Pet Tech Roundup: CNET Pet Owners Found the Best Products

Why I like it: A dedicated pet cam comes with features beyond the typical home security camera — more aimed at watching over your pets when you’re away from home. Those extra features can sometimes get pricey, but this Petcube 360-degree panning cam is one of my favorite choices that mixes affordability with a strong suite of capabilities.

This 1080p camera is compact and can go nearly anywhere, with an 8x digital zoom and 30-foot night vision. Plus, when placed in a central location, you can use it to see in any direction, no matter where your pet has decided to rest or what it’s currently chewing on. If you want to talk to your pet, the two-way audio is there to help out. If you want privacy, the camera can physically shutter.

For best performance, I highly recommend picking up the $4 month Petcube Care subscription, which is where this cam really starts to stand out from a standard indoor camera. Then it can provide AI descriptive alerts about pets barking and moving around, notifications if another human is detected and cloud video storage for saving your clips.

If a subscription is an absolute deal-breaker for you, I recommend something like a gen 2 or gen 3 Google Nest camera, which provides basic object recognition and several hours of cloud video storage at no extra cost.  

Who is this for: Pet owners who want to keep an eye on their pets when they’re away and don’t have any current solutions.

Who shouldn’t buy it: People who really want to avoid paying a subscription fee. Pet owners who already have security cameras that can keep an eye on their pets.

–Tyler Lacoma

Why I like it: For those who want more tech included on their pet cams, I came away very impressed with Furbo’s 360-degree camera. Technically, there are two versions, one for dogs and one for cats, but the cat version only adds a little toy attachment at the top. Both models include two-way audio and a treat-tossing feature to interact with your pet even when you’re away (as long as it doesn’t interfere with their diet).

However, my favorite feature is Furbo’s very fun activity and object detection, which attempts to identify what a pet is doing, so it sends you descriptive alerts. It doesn’t always get it right and can occasionally be hilarious, like thinking a robot vacuum is a pet, but it’s still fun and useful. The alerts can give you an idea if your pet has jumped up on a no-no couch, for example.

A Furbo Nanny subscription is required to use this camera and all its smart features, starting at $7 per month with discounts when purchasing an entire year, so be prepared for some ongoing expenses for all these tricks.

Who is this for: Pet owners who want advanced descriptions of what their pet is doing at home and the ability to occasionally toss a treat.

Who shouldn’t buy it: People who are avoiding monthly subscriptions or already have security cameras they can use. Plus, treats probably aren’t the best option for pets on a diet. Some folks also get nervous about having algorithms analyze their in-home footage.

–Tyler Lacoma

Why I like it: Smart pet collars are one of my favorite additions to a pet-loving household (as long as your pet doesn’t have a problem with them). While my colleagues have chosen some excellent models for dogs, I like this particular Petcube smart collar attachment for our feline friends.

Why? Because in addition to its location tracking capabilities, this collar also has LED lights that let it glow in the dark, ideal for tracking cats that may have disappeared into the night or underneath porches and need to be found sooner rather than later. It’s also thoroughly waterproof, can fit on most average-sized collars, and has a battery that can last up to 30 days.

When I talked to Dr. Abel Gonzalez, clinical director and veterinarian at pet telehealth platform Dutch, he told me smart collars like these are more useful than ever. “Smart collars have come a long way – they’re no longer just GPS trackers, they’re health trackers,” he said. “They can monitor heart rate, temperature, and even changes in activity or sleep that might flag early illness, pain, or anxiety. That’s especially useful when holiday travel or visitors throw routines off.”

Petcube’s app can provide useful features like safe zones where the collar won’t give alerts and geofencing your pet with minimal effort. You can even track step counts for burning calories if your little buddy needs to lose some weight. However, the full GPS features do require a $5 monthly fee.

Note: I also tested and liked the Tractive collar for cats, which has a similar design and offers more complete health and activity testing, ideal for those who want to keep an eye on health issues cats may have. However, its subscription is more expensive, and Tractive prefers at least one-year contracts, so I preferred Petcube’s more affordable approach for similar results.

