Observe, Play, and monitor your pet’s health, all with one camera
Specs:
- 1080p HD
- 160-degree ultra wide-angle view
- 8x digital zoom
- Auto night vision
A Watchful Eye Over My Cats’ Habits
I should preface this review by admitting that I love my cats as if they were my flesh-and-blood children. Often, I treat them as such, so the thought of having a camera aimed directly at their living space, where they eat, sleep, and do all other things cats do, seemed intrusive.
Then, my fat beast of an orange, Jack T. Skellington, started to dismantle his water fountain when I wasn’t looking. I wanted to catch him in the act, and the Petcube Play 2 seemed like an ideal way to do so.
With a 1080p HD, wide-angle lens, the camera is great for watching over my boys. There is a bit of artifacting, likely due to compression and the wireless connection, but it’s as clear as it needs to be. I can see the necessary details, whether it’s the middle of the day or late at night.
Complete with a night vision mode and a built-in laser pointer, I can check in if I’m not home and engage them if they’re lazing about. However, while those features work quite well, the PetCube falls short in the one area I needed it for.
Before getting into what disappointed me most, it’s worth talking about the app, or the real brain of this system..
Petcube is Feature-Rich, Even If Some Don’t Work
With the camera setup, which is as easy as mounting it on a flat surface or on the wall using included hardware, and connected to WiFi, the Petcube app (iOS/Android) takes over as the star. Setup is easy, but the interface is a little intimidating.
Since you can connect multiple cameras and the app functions as more than just a camera viewfinder, there’s a bit of clicking before I get that bird’s-eye view of my cat room. A more direct route to the camera would be great, but it’s not a significant issue.
Through the app, I can easily talk to my boys, hear if they’re meowing, guide the red dot laser with my finger, or set it to move automatically. More skittish animals may be put off by the sound of the laser moving, as it’s surprisingly noisy.
These core components work more or less as I expected, though the microphone is far clearer and louder than I anticipated. The big issue comes with the Motion Zones.
Unreliable Motion Alerts
Petcube’s Motion Zones allow you to customize an alert for a designated area in view. For my camera, I selected a sizable box around the water fountain, hoping I’d finally catch the rascal in the act.
On top of only being able to set one Motion Zone, which seems like an oversight, it’s also rather unreliable. I’ll receive an alert, but when I review the associated clip, no one ever entered that section of the room. I’ve scoured footage and zoomed in to see if something else would be triggering it, like a light from a nearby window, but I’ve found no cause.
It’s a shame, because the camera has no problems delivering the other alerts I’ve set. For example, Petcube’s “Care Events” sends a mobile notification if a cat is heard meowing. The moment my skinny mocha, Ichabod J. Crane, lets out his signature howls, my phone dings, even if he’s not in view of the camera. Alternatively, I disabled human detection, so I won’t trigger the camera whenever I stop in to play or feed them.
Though my purpose for the Petcube was to entrap my mischievous orange, the Motion Zone alerts can serve a more practical purpose for caring pet parents. If the feature is working properly, that is. Worried about whether your kitten is having issues in the litter box? Then you could set a Motion Zone to notify you whenever they’re in proximity of their bathroom. Unfortunately, if these alerts don’t work, you may be missing crucial data to assess the health of your feline.
There is a Care Event for bathroom functions, but I don’t have a view of their litter box to gauge whether these work. They’re modest creatures, after all.
All-in-One Petcare
The Care Events and Motion Zones play into one of Petcube’s primary purposes, and that’s keeping an eye on your pet’s overall health. Along with controlling the camera, storing videos in a cloud, and producing daily diaries of your animal’s most active moments, it also serves as a Telehealth for pets.
The app comes with an AI chat feature, which works more like an encyclopedia. Ask a question, and you’ll receive a block of information with no follow-up questions or information. I expected it to be more like ChatGPT, which asks for more information to try to give the best answer. However, that’s not a mark against Petcube. Don’t use ChatGPT (or any AI) to manage your pet’s health.
Vet Care At Your Fingertips
If you’re a premium subscriber ($143.88/year or $16.99/month), you can ask a vet directly. I was skeptical, but when I inquired about some gentle plaque buildup on Jack’s teeth, the vet provided product recommendations, an assessment based on photos, and the reassurance that the $250 treatment my regular vet suggested was unnecessary.
It can be difficult to trust a faceless doctor, but when I inquired about the credentials of Petcube’s vets, I was assured that they were all licensed and underwent a review process. The best part of my interaction was that I never felt like I was being upsold. Product recommendations were through Amazon and other retailers, and no one tried to sell me on any additional services or gadgets.
To help assess your pet’s health, the app asks questions about each animal. From weight to urinary habits, it’s a detailed summary, though it’s entirely contingent on your honesty. This isn’t where you want to try to look like the perfect pet parent. I don’t like to admit that I let my boys get very slightly overweight, but it’s necessary if I ever really need a virtual vet’s input.
With that said, don’t rely on a remote vet to diagnose serious symptoms. They’re good for advice here and there, but the service won’t replace your traditional vet.
Do You Need It?
If you’re just a neurotic pet parent, the Play 2 may be a little overkill. Petcube has a whole line of cameras that record and allow access to Care Events, like the Cam 360, which offers 360 degrees of coverage with a rotating and tilting camera. The Play 2 is a smart upgrade if you want to add more interactivity to your pet’s life.
Save for a few issues with the Motion Zones and video compression through the app, it has been a great intersection for a cat dad who wants to watch over his boys and keep them active, even if I’m across the country.
The $100 price tag isn’t a big barrier to entry, though it may turn away some, as pet cameras are available in all price ranges. The Premium subscription service is a tough pill to swallow and will be too costly for many. Thankfully, there is an Optimal subscription for $47.88/year or $7.49/month that still provides three days of video history, smart alerts, the Daily Diary, and 30-second video clips.
The Play 2’s core audience may be a little more niche than a more upfront camera, like the Cam 360. However, it has its merits for those who don’t mind spending a little more for additional features like the laser pointer.
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