The best pet camera 2020: discover what your furry friend gets up to when you're not home

The best pet cameras are designed with nervous – or naughty – pets in mind and are perfect for those nosey pet owners (ourselves included) who want to keep an eye on what their furry friends are up to when no-one's home. 

As if that wasn't enough, two way audio – which you'll find in most of the models below – makes it possible to communicate directly with your pet, from any location. Below, you'll find our top rated models, with comprehensive reviews designed to ensure you choose the right model to suit your requirements.

Looking for more buying advice? Jump to our top tips for buying the best pet camera. Still not convinced by pet tech? Our guide answers the question: do you really need smart pet tech? 

• Find more smart home advice and information over on our tech page: The Hub

What is the best pet camera?

The best pet camera is the Furbo, which makes it easy to keep an eye on what your pet's getting up to from your smart phone. Two way communication and a handy treat dispenser also make it easy to interact with your pet, whenever necessary.Read our full product breakdown, below. 

The best pet cameras you can buy right now 

Find our pick of the best pet cameras ranked below. There are options designed to suit every budget and requirement, so it's worth having a good read before making an investment.

Our top pick, the Furbo pet cam is as stylish as it is functional. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Stylish design

Furbo looks fantastic before you even get to switching it on, with its tall hourglass shape and premium-looking white and wood palette. Whatever your interiors style, this model is sure to fit in.

Real time alerts

Perfect for busy pet parents, this model sends real-time alerts to your smartphone if it picks up on barking, meaning you needn’t check in every five minutes to make sure nothing’s going down at home, or spend the day worrying that you’re missing something serious.

Two way communication

Designed with two-way communication, it's possible to communicate with your furry friend, wherever you are. Perfect if you're the owner of a nervy pet that's soothed by the sound of your voice.

Treat dispensing

Perhaps the most gimmicky feature on offer, here, it's possible to remotely dispense your pets favourite treats, in a tasty game of catch, if they're feeling friendly.

Browse more pet cameras available from Amazon

Next in our list is the Petcube Bites pet cam, which boasts plenty of impressive features for the pickiest of pet parents. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Share your furry friend on social media

Even social media maestros might not have the time to play handler to their popular pets 24/7 (that Sheba doesn’t pay for itself, y’know) but as Petcube Bites is the only pet camera we know of that can beam video straight to Facebook Live, you can rest assured it’s taking care of business, while you’re taking care of business.

Sound and motion detection

Ensuring you don’t always have to be on your guard, it takes short bursts of video whenever movement or sound is detected, and reviewers said the video quality was excellent.

Treat dispenser

Like Furbo, this model also comes with a handy treat dispenser, and one that lets you both schedule treat times and throw treats variable distances.

Shop more pet cameras available from Argos

Next up in our list is the Petkit Mate, which is quite similar in appearance to our top rated product. Find out more about it, below:

Stylish design

With a tall, home speaker-like design and elegant wooden casing, the Petkit Mate may be one of the best options to go for if you’re in search of a low-key option that’ll blend with the decor.

Handy, rotating base

Like Furbo, it’s a looker, but quite unlike Furbo, it has the added bonus of a rotating base. This means that you get an unbeatable 340-degree vista of the room, so if your pet’s in there, you’re sure to see them. This feature also makes up for a lack of motion detector.

Play with your pet remotely

Petkit Mate also allows you to play with your pets remotely and share snaps of their antics with friends and family.

Shop the full range of pet cameras available from Very

Perfect for those on a budget, the CleverDog Camera is another of our favourite devices, designed to help you keep an eye on your prized pets. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Budget friendly

Cat owners needn’t skip this one just because of its admittedly adorable name, because it’s good for all four-legged friends, and all budgets to boot. At well under £50, it’s far and away the best budget pet camera on our list, and doesn’t seem skimp on anything much to make that saving.

Impressive features

Sure, it isn’t quite as pretty as Furbo or Petmate, but it does everything you’d want it to, including two-way audio, a decent-quality camera, and sending you a snap whenever it detects movement or noise.

Overall, if it doesn’t bother you too much that the CleverDog Camera looks like… well, a camera, then it’s well worth considering. 

See more pet cameras available from eBay

Looking for the best collar-mounted pet cam? We've got you covered with the Eyenimal Cat Videocam. Here are our favourite features:

Discover exactly what your pet gets up to

The only downside to a fixed position pet cam is the fact that it can only show you what you're cat's up to when they're in one, specific location. if you want to keep an eye on your furry friend, at all times of day, a collar-mounted option could be the way forward.

Designed for all eventualitues

 There's no need to worry about your cat taking a dip, or venturing out at night, either, as this model is designed towith its splash-proof build, night mode and audio recording.

Factors worth considering

The only downfall is that there’s no option for live streaming, so you can’t tap in to watch in real time which neighbour’s bin puss is currently rummaging through, but it’s a fun little tool for watching back your cat’s adventures after they’ve been out and about. 

For co-parents of fur babies, or housemates with a beloved shared pet, the sociable Pawbo Life is sure to come in handy. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Two way speaker (for multiple users)

With a handy two-way speaker, up to eight users can chat to your pet at once. And, sure, while hearing 'roll over' and 'sit' at the same time might get confusing, it’s still sure to set those tails wagging.

Optional ringtones

Many of the Pawbo’s features seem aimed more towards cats, including optional ringtones such as birds chirping and other cats meowing that might settle – or stimulate – a pet who's home alone.

Built-in laser

If your pet is getting a little portly, thanks to too much time spent at home, alone, a laser game that gets them exercising during the day, could be just what you're looking for.

Treat dispenser

Alternatively, you could also treat your furry friend to a treat, using a handy treat-dispenser.

Shop more pet cameras available from AO

How to buy the best pet camera

When it comes to buying the best pet camera to suit your needs, there are a few factors worth considering, to ensure you get the most for your money. These include:

Two way audio

If you're out all day and your pets nervous disposition requires regular soothing, we'd recommend looking into a pet camera that comes complete with two-way audio. That way you can talk (or even sing) your pet into tranquility, should you need to.

Bark alerts 

If you're using a pet camera because you're concerned about your pet's welfare (and perhaps your neighbour's sanity), setting up a pet camera that alerts you when your dog barks will be worthwhile.

Design 

We are interiors obsessives after all. Chances are that yours will need to be on display in order for you to successfully spy on your pet. You'll find basic, black or white designs below, as well as some stylish wood-effect finishes.

Treat dispensers

Want to reward good behaviour with a tasty treat? Opt for a model with a built in treat dispenser that issues the goods on your command.  

• Back to top

Looking for more pet-friendly advice and information?

• 12 of the cutest dogs in the chicest homes
• The best automatic pet feeders
• Poisonous plants for dogs: how to create a dog-friendly garden