Who is this for: Cat owners who have lost their cats in the dark one too many times and want to keep an eye on them permanently.

Who shouldn’t buy it: Pet owners who aren’t comfortable paying GPS fees, cats who won’t stand anything slightly bulky on their collars.

–Tyler Lacoma

Why we like it: Keeping track of your pet is the most important step to keeping them safe. That’s why we love the Tractive Dog 6 GPS tracker, which provides accurate tracking and an array of fun features. The GPS tracker, which also doubles as a health monitor, uses a combination of satellites, cellular networks and Bluetooth to track location, and it can also provide insights into your dog’s health, water and food intake and habits. It’s also available at an approachable price of $79, plus a monthly subscription.  

Who should get it: Because this tracker is available in two sizes, it is ideal for a range of dogs. The Dog 6 is made for dogs weighing over 9 pounds, while the Dog 6 XL is best suited for dogs above 44 pounds. It’s also available in three colors: black, brown and mint. 

Tractive lists the range as unlimited, which means no matter how far you are from your dog, you’ll still be able to track their location and take a peek at their health insights. We also appreciate that the tracker has a light and sound that can be turned on via the app if needed. 

Who should avoid it: The Tractive Dog 6 is not ideal for dogs under 9 pounds, and a monthly subscription is mandatory in order for it to work, so keep in mind the budget, and if your dog is extra tiny, we have another pick for you instead.

–Corin Cesaric-Epple

Why I like it: Similar to Tractive, the Fi Series 43 dog collar uses a combination of GPS, LTE cellular network, WiFi and Bluetooth to track your dog’s location.

The Fi sports many of the same features as the Tractive, including health and activity monitoring with suggested targets based on breed and age. 

One key difference and big boon for the Fi collar is its industry-leading battery length — up to three months on one charge, though the battery lifespan varies depending on how often the dog leaves Wi-Fi zones and uses cellular/GPS tracking.

The Fi also comes in five sizes, with options better suited to petite dogs under 15 pounds. The Fi mini weighs just 16g, making it light enough for cats and my 11-pound terrier, Freddie. These collars are also made to withstand 500 pounds of resistance, so they aren’t going to break too easily if you choose a large model for a big, active dog.

The device and subscription are priced at $189 total for one year or $339 for two years. Month-to-month memberships are $19 per month. That high price nets you tracking for eating, drinking, barking, scratching and licking as well as GPS locations.

Who this is for: People with smaller dogs who don’t mind paying for a full membership.

Who shouldn’t buy it: People adverse to steep subscription fees and pet owners who would rather focus on the Tractive collar for big, outdoor-active dogs. If these prices are too much, well, the Petcube pick for a smart cat collar should be able to fit most small dogs as well.

–David Watsky

Why I like it: Wireless pet fountains are already a useful, high-tech solution for pets that need to drink more, especially if they’re picky about their water sources and like fresh, moving water rather than standing water in bowls. The battery-charging design of fountains like Petcube’s means you can put it wherever your cat feels most comfortable drinking.

But then Petcube went a step further and added motion sensing and app support for this 1.7-liter fountain, so it saves battery by only turning on when there’s motion nearby and allows you to control functions with your phone. In my testing, I found the motion sensing a little wonky, but the design of the fountain was incredible, featuring a nearly noiseless bubbling spout and high-quality materials. Frankly, it looked delicious.

Dr. Abel Gonzalez noted that you don’t want to go too hands-off for these useful fountains. “Water fountains encourage hydration, especially for cats. Just remember: they’re tools, not substitutes for supervision. Technology keeps you consistent, but you still need to keep connection.”

I also liked other smart cat fountains that I tested, particularly the Petlibro wireless fountain, but it lacked the high-quality materials and simple design of the Petcube model, which also made Petcube’s fountain far easier to clean — a win in almost every direction. If your cat struggles with drinking enough water, like mine does, see if they’ll warm up to a smart fountain like this.

