Heading back to routine? These pet cameras help you keep an eye on things at home

Best for: dogs

The Furbo 360° dog camera is a great all-around option for dog owners (there is another model for cats too). It has a 1080p HD camera with night vision, rotates in a full circle and has two-way audio so you can hear and talk to your pet. There’s also Furbo a built-in treat dispenser so you can reward good behaviour even when you’re not home.

You can also choose between getting just the camera, or paying for a Furbo Nanny subscription (monthly, yearly or two-yearly) that has more advanced features like security alerts, health and activity reports, recording recaps and more.

“Excellent way to keep an eye on your pets when you’re not home,” one Australian customer said in a 5-star review on Amazon, where it has a 4.4-star average from over 8500 global reviews.

“Definitely worth the money (I bought 2). Great device for peace of mind while your dog is home alone. Also acts as a security camera and detects people which triggers an alert to your phone,” another Australian customer said in a detailed 5-star review.

Key features:

• 1080p full HD
• 360° full room coverage
• Automatically rotates and tracks your dog
• Built-in treat dispenser
• Real-time barking alert
• Colour night vision
• Two-way audio
• Optional subscriptions for more advanced features
• 1-year warranty

Also available at:

• $249 at Furbo

Best for: cats

Designed to be an interactive robot companion, the Enabot EBO SE is a great choice for anyone with a cat that gets easily bored. It has powerful wheels and a design that allows it to get up if it’s knocked over (which I can imagine some cats would do), as well as a built-in 1080p camera, night vision, two-way audio, obstacle avoidance and the ability to return to its dock when it needs to recharge.

“Easy to control, great fun to tour around the home while I’m away to check on the cat,” one Australian customer said in a 5-star review on Amazon.

Another customer at Petbarn also found it great for their dog and talking to family. “I actually bought this so that I could ‘visit’ my Mum while I am working in Antarctica. The dog loves it too! It’s highly entertaining, easy set up. I can pop in remotely anytime for family dinners now while I’m away. Great little gadget!!”

Key features:

• Powerful motorised wheels to move around the home
• Tumbler design so it can quickly right itself after a fall
•  IOS and Android app support and remote controls
• HD 1080p camera
• Automatic recharging
• Two-way audio for communication with your pet

Also available at:

• $199.99 at Pet Circle
• $200 at Petbarn

Best for: a pet camera without a subscription requirement

This Eufy camera gives ultimate peace of mind for pet parents, as well as those conscious of home security. With 2K resolution and advanced night vision, you can see your furry friends clearly even in low light. Its motion tracking and pan and tilt features allow you to scan the whole room, ensuring your pet isn’t up to any mischief. Plus, the two-way audio lets you talk to them when you want to.

“This pet camera worked so well for me I ended up with two,” BHG Shopping Writer Tiarne Blackwell says.

“I started with one Eufy 2K Pan & Tilt downstairs, until my dog decided upstairs was his main hang-out, so I had to buy a second.”

“Both cameras run through the same app, the pan and tilt follows him as he moves, and the notifications are great for peace of mind – especially when I’m at work and want to make sure he’s not barking! “

Tiarne Blackwell, BHG Shopping Writer

“There’s no subscription required, but I chose to add microSD cards so I can easily look back on footage. If you prefer, you can also buy cloud storage or just settle on checking the cameras in real-time with no replay options.”

Key features:

• Crisp 2K resolution video
• Pan and tilt functionality for complete room coverage
• Advanced night vision for clear visuals even in low light
• Two-way audio for communication with your pet
• Local storage option (microSD card) or cloud storage options (subscriptions sold separately)

Also available at:

• $139.95 at Eufy
• $139 at Appliances Online

Best for: a budget pet camera

The TP-Link Tapo camera keeps an eye on everything from your pets to your whole home, with crystal-clear 1080p resolution and advanced night vision capabilities. The camera pans and tilts for a complete view, alerts you if it detects any motion and there’s two-way audio. It also has an SD card slot, so you can save footage without any ongoing subscription fees.

