Are pet cameras worth the extra money?

Keep an eye on your pet wherever you are without overspending.

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Newsletter

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Whether you’re out all day for work or for a few minutes to run a quick errand, a camera can give you insight and peace of mind. But do you need a pet specific one, or will a regular home monitoring camera work? What are the differences?

Treat Dispenser
This is a cool feature, but it certainly isn’t necessary. While it may be fun for you, having food flying across the room might create over-arousal and have a negative effect on your pet’s state of mind.

Some of these cameras claim this feature can be used to distract your pet from engaging in a bad behavior; however, in the long run, presenting your dog with a treat when he is gnawing on the couch or barking in the window actually rewards and reinforces the behavior, which isn’t what most people want.

Bark Detection
This feature alerts you if your dog starts barking while you’re away, which is handy because it could mean something strange is going on. However, most simple home cameras have noise detection; they just don’t have the fancy marketing spin. The features are essentially the same, but the pet-specific camera has simply given it a dog-specific name.

Safety Claims
Pet cameras claim to keep your pets safe. However, a camera will not stop your pet from getting into things they shouldn’t — it just allows you to watch. If your pet getting hurt while you’re out of the house is your biggest reason for a camera purchase, you’re better off buying a crate and pet insurance.

Price
Pet specific cameras can be up to 5x more costly than regular home monitoring cameras, so do your research to make sure you’re getting the important features and not just the fun ones.  

The Verdict?
Unless you really feel the need for treats, we recommend going with a regular Wi-FI enabled home camera with noise and motion detection. You’ll get all the surveillance features you’re looking for in the first place without the inflated cost of marketing.
 

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