Who is this for: Cat owners who need a compact fountain to encourage them to drink moving water, without a lot of noise.

Who shouldn’t buy it: Pet owners with pets that already have healthy drinking habits, and owners with dogs that need a larger bowl.

–Tyler Lacoma

Why I like it: This bubbling water bowl filters your pet’s water and has a large 1.8-gallon capacity, so you’ll need to refill it less often. A low-water alert light lets you know when it’s time to refill. 

The quiet fountain bubbles gently to encourage hydration, and the stainless-steel bowl is dishwasher safe. Unlike fountain models, which are generally designed for finicky cats, this bubbler is large and designed for even big dogs. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of an app-connected model, it does offer valuable tricks like an adjustable nozzle to prevent splashing noises and a five-layer filtration system.

Who this is for: People with larger, thirsty dogs who need to drink plenty of water and could use a large bowl with monitoring features.

Who shouldn’t buy it: One downside is that the water bowl requires electricity to operate, so a cord must run from the bowl to the wall — not ideal for puppies prone to chewing cords. It also doesn’t have any remote app controls.

–David Watsky

Why I like it: As I explored smart pet feeders, I struggled to find one that wouldn’t heap extra servings into a bowl when my cat hadn’t finished eating what was there in the first place. But PawSync’s secret weapon is a built-in scale with three major benefits: precise portion control, food intake tracking and the ability to skip a scheduled meal if enough food remains.

When setting up the PawSync, you’ll need to calibrate the scale based on the food you’re using. You start by finding the Calorie Content on your pet food’s nutritional label, usually on the side or back. After filling the feeder tank, PawSync measures out a few servings to determine the serving size it can provide. While it varies based on the food I’m using, PawSync dispenses as little as 9 grams per portion.

Because PawSync can track how much food is in the bowl better than a pet cam, it can skip meals — hence my extra feedings to account for times when he eats 4 grams of food just after a skipped feeding time. It can also dispense fewer portions or spread out multiple portions in a single feeding, but my single-portion meals don’t really work with those features.

One of my favorite PawSync app features is the feeder tank indicator, which tells you roughly how long until your next refill. Refilling the Wi-Fi pet feeder is easy, although it took me a few times to realize I can just reset the fill meter instead of recalibrating the whole thing. I also like that the PawSync app lets you know when to clean the feeder and change the desiccant. But it would be nice to toggle these on and off or adjust their timing.

Who is this for: In my experience, an automatic pet feeder isn’t about making it easier for me. Instead, it’s a way to give my cat the food he wants most without worrying if he can keep it down. While it has a side effect of simplifying the work for my pet sitter while I’m out of town or enabling spontaneous overnight trips — that’s more of a bonus.

Who shouldn’t get it: Although PawSync works for cats and small dogs, it supports only 4mm- to 15mm-sized kibble, which is smaller than an American dime. (The manual has a ruler to help you check.) This means it’s not as suitable for large kibble typically eaten by large dog breeds. It’s also a bit more expensive than similar feeders.

–John Carlsen

Why I like it: As someone who has had pets their whole life, I’m constantly trying to make caring for them convenient. I’ve tried multiple automatic feeders over the years, but all were for dry food (kibble). When my cat was diagnosed with diabetes, I switched her to an all-wet food diet, and suddenly, automating her feeding schedule wasn’t as easy.

Naturally, I was excited to try out this wet food feeder that promises to keep your pet’s food fresh and cold for up to 3 days. I appreciate how quiet and intuitive it is — the device itself runs and opens quietly and smoothly, and the app lets you customize the feeding schedule down to the minute. You can also select how long you want the feeder open. Pia, my cat, took to it quickly and gets excited when the bell rings to alert her that food has been served. I’ve found that it’s made our feeding routine much more manageable, especially on days I get home late.

