Suggestions for good video camera to watch fosters?

vervainandrue

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I am SO sorry if this belongs in another thread, but I figured the only people who would buy cameras to watch cats remotely would be fosters who have double digit cats to keep an eye on.

Does anyone have any recommendations for video cameras to use to monitor cats, on a laptop and a phone (i.e. basically a baby monitor)? I've had a Foscam for a few years and that worked pretty well, but it's broken. The setup on the network was so arduous I dread buying another one. PetCubes are cute but they sit on the ground, and I want a camera I can put high up and survey the room. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks!
 

moxiewild

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We use Netvue -

Amazon.com : Dog Camera - 1080P Dog Camera with Phone App, Pan/Tilt/Zoom Home Camera with 2-Way Audio, AI Human Detection, Night Vision, Cloud Storage/TF Card, Compatible with Alexa, Camera for Pets/Baby : Camera & Photo

We use them for fosters, our Ferals (under covering like the garage and porches), and for our regular kitties when we go out of town.

We tried several other ones in a slightly higher price range before Netvue so we weren’t expecting much, but we ended up liking it much better. The audio (as in, trying to speak with the camera, not the recording itself) is the only unreliable part we’ve found.

Be sure to get a cord protector so they don’t chew it if necessary!
 

susanm9006

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Wyze cams are inexpensive. Around $35 On Amazon including an SD card and they give both live and event recording. I have had one at home for several years and now we have a second so we can watch my 91 year old mom at her home.
 

CatladyJan

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We bought OSX for security in general, we use the extra one to watch the kittens
 

Tobermory

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I’ve used Nest cams for years. They’re pricey, but I’ve been really glad I have them. Like susanm9006 susanm9006 , I originally got them to make sure my elderly mom was safe in her apartment because I lived 2,000 miles away (and I saw her on the kitchen floor and was able to call for help). After she died, I set them up in my house. Here are the images from the one I have in the “cats’” bathroom. I have it set to notify me with an email when it “sees” movement. It records three hours of movement without cost. More than that and you need a subscription.

Here’s what the app shows:
A9F37A37-6030-4B19-B07F-E6A0EEDE5C04.jpeg
And here are two different email notifications, one during the day and one at night.
0D5F9BAC-AAD1-4EE7-BA8F-894F62842880.jpeg
62517EDA-0176-4F75-B094-B0E867434A5B.jpeg
 

daftcat75

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I have a mess of D-link cameras. I like them. But it can be a little confusing to setup the notifications and the cloud recording. They aren't the cheapest out there, but they aren't terribly expensive either.

D-Link: Security Cameras

I have an 8525LH. It's the pan-tilt-zoom one. This can be mounted and you can even invert the image if you ceiling mounted it so you don't have to flip your phone to watch it.

In addition to the PTZ, I have several of the salt shaker cameras 8000LH. They are about the same size and shape as a salt shaker. I use 3M Command Strips, the velcro ones, to attach those wherever they are needed. One is attached to the side of the litterbox enclosure, one is underneath the bookcase, a favorite resting/sleeping spot for Krista, and several others around the home to cover blind spots.

Just a point of distinction, you want a wifi camera, not a baby monitor. A baby monitor can't be viewed from outside the home and usually not from any device other than the included viewing screen. This is a feature as you don't want strangers on the internet hacking your baby monitor. Wifi cameras usually have a cloud interface so you can view them from your phone on any network, not just within your home.
 

Amanda923

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I have blink cameras for outside to watch the ferals and they work great. I use the wyze cameras in the house. I think they both work well - I don't have the motion sensors up for the wyze cameras but i like the quality for live view. The blink isn't super great for just watching the cats but i really like it for the video recordings so I can see who ventured out and how long they ate etc.
 
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vervainandrue

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We use Netvue -

Amazon.com : Dog Camera - 1080P Dog Camera with Phone App, Pan/Tilt/Zoom Home Camera with 2-Way Audio, AI Human Detection, Night Vision, Cloud Storage/TF Card, Compatible with Alexa, Camera for Pets/Baby : Camera & Photo

We use them for fosters, our Ferals (under covering like the garage and porches), and for our regular kitties when we go out of town.

We tried several other ones in a slightly higher price range before Netvue so we weren’t expecting much, but we ended up liking it much better. The audio (as in, trying to speak with the camera, not the recording itself) is the only unreliable part we’ve found.

Be sure to get a cord protector so they don’t chew it if necessary!
I'm so grateful for so many informed replies! I really appreciate it.

I just want to clarify a couple of things; one, if i don't want to have recordings saved, can I get away with not paying for a subscription to anything? All I want is to be able to use the camera app on my laptop and my iPhone. Nothing fancier than that. And do you remember how hard it was to set up? It took me weeks to set up my Foscam, and I'm not a computer idiot by any means.
 

daftcat75

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I can tell you the d-link cameras you don’t have to subscribe to anything to view them from your phone. But I still haven’t found anyway to watch the camera streams from my laptop. And I am a stubborn computer geek.
 

Amanda923

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The blink doesn't require a subscription either. I have an app on my phone. I can see the videos and it's super easy to delete the ones I don't want and if there's one I want to keep, very easy too. I don't think the wyze does either but I wouldn't have bought it (also app on my phone ). But I don't have video recording set up.
 

Sean35

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Finally something I can contribute!

I have a couple of Nest Outdoor cams and a Nest Hello (doorbell). They catch most of my property, so I can see when my feral Stalker is coming and going. The video quality is good, but the AI is hit or miss. If you don't have Nest Aware Plus, you only get alerts, and Nest Aware you only get clips that the AI has detected of motion, sound, people, etc. The cameras sometimes don't notice her coming. It doesn't matter in my case since I have Aware Plus (which saves recordings 24/7 for ten days, and AI-detected events for 60). Note you need a fast internet connection to really get use out of Nest, as everything is processed on the fly though Google's servers before you see it, and each camera can use something like 40-300 GB/month.

Infrared is decent, but not perfect. I attached two pictures of my backyard -- one with the motion sensing light (mine, not Best's) on, and the other without. In the corner, left of the air conditioner is the shelter than Stalker has yet to discover. She doesn't go back there too often, but when she is back there and she hasn't tripped the light, I can only tell where she if she is looking towards the garage and I see two eyeballs looking like something out of a cartoon.

Unfortunately the outdoor camera and the doorbell camera can't see the entirety of my front porch, so to fill the gap, I started using a Reolink Argus Eco, which is completely wire-free (other than when needing charged). It was inadequate for home security, but is perfect for alerting me when she is waiting for food.

Sample video of her showing up an hour early for breakfast

Since it is battery powered, it only records video (direct to SD card) when it either detects motion or I set it to manually. It is also incompatible with any third party programs (BlueIris, etc.), so you are limited to using the Reolink smartphone or Windows app. Since my front light is very bright, it doesn't ever go in night mode, but I attached two pictures, both with night mode on, but one of them the front light on the house is off. Infrared is fairly weak.

The Reolink came in handy during my one attempt at TNR, which was unsuccessful (not this cat, she's already fixed), as I could monitor from a distance. Since it also has the option to play a siren (either manually, or when it detects motion), it was useful for scaring away any cats or raccoons that I didn't want entering. On the downside, at night, the infrared lights stay off until motion is detected. Cats don't normally seem to be bothered by the lights (and why would they, it's like 5 laser pointers at once!), but I have noticed that if they suddenly turn on when the cat is already unsure of entering, it can unfortunately be a deterrent.
 

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