A budget Band-Aid for separation anxiety

Treat-flinging pet cameras have an obvious appeal on the human side of things. It’s a way to keep an eye on our pets — and potentially keep them company — when we have to leave them home alone.

But there’s another deciding factor regarding whether your home could benefit from a fancy interactive pet camera: Will your pet give a shit about it?

Mid-pandemic is a great time to figure that out. After a year (or two? IDK what time is) of avoiding public outings, pets who had the privilege of having their parents home 24/7 will expectedly be confused when things change. The popular “On this episode of ‘I raised a kitten in quarantine and now I have a cat with separation anxiety” sound on TikTok makes it clear that tons of folks are now figuring out how to comfort a lonely pet.

Between working from home permanently and avoiding plans like a true Taurus, my kitten Sansa has never experienced regularly being home alone. Even as she goes from a pitiful, wobbly little baby to an independent six-month-old baddie, as a very attached first-time pet parent, I still can’t bear the thought of leaving her by herself.

For times when it’s not worthwhile to have someone from Rover drop by, I wanted a more reciprocal and higher-quality camera than the cheap one I had been using. The Petcube Bites 2 Lite felt like a natural upgrade. I tested it both at my own apartment with Sansa and at my parents’ house with two older cats who are used to keeping themselves busy.

The Lite version of the Petcube has most of the same functionality as the regular Petcube Bites 2, minus the laser. It’s also made out of plastic rather than aluminum. But the Lite 2 goes for over $100 less than the Bites 2 and around $80 less than the Petcube Play, which ditches treats for a laser.

Setting up the Petcube

The Petcube can be positioned wherever your pet is likely to hang out, like near their food or their favorite couch. There needs to be an outlet nearby, but the cord is pretty long. The rectangular device is just under 11 inches tall and very slim, and overall compact. It can sit on essentially any flat surface or be mounted on a wall.

The plastic exterior didn’t make the Lite Petcube look any less modern. In fact, its subtle color scheme and minimalist build feel exceedingly sophisticated compared to the Furbo’s curvy shape.

Syncing the Petcube to your phone consists of scanning a QR code and connecting to your home’s WiFi. This took less than five minutes.

I tried the Petcube on my kitchen counter as well as my TV stand.
Credit: leah stodart/mashable

Setup is broken down through simple instructions on the app, with a blinking light that changes colors to show whether the device is in setup mode, having trouble connecting to the internet, etc. Be sure to allow push notifications to take advantage of the motion sensor.

Getting used to the Petcube

*Most* pets love to hear our voices. They definitely love to get treats. But whether they’d recognize and resonate with that voice or that treat coming through an inanimate box is another story.

I think it’s natural for pets to be like “WTF” for the first few days with the Petcube. But of the Lite 2’s two interactive features, the two-way microphone and the treat dispenser, they seemed to loosen up to the latter much faster.

My parents’ cat’s reaction to hearing my voice through the speaker (though I was just at the opposite end of the house) was… staring. I tried to not get too disappointed when they didn’t pop up when I called to them while we were all actually away. I still appreciated the potential to comfort them with the baby voice that they definitely don’t hate. Dogs, who are probably dying to hear you, may be more psyched.

The cats were more startled when the treat dispenser was gearing up, which I’ll agree, is jarring even if you know it’s coming. It’s a printer jam-like clatter that does not sound like a device that’s working (rest assured, it is). During my testing, I let the device run on a recurring schedule while I was sitting at home. I jumped every day when it suddenly started whirring. Skittish pets may not get used to it, but chill pets could quickly associate the sound with snack time. (We love a literal Pavlov’s Dog situation.) Multiple Amazon reviewers mention that their cats and dogs wait diligently by the Petcube.

Remote treat time feels kind of crucial now

The treat dispenser can be customized to the treat routine that your pet is used to. Just pop off the lid, fill the canister, and use the app to set how often and how many to toss. This is handy for animals who are left alone during the same times every day. But manual treat tossing is amusing on both ends, and a way to improvise during random popouts. Flipping the camera to full screen brings up the option to swipe up on a little AR bone, mimicking the tossing of treats.

The 160-degree camera is wide enough to capture Sansa’s cat tree on one end of the room and food in another.
Credit: leah stodart/mashable

Ideally, if your pet is in the room, you’re able to watch them munch in real-time. I only got to experience this once, but it was weirdly calming to watch Sansa enjoy a bit of action during an otherwise lonely day. Multiple times during at-home testing, she heard the treat dispenser and ran out from wherever to hunt them down.

But it doesn’t really matter if your pet is watching. If they are, fun! Snatching a treat from the air or chasing it across the floor could be a fun stimulation substitute before going back to waiting for you to come home. If they aren’t in the room, it’s still nice to know that a little surprise is waiting for them when they wander out.

If your pet knows when it’s time to snack, a treat schedule could help to keep that comforting structure intact amidst a hectic schedule. Some reviewers said that the Petcube has helped them keep up a reward system with their pets, who responded to an audible “No!” when caught being naughty on camera.

I use standard treats from Temptations and Blue Buffalo, but the device can handle smaller or larger ones by inserting one of the extra limiter pieces. The app should also let you know when to refill the treats, though mine was stuck on saying “no treats” when there were definitely some left.

Treat flinging is occasionally chaotic, plus no laser (but we knew that)

Petcube had to ditch the laser to make the device “lite” and more affordable. Judge it on the features that you paid for. If your main goal in buying a pet camera is to play while you’re away, definitely upgrade to a non-Lite model with a laser that you can direct with your finger.

Given that the treat tosser is the Bites 2 Lite’s main selling point, I felt like it should have been more consistent. Despite toggling two treats per hour and “close” as the distance on the app, my Lite often hurls like seven treats 15 feet across the room. I suppose it’s actually a bonus if your pet is super alert and likes to jump and chase. Plus, it was funny.

But the treat tosser going haywire is less funny when they’re flung so far out of normal treat range — past where your pet knows to look for treats — that they just end up under the couch.

Playback of your pet’s shenanigans throughout the day requires a $5.99/month subscription to Petcube Cares. It’s annoying that the Petcube is only a true 24/7 monitor if you pay extra, but a yearly subscription is less than the difference between the price of Petcube’s other cameras. I’m considering it to see how the hell Sansa always manages to drop little presents outside of her litter box.

Is the Petcube Bites 2 Lite worth it?

If you have a pet who lives for treat time, I don’t see a reason to not try the Lite Petcube. The less-than-$100 investment could give you both some peace of mind when you leave.

The Petcube Bites 2 Lite is also more fun, more involved upgrade from a dinky, bare-bones security camera you may be using to watch from afar. The wide-angle 1080p HD camera and night vision allow you to monitor the room in impressive clarity, the two-way microphone is helpful (if your pet hears it), and the treat dispenser gives your pet something to look forward to while they’re bored. Skip it if you know that your pet would definitely be into a laser, but try it if you want to dabble with a pet camera without spending a lot.

Next idea: A pet camera that can remotely toss crinkle balls.