Dr. Abel Gonzalez also had recommendations for feeders like this. “Automatic feeders can be a lifesaver if used correctly. They keep meal timing consistent, which helps pets prone to stress or stomach upset,” he told us. “Just make sure the device feels familiar before you leave for long hours, so it’s a comfort, not a new stressor.”

Who is this for: This wet food feeder is perfect for pet owners who feed their pet wet food, but aren’t always at home to ensure consistency. If you feed your pet wet food, you know all too well the smell that comes from letting it sit out too long, and some cats won’t even eat it if it’s not fresh (mine certainly won’t) — the Polar Wet Food Feeder solves for that. The cooling system ensures your pet’s food stays cool and fresh, even when you’re not home.

For an alternative feeder from the same brand, the Petlibro Air Automatic Feeder ($44) isn’t as feature-rich as some of the higher-end models from the brand, but its size makes it perfect for travel or road trips with small pets. It’s lightweight and reliable enough to keep Pia on her normal feeding schedule. It’s not my everyday feeder, but it’s a solid backup for short trips or secondary spaces like a guest room.

Who shouldn’t buy it: If your pet only eats dry kibble or you need to feed multiple pets, this feeder isn’t the best option since the plates are designed for a single serving. The feeder also needs to be connected to an outlet and Wi-Fi at all times. If you live in an area prone to long power outages, you may risk skipping a feeding. The feeder does have a 12-hour backup battery.

–Nasha Addarich Martinez 

Why I like: Anyone who lives with a cat knows the struggle of keeping their floors litter-free. I used to sweep my floors at least once a day to prevent scattering litter all over my apartment floors. The Shark Matrix has made that a non-issue — I have it scheduled to run daily cleanings in the evenings while I’m at the gym, and when I get back home, I have clean floors. I’ve had robot vacuums before, but not a self-emptying one, and this type of technology is a game-changer. Instead of emptying out the vacuum each time it cleans, I only have to empty the base every couple of weeks. This vacuum also offers LiDAR mapping, which basically scans your home and makes a map of it on the app. This helps the vacuum ensure that it covers all the areas in your home. It’s also one of the quietest robot vacuums I’ve tested. So much so that I’ve had it on during work meetings, and my coworkers claim to not hear it in the background (and also doesn’t startle Pia, my cat).

Who this is for: This robot vacuum is ideal for cat or small-pet owners who have to constantly sweep to keep litter and pet hair off the floor. If your floors are a mix of hardwood and low-pile rugs, this vacuum will work well for you. It is also a great investment for people who work long hours and want to automate cleanings remotely.

Who shouldn’t buy this: If you live in a large, multi-level home or have long-haired dogs that shed a lot, you might need a higher capacity model or even multiple docks for each level. My kitchen is around 2 inches higher than the rest of my floor plan, and this robot cannot climb that high. But it had no problem going into my room, which is around a half an inch higher than my foyer and living room.

–Nasha Addarich Martinez 

Why I like it: If you’re a cat owner — or a pet owner in general — you’re probably familiar with their ability to make a mess of your carpets. Between hairballs, dirty paws from the litter box and vomiting from eating too fast, my cats have steadily turned the cream-colored, low-pile carpet in my bedroom into a sad shade of gray. There’s only so much even a full-size carpet cleaner and generous amounts of stain remover can do to rescue a stained carpet.

Despite its small size, the StainForce portable spot cleaner worked like magic at removing the worst cat stains from my carpets. It even worked on old, dried-up stains that I’d given up trying to lift. It’s not only earned a spot in my home, but my wife also can’t imagine living without it.

The Shark StainForce itself is an interesting device. It’s a mix of a wet-dry vacuum, portable cordless vacuum and spot cleaner. The body reminds me a bit of an old-timey flintlock pistol, with a handle, a waste tank that holds wet and dry messes and a nozzle at the front that handles suction and stain removal.

Who is this for: This spot cleaner is the ideal choice for pet owners, particularly cat owners and dog owners. It’s designed to be small and portable, ideal for quick mess cleanups and smaller homes, but can tackle a wide range of fabric materials and works especially well on stains.

