The Furbo Dog Camera has winning features that get our tails wagging more than any other smart camera. In addition to a treat launcher and night vision, Furbo 360° Dog Camera is the only pet camera we encountered with sound detection that senses barking. If your pup has a bad barking habit, the Furbo will alert you. From the app, you can also talk to your pet and give them a yummy treat.
Here are the top pet cameras for 2023
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: Best for dogs
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: Most fun
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: Best for budget
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: Best for cats
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: Best for sharing
Compare the best pet cameras
|
Pet camera
|
Best for
|
Price*
|
Two-way audio
|
Motion detection
|
Night vision
|
Treat dispenser
|
Learn more
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| Best for dogs | $210.00 |
 Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View on Furbo | |
| Most fun | $169.99 |
Yes |
 No |
Yes |
Yes |
View on Amazon | |
| Budget pick | $49.98 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
View on Amazon | |
| Best for cats | $229.00 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
View on Amazon | |
| Best for sharing | $119.99 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View on Amazon |
*Amazon.com prices as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Video: We compared some of the best pet cameras
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1. Furbo 360° Dog Camera: Best for dogs
The Furbo 360° Dog Camera was designed for dogs and their best friends (you!).
It sports two-way audio, night vision, and a pet treat dispenser—all controllable from the mobile app. You can monitor and play with your pup from work, while you’re on vacation, or from down the hall.
Our favorite feature is the bark alert, a feature that sends alerts to your phone when the Furbo detects barking. It’s especially helpful if you have a vocal canine.
1080p camera
Night vision
Treat dispenser
Bark sensor
Tons of alert options
360° view
Required subscription for cloud storage
Image: Cathy Habas, SafeWise
Furbo also has two-way audio, so you can talk to your dog from the app. The audio through the speaker is clear enough to catch your dog’s attention, too. So whether they’re barking up a storm or just lonely, you can talk to them through your mobile device.
Furbo requires a subscription to use its cloud storage service if you want to keep records of your dog’s activities. But the subscription comes with a considerable number of smart alerts and other perks, making it a worthy investment in our book.
This pet cam was a big hit with our test dogs and their mom. Read our full review of the Furbo 360° Dog Camera to learn more.
2. Skymee Owl Robot: Most fun
The Skymee Owl Robot is like a pet for your pet. It’s part robot, part treat dispenser, part HD camera, but all fun for pets and their owners.
Like all the pet cams we’ve picked, it comes with a companion app that lets you talk to your furry friends and control the camera. The big difference is the Owl Robot can move around the house and interact with your pet.
Moving remote-controlled robot
Treat dispenser
Night vision
Two-way talk
May scare anxious pets
May lose treats around the house
This cylindrical robot is built for speed with its two tough plastic wheels on each side. The app has pre-programmed actions, so you can make the robot wiggle, spin, and flip to catch your pet’s attention.
Once your pet catches the Owl Robot (or whenever you press the treat button), it dispenses treats.
We love how interactive this Skymee pet camera is. You can play with your dogs and cats from anywhere with Wi-Fi and even take the Owl Robot out for walks with your dogs.
With all the features and controls in the app, you and your pup are bound to have lots of fun, even when you aren’t home.
3. Wyze Cam Pan v2: Budget pick
The Wyze Cam Pan v2 security camera wasn’t designed for pet monitoring. It lacks pet-focused features in the other cameras, but its key features (like two way audio and wide angle viewing) show that you don’t need a pedigree to make the top of our list.
This Wyze model has helpful smart pet camera features, including night vision, motion tracking, video streaming, and two-way audio. It can swivel a full 360° in under three seconds, and it has pan-and-tilt capabilities to give you an additional 93 degrees of vertical viewing.
360-degree view
Night vision
High-definition video
Two-way audio
Noisy movement
No treat dispenser
Delayed motion detection
Its motion detection feature moves the camera as it tracks your dog or cat around the room.
The motion tracking is both noisy and a little delayed, and the sound quality for the two-way talk feature isn’t crystal clear. But the Wyze Pan Cam’s 1080p high-definition live video is clearer than many other pet cameras we saw.
Given the low price point, we’re impressed.
Wyze has a growing suite of smart home products and cameras for anyone watching their wallet. Check out our in-depth Wyze Cam Pan review to learn more about this camera.
4. Petcube Play 2: Best for cats
The Petcube Play 2 is the newest incarnation of a camera we love, and it’s powerful enough to keep up with your pets.
Its newest version has the same built-in laser toy, two-way audio, and night vision from the first one. But new software updates boosted its field of view from 138° to 180°, plus a 4x zoom. So you can count the whiskers on your furry friend’s face from anywhere in the room.
Controllable laser pointer
Easy setup
Built-in Alexa
No treat dispenser
Best features require subscription
Petcube Care costs under $10 per month, giving you filters, 30-second video clips, three days of video history, smart alerts, and more. Adding another subscription service to your list might be a turn-off, the benefits are worth it.
And while the Petcube Play 2 doesn’t have a treat dispenser, its sister pet cams do. The Bites and Bites 2 can both bring the goods to your pets. Check out our review of the Petcube Bites 2 to learn more.
We got our paws on a Petcube Play 2! Check out our unboxing video on YouTube to see it in action.
5. Skymee Petalk AI II: Best for sharing
With a 180-degree viewing angle, two-way audio, a motion sensor, and a treat dispenser, the Skymee Petalk AI II rivals the Furbo as an interactive pet camera. We love that the free app allows login on up to 8 devices, which means more family members can check in on their beloved pets throughout the day.
