Keeping An Eye On Your Pets From Afar

In retrospect, I was wrong. When I first saw the Petcube Cam 360, I figured it was just another portable security camera for your home – except repackaged in a pet theme as being a way to watch your pets while you’re not home.

Now that I’ve experienced the product firsthand, I see the error in my perception. This is actually a clever security camera that in so many ways is designed specifically for easing the minds of neurotic or loving pet owners like me. It’s well thought out by the founders of this Ukrainian company.

First of all, for those of you with animals that jump up onto counters, banisters, tabletops, and more, this very lightweight plug-in camera has a “see-it-all” 360-degree camera that pans and tilts, both up and down and side to side. All the while, it swivels on its base and delivers a sharp 1080p HD live streaming video with a 105-degree wide-angle view for full-room coverage. And you can zoom in digitally by eight times.

Plus you can talk with your pet through the app and the camera’s built-in speaker that’s actually clear. So if you want to tap your inner Dr. Doolittle, and tell the dog to get off the couch or like me that you’ll be home soon for dinner (yeah, he totally understands), the feature can help relieve its anxiety. The night vision is impressive, too. For privacy, you can block the lens view without having to unplug the camera.

Through its smartphone app, it can send you smart sound and motion alert notifications that matter in real time about potentially dangerous events, triggered by what the device hears or sees.

Ah, speaking of the app, I could only get it working on an old iPhone I found in a drawer. On the Android – mind you a brand-new model running the latest operating system – the Petcube app just would not pair with the camera. In fact, it couldn’t even find the camera. Speaking of, the camera came with a set of screws and plastic anchors that I guess you can use to secure the camera in place on a wall. But I think that would look awkward with the plug sticking out of it. So I just rested it on a kitchen counter.

I think to get the most from Petcube, you’d probably need to set up several cameras around your home. That way, you can follow your pet from room to room. Because let’s face it, they don’t stay sitting around in one place all day.

The company makes several products that work in conjunction with one another. They sent me a tracking device that can be fastened to a dog collar. I love that it comes in a dog bone-shaped container. But the device itself is too large to fit on my dog’s collar. I think it may be more appropriate for a larger dog.

Still, I give the company two enthusiastic paws up for what it’s doing. Any pet owner will find some extra peace of mind with these products. And they’re relatively inexpensive compared to other home security cameras.