Who shouldn’t buy it: There are a few caveats to the StainForce. The battery life isn’t very long, and it’s not really meant for continuous use over a large area. For that, you’ll want a more dedicated spot cleaner, such as the one that comes with the Eufy E28 robot vacuum or a dedicated carpet cleaner, like one of the many we recommend across a range of prices.

You’ll also need to do some basic maintenance to keep the StainForce running smoothly. Because the tank holds both solid and liquid waste, you don’t want to let debris sit and fester.

–Ajay Kumar

Why I like it: This compact, rechargeable flashlight can do everything, including a floodlight, spotlight, and moonlight mode with multiple brightness settings reaching up to 1,700 lumens. But pet owners will find the effective UV mode to be especially useful around the house. I tested it myself on cat hairballs and other spills, and it easily identifies biological spots and stains even when you thought you had everything cleaned up. That makes it a great tool to use in conjunction with one of our vacuums or other cleaning methods. 

There’s also a green laser pointer that could technically be used as a cat toy, although I know some pet owners prefer not to use them. 

Who is this for: Anyone willing to spend over $100 on a flashlight that can do everything, including spot invisible pet misses and make sure you’re getting rid of every stain. It can also double as a cat toy thanks to the laser pointer. 

Who shouldn’t buy it: Pet owners who prefer to save money and don’t want a UV light to find pet messes. 

–Tyler Lacoma

Why I like it: The Litter-Robot 5 proved to be quite easy to set up and use. After unboxing it and filling it with cat litter up to the fill line (I recommend Boxie Cat Pro), it was a simple matter of entering information about each of my three cats. I have one senior cat that weighs 15 pounds, a fluffy middle-aged 14-pounder, and a young, spry two-year-old that weighs around nine pounds. I was able to get two out of the three boys to use the litter box; the fluffy one never quite got comfortable with it, but he’s always been the shyer and more skittish one, so I expect he’ll use it in a few months after the newness has worn off. 

One thing worth noting is that the step up to the globe seemed a little high for my senior cat, but I added a step stool for him, and he didn’t have any issues using it after that. 

The Litter-Robot identified each cat by its weight, reporting how long it used the facilities and how much waste it left behind. There’s a display on top that will tell you this at a glance, too. You can also set it up to automatically cycle after a set interval after the visit, in addition to the manual option. By default, it’s around five minutes, but I changed it to around 30 minutes to reduce the risk of spooking the cats. The app also shows you the history of the usage, how full the waste bin and litter level are and will tell you when the filter needs to be changed or the waste bin emptied, taking the guesswork out of things. 

Currently, the app doesn’t support the Waste ID feature, which provides health monitoring, but it appears that this feature is forthcoming. If you opt for the Litter-Robot 5 Pro model, it’ll come with a camera that uses AI for visual identification. However, personally, I’m fine with not having a camera in my office or living room. 

There were a few issues with the app, such as occasional Wi-Fi disconnects and the robot cycling the waste for no apparent reason, but these were minor bugs in the grand scheme of things and did not interfere with my cat’s usage. 

The biggest selling point for me is how much time it gave back to my nightly routine. Normally me my wife and I have to scoop around three litter boxes each night, and with three cats, all of them get heavy use. According to the Whisker app, I’ve saved around 63 scoops as of this writing, and that sounds about right to me. If you’re tired of scooping and wasting litter, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

Who is this for: The Litter-Robot 5 is Whisker’s new smart cat litter box, offering significant upgrades over previous models that make it a great option for cat owners with multiple cats. Notably, I never noticed a significant mess stuck to the top of the globe, which was a common user complaint in previous generations. 

Who shouldn’t buy it: If you only have one cat, the Litter-Robot 5 might be overkill. Whisker offers a more affordable model, the Litter-Robot Evo, specifically designed for households with one or two cats. It’ll cost you $599 compared with the $799 Litter-Robot 5. The Litter-Robot 4, which we previously tested and liked, is also still on the market at a discount for $649. There are also many rival companies that offer smart litter boxes, but I haven’t tested them. I urge you to be cautious with unfamiliar brands that have a fully closing litter box, as these have been known to cause harm to cats.  

