Home Cameras for cats?

Put them in a cattery.

Surely if the food is being eaten, the sitter can also tell you they are alive and well? But there are nanny cams I can imagine you can set up.

A Ring camera (or similar) would be perfect for this. Even a Ring doorbell would work. You could even talk to them through it.

I have a family member who used an old iPhone attached to the wall in one of the rooms her cats usually hung out in to keep an eye on them while she was away. Apparently she had it on record the whole time. It worked!

“You could even talk to them through it”
I think that would really freak them out.

We use Arlo cameras that are pointed at various places in our house so we can see our cats are eating and doing well.
Our cats are former feral cats and our sitter rarely sees them while we are gone. It makes us feel better and we can check on them while in Europe. Good luck and happy travelling.

The visual setup is an interesting idea. I haven’t done anything like that, nor have any exterior monitors. One of our cats is very outgoing, and appears whenever anyone’s in the the house. The other is hesitant to emerge for a sitter, but he’s becoming less of a recluse. It’s a treat to get a photo of cats texted to us while on vacation.

I wonder, if you did get one or more cameras placed, would you get the video feed, could the sitter also get images? I’ve sat for friends before where I never saw the kitties, but the disappearing food and/or deposits in the litter box confirmed they were there.

Visual confirmation certainly has advantages!

Yes, we do get the video images on our iphones. The only way the sitters get the images is when we save them to our phones and send them to the sitter by text or email. The cameras have motion sensors and we get short videos that we can save or delete.

We have cameras inside the house, focused on doors for security reasons. A couple of things to note. Curtains moving, shadows from moving tree branches through the windows, and lights turning on and off can set them off. So choose your locations well. And note that you might get tired of the constant motion alerts every time a pet moves through the scene, especially because of the time difference.

Plenty of options out there: https://www.chewy.com/b/cameras-monitors-8312

We really have not had those issues, but maybe it is because of our camera placements. You can also only use one or two cameras and turn off the sensors using your phone if they get too numerous and only have the live cameras on. We do that at times,especially at night while in Europe. The ap that comes with the cameras is very flexible.

I have my cat and my fathers cat. they are not typically friendly with anyone if i have been gone a few days. So much so that they will often go without ever showing themselves while the pet sitter is in the house.
As for the food/litter that shows that A cat is eating and using the litter box, but one of them could just be being a pig so it does not truly indicate that that both cats are OK. and while that is generlly not an issue on a long trip to Europe it is one less thing to worry about,

.....and I guess the big question will be: If the cats hide from the cat sitters, and you (via camera) find out one cat is "being a pig" and eating the other cat's food, what will be the plan to make sure Cat B gets food? Maybe just put that plan into place from the get-go?

Boarding them at a kennel that specializes in cats might be the best solution. Granted, some pets do better than others being boarded. Some kennels are better than others. A local kennel in our area has three-level cat condos (each cat gets three levels) with nature views outside the large windows, and also places for the cat to "hide" in the condo.... The Ritz of cat boarding. The dog boarding is equally wonderful in caring for the comfort/needs of the canines. It is as though your pets are also on vacation. We love getting photos of our dog having the time of his life during individual play. Before being boarded for the first time, we made three visits with him, just so he could "sniff around" and get to know the place a bit :)

For your own peace of mind while traveling, maybe just ask the pet sitters to put out plenty of food. If one cat is a "pig," it will only be able to eat so much and it will dial it back.

If you are receiving images and videos throughout your travels, that might cause you to worry too much and not enjoy "being in the present" on your trip. If you would prefer leaving the cats at your home, just go over your concerns with the cat sitter(s) and empower to them to do whatever is necessary to make sure the cats do not starve (if that is your main/only concern).

I think putting a camera aimed at the feeding area and one at the litter box area might work, but we all know our furry kids best and we just need to work something out that is best for them and us. When we had eleven cats, we paid someone to stay at our home the three weeks we were gone. Now that we’re down to four, we use the cameras and a sitter that comes in twice a day. Best of luck finding your solution!

My point about being a pig is not to worry that one cat will not get food. It was to point out that just because food is gone does not prove both cats are alive.

The two cats have always lived together I am not worried that one will steel the others food. I am concerned that 10 days in I get a call from the cat sitter saying they have not seen one or both cats in over a week and are worried.

Thus the cameras were I KNOW the cats will show up. At the litter box the food and the water.
Kind of a proof of life thing.

And boarding the cats is just double trauma. They “lose” their human AND the only home they have known sense they were tiny kittens. Don’t see how this is better for them.

I just returned from a family vacation and my nephew had a camera set up by his cats’ bowls. I’m not sure what he used. He checked in periodically and saw them eating from their bowl and talked to them. My cats tend to be curious about people but I still close off bedrooms and other parts of the house to give them fewer places to hide from the cat sitter who stops by.