“Easy to install and the quality is first rate. I have 6 of them around the house and they work so well. Much better than my expensive fixed external ones. Portable with great clarity,” one Australian customer said in a recent 5-star review on Amazon, where it has an impressive 4.5-star average from over 150,000 global ratings (yes, that’s the right amount of zeros!).

Another customer who shared a detailed review said: “I purchased one to try, somewhat sceptical due to the price point but impressed with the great reviews and was actually blown away by the picture quality and feature rich application software for phones and tablets. These little cameras are brilliant with full pan/tilt, motion detection, AI SD and Cloud recording, preset camera locations, great night vision performance, movement notifications, etc.”

Key features:

• 1080p HD resolution
• Pan and tilt functionality
• Advanced night vision
• Motion detection and notifications
• Two-way audio
• Local storage (microSD card)
• Voice control assistant compatible (varies)

Also available at:

• $65.88 at Big W
• $65.88 at Woolworths
• $67.60 at Kogan

Best for: night vision

Amazon’s Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera has colour night vision – great if you’re travelling or work night shifts and want to check in on your pets – as well as 360 degree panning, 169 degree tilting and a wide lens.

HD video, two-way sound and compatibility with Alexa also make it handy for staying in touch with your pets or anyone else at home.

“Great quality video. Lovely to spy on my dogs when I’m at work,” one Australian customer said in a 5-star review on Amazon, where it has a 4.8-star rating from over 130 global ratings.

“The field of view is better than the standard static model, and the ability to move the camera is amazing. I installed it on the wall in a matter of minutes, and it worked straight away. It has a home setting function so if you have panned and tilted all over the place you can send it right back to its home position that you have previously set,” another Australian customer said in a detailed 5-star review.

Key features:

• HD video with colour night vision
• Two-way audio
• In-app control and compatibility with Amazon Alexa
• 360° panning and 169° up and down tilting
• Live view, with HD recording and storage available with a Ring Plan (sold separately)
• Colour night vision

Best for: playful interaction

The Petcube Bites 2 Lite lets you monitor your pet anytime, anywhere with its 1080p HD live stream, wide-angle view and night vision. Talk and listen with two-way audio, and even reward them remotely with the built-in treat dispenser. You can also schedule automatic treat dispensing and receive alerts when your pet makes a sound or moves.

“Great to keep an eye on our pooches when we’re not home for peace of mind, they also appreciate the treat dispenser which is an added bonus,” one customer shared in a 5-star review on Pet Circle.

While there was only one review on Pet Circle, it’s a best-seller on Amazon with a 4-star average from over 1410 global ratings. And the majority of ratings (around 74%) are 4 or 5 stars.

Key features:

• Fully app controlled
• Two-way audio
• Treat dispenser: toss the treat short, medium or long distance
• Schedule automatic treat dispensing
• 1080p HD live streaming
• 160 degree angle
• Night vision

Also available at:

• $249 at Amazon
• $250 at Petbarn

Best for: security features

Arlo’s Essential indoor camera keeps a watchful eye on your home with crisp 2K resolution video. This wired camera is simple to setup and connects directly to Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for a hub. For added peace of mind, receive alerts when motion (whether it’s a person or a pet) is detected.

“Bought it for a doggie cam and super happy with the setup and use,” one Australian said in a 5-star review on Amazon, where it has a 4.5-star average from more than 55 people.

“Good addition to oue Arlo ecosystem, bought 2 cameraa to act as Nanny cams for the Kids rooms,” another customer shared in a 5-star review on The Good Guys.

Key features:

• 2K, 080p or 720p video resolution
• 130° field of view
• Two-way audio with noise cancellation
• Night vision plus video storage with a Arlo Secure subscription (separate)
• Built-in light
• Automated privacy shield

Also available at:

• $59 at Amazon
• $69, Arlo