If you leave your feline friends home alone, it’s a good idea to be prepared with a surveillance camera with a laser toy for cats. You’ll discover some fascinating insights into your cat’s behavior when you’re not at home.
About three years ago, I left my cat alone at home for a few days during our vacation. I came up with the idea of leaving a laptop open, playing music, and accessing the camera over the internet to check on her occasionally. At that time, I used a very rudimentary method. I opened a messaging app and made a video call from my iPhone to the laptop. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my cat recognized and reacted to her owner’s voice, even though it was coming through the laptop’s audio system.
With a connection from my phone, I could see my cat sitting by the window, and I could “talk” to her. She immediately responded when she heard my voice and approached the laptop to sniff and nuzzle it. Meow-meow.
I believe all cat owners want to know what their cat does when left home alone. One option is the classic surveillance cameras and systems designed for buildings, but these have limitations. The image quality in most inexpensive surveillance systems is not the best, and the possibility of vocal interaction is very limited. There are also baby monitoring systems, but honestly, I don’t know how they work or what they look like. Instead, I found a very interesting device through which you can monitor your cat or dog when you’re on vacation. What’s more, you can play with your cat using your phone, thanks to a built-in laser in the device.
The device is called Petcube Play 2 and has some very interesting and useful features for the times when you leave your cat home alone.
The device is called Petcube Play 2 and has some very interesting and useful features for the times when you leave your cat home alone.
It features a built-in laser toy that allows you to play with your cat or dog from a distance, at an angle of almost 180 degrees. Simply open the Petcube app on your smartphone and slide your finger on the screen to direct the laser point where you want it. There’s also a “Play” mode if you want Petcube to play with your cat on its own. One very important thing to note is that the laser’s beam and point will not harm your pet’s vision. It’s a Class II beam (or 3R in the US), similar to the one used in laser pointers. It doesn’t affect human or animal eyesight.
In addition to the 1080p HD image quality, the Petcube Play 2’s video camera also has a “night vision” mode for viewing in the dark and a zoom of up to 4x. This can be very useful, especially since we all know that cats are quite active at night. The high-quality two-way audio, provided by the four microphones, allows you to hear what’s happening in the room and “talk” to your pet. Your pet will recognize your voice and interact with you through the device.
Petcube Play 2 also has a monitoring mode. It automatically detects motion and sounds in the house. This way, the app notifies you when your pet becomes active, and you can log in to the app to see, talk to, and play with your pet.
Unfortunately, this device is not available in all countries, but it can be purchased from Amazon for around $199, excluding shipping costs. We could say it’s a modest investment, especially when it comes to our beloved pets, cats.
If you decide to order a Petcube Play 2, keep in mind that it requires a Wi-Fi connection and internet access to be accessed remotely. Compatible operating systems include iOS 10.3.3 or later for iPhone or iPad owners and Android 7.1.2 or later for Android smartphone users.
