Wednesday, January 11, 2012

pet cam

On my recent Thanksgiving trip away from home, I have made reference to my Pet Camera. I thought I might tell you more about this fun little device.

I have the Panasonic BL-C131A Network Camera. It is supposed to work wirelessly, which is one of the big reasons I bought this particular model, but I haven't had much luck getting the wireless option to work consistently. Being wired means I am more restricted on where I can place it. If I had a wireless one, I could keep better tabs on Oliver as he roams his yard, which would be fun or set it down on the floor and watch the cats from their level!

The camera has a lot of rich features that actually do work. When viewing the camera remotely, you can pan and tilt the camera in any direction. If you're viewing the camera from a PC then you can also listen to the sounds in the room on a built in microphone and use the digital zoom.

When logged in remotely to the camera, this is what you see:


The camera has a built in motion detector. I currently have the camera configured to send pictures over to my Flickr account when it detects motion. It will also text my phone letting me know that motion has been detected. I can either look at the pictures on Flickr or access the camera through the internet anywhere I am and see what's going on in my home. The software can handle up to four cameras, maybe someday when I win the lottery, I can get some more. I think it would be fun to have some cameras outside, so I can watch Oliver and his family in the yard and to have one in the Dining Hall to watch them eat!

Here are a few images that were captured by the camera over the Thanksgiving holiday and sent to my Flickr account. I tuned in often to see what my kitties were up to.

Willow and Nahum looking out the window. Probably watching Oliver.

Rose, Nahum, Willow and Theo. Can you find them all?

Rose and Nahum window watching.

Rose walking and Buddy enjoying the fire warmed ottoman.

Nahum, Willow, Rose and Buddy.

It's always hard for me to leave my kitties to travel. With the pet camera, I can feel a little closer to them as I spy on what they are up to. In some ways seeing them adds to the pain of not being with them. The cat sitter doesn't feed the cats at the same time we do, so I got to watch Theo stress out for several hours as he wondered if he would ever get food again. Seeing Theo suffer like that and being 3000 miles away is not easy. In the end, seeing them gives me more comfort than distress.

The camera also functions as a security device. When the druggies break into the house to steal my valuables, I'll have their pictures stored in my Flickr account.

I purchased my camera used from Craigslist for a great deal. It is a fun toy, but it's worth the $278 that it currently sells for on Amazon.

4 comments:

  1. I have a cam too, for watching fosters. Unfortunately I don't have a static IP so after a short time the cam stops working and until I figure out which IP address to use it is off line. Not that finding that out is that big of a deal but I rarely remember to do it.

    Actually, now that I mention it, I could probably get that taken care of today..

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  2. I would love a camera to watch my cats, especially the fosters when I get them. But most of all I would love a tracker so I can see where in the neighbourhood my cats are especially when they are not back!

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  3. Guys !!!! Your dad spy on YOU !!!!!
    Be Alert !!!!!!!!

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