180° angle
Motion detection
Treat dispenser
Night vision
No volume control
Average video quality
Spotty streaming
In terms of video quality, the Skymee Petalk AI II is a little touch-and-go. But it’s an affordable alternative to the Furbo and a great way to give your pupper treats throughout the day.
More pet cams worth a look
Whether you want a pet cam to watch your puppy during his first week home alone or to keep an eye on your mischievous cats, there are tons of options out there. Here are a few other nominees you should check out.
WOpet Smart Pet Camera
There’s plenty to like about the WOpet Smart Pet Camera. It features a treat dispenser, two-way audio, and night vision. But it falls short with no motion detection and only 720p video streaming (which, to be fair, is still considered HD).
At around $150, it costs slightly more than our #5 pick but offers less functionality. Still, it’s a highly-rated dog treat camera and works with Amazon Alexa.
Yi Dome Camera
The Yi Dome Camera is subtle and understated, but its swiveling head allows you to see everything in the room. This pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera makes it easier to see more from anywhere you put it and it costs less than $35.
Whether your dog’s wandering just out of frame or the cat’s hiding out of view again, you can follow them from the Yi app.
It has motion detection, night vision, and shoots footage in clear 1080p HD. But while the Yi is a great camera, it lacks pet-focused features like treats or laser toys for kitties.
Check out our take in our full YI Dome camera review, or learn more about the full line of YI Kami cameras.
Eazieplus
While this Eazieplus camera is designed with pet owners in mind, its motion trackers mean it can double as a security camera or nanny cam for humans as well.
Similar to the Yi Dome Camera, the Eazieplus Pet Camera swivels, tilts, and zooms to catch the action from any angle. It also connects with your Amazon Echo, so you can integrate it with the rest of your smart devices.
It comes with optional paid cloud storage. It’s an affordable investment if you want to keep footage of Fido even with a subscription.
EufyPet Dog Camera D605
The EufyPet Dog Camera D605 comes with a steep price tag but offers some nifty features. The wide-angle lens can swing 170° so it never misses the action. Its 270° treat shooter has three distance settings to keep snack time interesting.
Maybe the best feature is the Doggy Diary. The camera’s AI will create a digital scrapbook of the best fur baby moments so you can enjoy them later.
If you already have Eufy cameras, this pet camera will fit in nicely.
What to consider before buying a pet cam
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Pick pet-friendly features
When shopping for a dog or cat camera, think about how much time you spend away from home and what your biggest concerns are when it comes to your pet.
If you’re worried about your pet’s safety, you’ll want a pet monitor camera with a wider field of view and two-way audio. If your pet has anxiety, a camera with treats and games might help them relax.
If a pet cam shows that your dog or cat is way more stressed than you realized, consider finding a pet sitter, bringing Fido to doggy daycare, or working with a trainer to ease separation anxiety.
Image: SafeWise
Provide pet-friendly toys and entertainment
If you leave your pet at home for long periods of time, they’re going to need food, water, and plenty of entertainment. Some pet cams come with safe toys like laser pointers, but you’ll want to make sure their other toys are safe, too.
Create a pet-friendly environment
While pet cams can help you keep an eye on your furry friends, they don’t guarantee complete safety.
Cats and dogs may eat dangerous household items and plants. So before you leave them alone, be sure your home is poison-proofed and puppy-proofed. If cleaning up your whole home is tricky, use crates, corrals, or pet gates to keep your pet contained in a safe area.
There are plenty of reasons to get a pet cam, but a pet-friendly security system can also help keep your pets safe. If you get a system with professional alarm monitoring, your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors will alert a monitoring center that can send help right away in an emergency.
Final word
One of the reasons we picked the Furbo pet camera as our top choice is because of the live stream video in sharp 1080p resolution, night or day. You get a clear image of your pet from the app, and they’ll get reassurance that you’re never far away.
Pet cameras FAQ
A dedicated pet camera can be helpful to keep an eye on your pet’s health, moderate their behavior, and engage with them while you’re away.
Catching your dog chewing on furniture could not only save your couch, but it could also alert you that your dog is hungry, anxious, or stressed. When you’re gone, your pet can get bored, lonely, and anxious.
Taking time out of your day to visit your pet, even virtually, can help keep both you and your pet content and happy.
It’s all in the features. While most pet cameras work for all kinds of pets, we recommend getting a camera with features that fit your pet’s needs and interests.
- Pet cameras with laser pointers work best for cats.
- Pet cameras with treat launchers and bark sensors are better for dogs.
Putting your pet camera at (or slightly above) your pet’s eye level will give you the best viewing angle.
If your camera comes with extra features, experiment with placement to find the right spot. Keep in mind that laser pointers usually work better when the device is closer to the ground, and bright lights from windows or lamps can interfere with video quality.
Positive reinforcement works best. Several of the cameras on this list have tones and calls you can use to condition your pet to come to the camera.
Start by showing the camera to your pet, and dispense a treat. This shows them where the camera is and that it’s safe. Then, use the ringtones or two-way audio to call them to the device, and dispense a treat.
Do this several times—then get a friend or family member to encourage your pet to respond to the camera while you’re out of the house or in another room. Like any learned behavior, it just takes practice (and lots of treats).
Image: SafeWise
As pet owners ourselves, we couldn’t pass up a chance to test these cameras in our own homes. So to get a closer look at pet cameras, we took some home and tested them out. We checked the Furbo, original PetCube, PetCube Bites 2, and Pawbo cameras for video quality, ease of use in the app, and extra features that made them fun for humans and animals alike. Based on our findings, we compared the cameras and created our best-of list along with the reviews below.
Read our full methodology to find out more about how we research and review products.
Related articles on SafeWise
Disclaimer
*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of this date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any prices and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
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