” wide.

Using the app is simple and is compatible with both iPhone and Android devices. Simply sign in to the app, select your device, and the live feed will be ready to stream.

You can control the Wopet Smart Pet Camera in a variety of ways remotely, including turning on the microphone to send a message, taking still and short videos, and launching dog treats onto the floor.

Any videos and photos you capture with this pet camera can also be sent to your social media accounts, so if you’re charting the progress of a new member of the household on Facebook, this makes it much easier to add new photos to your news feed.

The Wopet Smart Pet Camera combines good audio and image quality with a handy treat dispenser, with an easy-to-use companion app making it one of the better pet cams on the market.

6. YI Pan-Tilt Indoor Dog & Cat Cam

One of the problems often associated with some pet cameras is the limitation on the range of vision their cameras provide.

The YI Pan-Tilt Indoor Dog and Cat Cam rectify this issue with its 360° tracking camera, bringing directional control and motion tracking with exceptional room coverage.

There are two cameras included in the package, each with 1080p full HD and a 140° wide-angle lens, while the 84° vertical rotation range affords a more comprehensive area of footage.

There’s even a time-lapse feature, compressing up to six hours of footage into short clips, so you can replay that time your dog slowly ate your couch in just 30 seconds.

As with other pet cameras, each of these includes two-way audio via the built-in microphone and speaker, while compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allows you to converse with your smart home devices as well as your pets and family members.

The YI Home App receives a variety of notifications to your smart devices, such as motion and sound detection, and is capable of viewing up to nine camera live feeds at a time!

With that said, these services will require owners to sign up for a subscription to unlock, so be aware of potential additional costs to get the most out of this device.

With multiple cameras in the pack, the YI Pan-Tilt pet camera is perhaps the best pet camera for people with multiple pets, with additional video coverage thanks to its pan and tilt options.

Pet Cameras: FAQs

How does a Pet camera work?

Pet cams work by detecting sound or motion within range of their location, recording video and live streaming it to your mobile phone or tablet.

They also include speakers and a microphone, allowing owners to speak to their pets while away from home.

The best pet cameras also include features such as treat dispensers and laser toys, which can be activated remotely.

Can people hack pet cameras?

Pet cameras are usually safe from hacking, although you should check the details of a specific device to view the safety measures the manufacturer has put in place.

Hackers will often try to trick owners into giving them access, so avoid giving out any passwords to people you don’t trust.

How do you mount a pet camera on the wall?

While not all pet cameras are wall-mounted, those which are usually come with either a bracket mount or adhesive attachment so you can hang them on a wall.

How can I use my laptop as a pet cam?

If you want to use a laptop as a makeshift pet cam, you should set it up with a video chat service logged on and your laptop camera pointing in the desired room, and you can then view the footage by connecting to the video call from a different account.

Should I talk to my cat through a camera?

Pet cameras are designed to help owners communicate to their cats and dogs, so talking to them through the camera is fine.

It’s also an effective way to help minimize stress – or distract them from scratching on your favorite furniture.

How can I use my iPhone as a pet camera?

You can use the camera on your iPhone to function through the app of certain pet cameras, activating a second device to act as the receiver.

Make sure you check the settings on a pet camera to see if it is compatible with these settings.

Final Words

Getting the best pet camera for your kittie or pooch is a wonderful reassurance that’s hard to describe to non-pet owners.

Whether you opt for a model with a treat dispenser, two-way audio, built-in laser toy Google Assistant or opt for a home security camera over a dedicated pet camera, keeping tabs on our furry friends reduces anxiety and can be a lot of fun.

So, next time you’re feeling worried about leaving your beloved pets at home alone, refer to the list above and choose a digital pet sitter that suits your needs.