I have Wyze cameras in various rooms that allow me to watch my dog. Settings allow me to record continuously or only when there is motion; record with or without sound; set my phone to receive alerts or not; and view the cameras live or review playback.

I've tried talking to her over the cameras when she's barking, but it isn't effective. She either doesn't recognize what she's hearing or is too agitated to care.

Do you give your cats cat treats? If so, maybe you could teach them to come when they hear "cat treats". It's something that would be easy to try.

That’s a worthwhile idea from cala - cat treats. Mine come running when I shake the container of treats, and the rattling sound tells them it’s Treat Time. They also show up for treats for one of our friends who comes over to care for them when we’re away. If it’s another friend, one of our cats comes running, but the other one keeps away, so it varies.

Likewise, when I’ve taken care of friends’ animals, I get mixed results when sounding the treat alarm. No guarantee, but shaking treats can sometimes bring cats out into the open.

I am concerned that 10 days in I get a call from the cat sitter saying they have not seen one or both cats in over a week and are worried.

Then board them. If you are unwilling or unable to board them, stay home.

How about if you have your sitter over several times before you go so that your cats get used to this person?

I'm not sure some of you are being all that helpful. The OP asked if anyone has tried cameras. I get the feeling that some people who are responding don't even have cats.

Not yo be insulting but This is a good example of a post we’re folks reply, but are either not helping, or seam in some cases to actively be mean in the reply. Hence why I started a topic a while back about the idea that maybe we need to look at things from the OPs point f view and not from our biases.

In this case (my case) I do not want to board my cats. Nor, did I ask about that. And while the first few suggestions for that to be an option are fine (I dint specify I didn’t want to board them) I did eventually state I prefer twerp them home.

But either way the topic was about using cameras to check on pets who tend to hide from pet sitters. (cats specifically) and if someone does not like that Idea, or the idea of pet sitters, that is fine, but that is what the subject is about.

I would not go not a topic where someone was asking about choosing the best boarding location, and give them attitude because I am against boarding. Even though I am.

I think that in many ways cats are no safer in boarding, they are confined (mostly) to a small area. They are in an environment they are not used yo which causes stress, and the can be exposed to illness they otherwise would not be. For this and other reasons I prefer to keep them home with pet sitters, checking on them, feeding them and changing their litter. However my cats get upset around others and unhappy when I am gone, this combo tends to result in them hiding. And they are very very hood at hiding. Sometimes they will come yo treats, sometimes they will come out to see who is here. But even my good friends whom they are used to will seldom see them if I am out of the house.
These two are rescued barn cats I got as young kittens. And I mostly work from a home office and this house is the only home they have ever known from a very very. Young age, and before that they were mostly confined in a large caged area. So it is somewhat traumatic for them to be away from me for long periods and I don’t wish to make it worse by taking their known world away as well.

Thus my idea of using a camera to check on them when they are at the food or litter areas. And my wondering if anyone has done this and if so if they have any advice.

Hi Douglas,

I have 2 cats, a cat sitter, and SEVERAL cameras inside and outside. It's the BEST way to go. My sitter is totally cool with the cameras and uses some of her own at her house.

I highly recommend WYZE cameras. We used our system on a test run that was a weekend getaway. Worked like a charm. I set them up to view the kitties while eating, pooping, and sleeping. I also got two WiFi automatic dry food feeders to supplement in between cat sitter visits.

As an unintended consequence, it helped me feel that my home was safe when I could pop in and take a look. I can opt to get notifications on the app, of specific movement inside and out. We use the cams indoors and outdoors. They have a video doorbell so I knew the sitter came and went. I also know when the mail and Amazon delivers.

We are looking forward to using the cams again while in Europe in June. 😻

It is a matter of comfort. Having a worry in the back of you. Ind that your animals may be having a problem is not good for enjoying a trip. My recent trip had a day like that. My pet sitter had not seen one of the cats in 4 days (the whole trip to that point). I tracked down a friend to find her for me. As if she had gotten trapped while I was packing or leaving she would have been in serious trouble without food or water.

I was not hugely worried as I knew she hides from everything but me, but it was a minor concerN and I had to take time and call in a favor.

So using technology to minimize this seams logical to me

The technological option sounds like a good opportunity for piece of mind, douglas. I just hope neither kitty is camera shy!

No they LOVE cameras they just are not “people cats”. If the people are anybody but me.

There are a couple people the tolerate if I am in the room but if I am not around they hide from everyone. Probably because I live by myself and they have always lived with me. So they were used to my Dad (one of them was his) and me and for the past 2 years only to me.

So when animal sitters show up then generally hide.