–Ajay Kumar

Why I like it: If you’re looking for a high-tech treat for your pets that does a little of everything and don’t mind paying for it, I’ve never found anything quite like the PetKit Eversweet Ultra fountain. This is a fountain and AI camera combination, and both parts are some of the most advanced and capable I’ve tested. The large fountain doesn’t recirculate water the same way other fountains do, using a two-tank solution instead and tons of smarts to keep water fresh, notify you about cleanings and more.

The fountain even lets you schedule mandatory water tray refreshing, or allows you to set a specific temperature for the water if your pet is annoyed by especially cold water, etc. In all, it’s incredibly versatile and holds enough water for multiple pets. 

On the camera side, I found the cam clear and appreciated its low angle, which captures all nearby pet activity but won’t see much above human knees. The camera can alert you when it sees a pet near the fountain, and can tell the difference between spotting a pet and seeing a pet actually take a drink, which is useful for tracking hydration. A subscription plan allows you to keep a running log of pet visits and other tricks, but it’s not entirely necessary here. There’s even two-way audio to talk or listen to pets.

Who is this for: Pet owners who like the idea of a smart pet fountain and a smart camera, and don’t mind paying well over $200 to get a highly capable combo device. It’s also excellent if you need to manage your pet’s hydration more closely and want the best tech to help.

Who shouldn’t buy it: This fountain is large, so it will take up more room than traditional picks. It’s not for those sticking to a low budget, and you will need to pay a $4 subscription for extra AI features, although I don’t think that’s entirely necessary. The app can do so many things, it may take a little time to fully master, too

–Tyler Lacoma

Why I like it: As a smart home and home security expert, I chose the Enabot Ebo Air 2 to test whether the modestly priced device could transcend its robotic novelty and compete with traditional security cameras. Its emphasis on playful features might undermine its security potential or make it particularly appealing to pet owners. 

On the front of the spherical robot is a camera with a 137-degree field of view and 2K video resolution, which is common among contemporary security cameras. The low camera angle is exceptional if you have pets. You’ll also find a list of eye presets. Most presets feature different eye shapes, such as happiness and surprise, which add a nice dose of fun for people using this robot to play with pets and children.

Shortly after the Ebo Air 2 launched, Enabot released the Ebo Air 2 Plus for $400, double that of the $200 base model. It upgrades every aspect of the Air 2. For example, the eyes are now full-color screens, it’s more maneuverable, it has a better camera, and it includes a full suite of AI features — an assistant, tracking and advanced patrolling.

I might test the Ebo Air 2 Plus down the road, but my impression is that existing fans of Ebo robots will enjoy the massive upgrades. Still, the regular Ebo Air 2 is a better fit for new customers and still has a laser pointer for playing with pets — though I couldn’t get my cat to notice it.

Beyond that, the app is handy for play sessions with plenty of presets for movement, sound effects and expressions. You can also use two-way voice to talk to your pet. Likewise, I found the settings menus to be relatively easy to navigate. However, check the Product Encyclopedia on the app’s Discovery tab to learn about each feature — the printed manual is only helpful for setup.

I love that it comes with a 32GB microSD card, which is plenty of storage for most people. It supports up to 256GB if you want to go on a recording spree. There’s no cloud storage, so your videos are private and easy to back up on your computer.

Who is this for: Pet owners who want to track their pet around the home, especially cats that respond to laser pointers in a healthy way.

Who shouldn’t buy it: People with lots of carpet. Hard floors provide the best control and stability, while high-pile carpet and the edges of rugs aren’t as great. For example, driving the Ebo Air 2 around on high-pile carpet leads to a somewhat unstable video image. Your pet’s response to add-ons like the laser pointer may also vary.

–John Carlsen