Cat Cam Devices And Cat Sitters

[sophie1]

I travel frequently on business, with trips usually in the 3-7 day range. My cats crave human interaction, which twice daily cat sitter visits won't entirely satisfy. So I am thinking of getting one of those pet cameras with two way audio, treat dispensers and built in laser toy so I can interact with them while I'm away.

First, does anyone have recommendations for a good device? Second, I was wondering about legal implications of video surveillance with a cat sitter? I don't intend to save the videos, but my understanding is that recording/filming anyone without their knowledge, even passively, could be illegal. At the very least, it might not be well regarded by the sitter. But, it would be nice to see what the sitter is doing, even though that's not really the purpose here.

 

[happilyretired]

Years ago when I had my first cat, I thought it would be a good idea to call home when I was away so that the cat could hear my voice on the machine (to supplement the sitter). My vet told me that was a very bad idea because if the cat heard my voice but I wasn't present, it would be very disturbing for the poor cat.

You might want to find a reliable sitter who interacts well with the cat. For example, one of my cats was very human bonded and wanted me with him practically 24/7 (fortunately I was retired at the time), so when I traveled, I had a
'live in' sitter who slept in the house.

The problem you may have is that when I was working and had to travel, I went through about 4 different sitters who didn't even do what was promised. For example, a couple of times I got an earlier flight home and found that the litter box was disgusting and obviously hadn't been cleaned at all--the sitter was clearly planning to do it only just before I returned.

 

[prairiepanda]

If you aim your surveillance cameras at the floor, at food dishes, at the litter box etc. then it would be less invasive towards the sitter while still giving you a good view of how well the cat is being cared for. I would definitely tell the sitter about the cameras, though, and demonstrate that the angle of the cameras is non-invasive.

 

[huxleysmom]

I have a petcube. Originally I got it to interact with him while away and to be able to check up on him while I travel (I have always told the people visiting him or staying at my house that I do have this camera so as to not be intrusive). I have mixed reviews about it.
1) The laser does not work well and very often is out of whack, plus Huxley does not seem very interested even when it works properly.
2) Hearing my voice freaks him out and each time I have tried to talk to him, Huxley leaves the room within a minute.
3) Of the three people who have taken care of him while I was away, 2 ended up covering the camera while they were there so I could not see him at all, which defeated the purpose. Only my friend who just comes and visits him is not bothered by it, the 2 women who moved in the apt either unplugged the camera, or covered it with a towel. I know for sure as the last woman forgot to plug the camera back!
The only reason I like it really is that it enables me to check on Huxley's eating. He has health issues and sometimes will go through phases when he doesn't eat well so it gives me peace of mind that I can check.

 

[sophie1]

Thanks Huxleysmom!

I was wondering how much a petcube-like product would help, as smell is more important to cats than sound.

I tried a new sitter on the last out of town trip who was highly recommended by a neighbor. The sitter I usually call is a lovely elderly woman with a rather colorful past who doesn't own a phone, gets confused about how to handle food, and is way overgenerous with treats leaving messes all over the apartment. But, she loves cats and spends a lot of time with them. I always come home to happy and relaxed cats. With this last sitter, they were almost frantic when I got home, spent hours yowling at me as if to tell me "Don't you dare do that again!" and wouldn't let me out of their sight. I guess they've told me their preference!