This is a specific conversation about Pet cameras — watching them when you're away — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Keeping a dog and rabbit safely separated when you're not home is genuinely important — one moment of access can go very badly. Pet cameras range from basic motion-activated models to ones with two-way audio and treat dispensing, and the right choice really depends on what you need to do with it. For your situation, is the goal to simply check that the rabbit's area is secure, monitor the dog's behaviour, or both? And do you want alerts if something looks wrong, or just the ability to check in when you feel like it?
Both really. I want to be able to check the rabbit's room is still closed and keep an eye on the dog in the main living area. Alerts would be great if the dog is doing something he shouldn't — like trying to get into the rabbit's room.
inparticular.ai
That makes sense — you're essentially watching two zones at once. Before I point you in the right direction, tell me a bit about the dog. What breed and size, and how determined is he around the rabbit? Is this more about peace of mind, or has he actually managed to get through a door before?
He's a medium-sized Beagle. He hasn't broken through yet but he absolutely would given the chance — he scratches at the door and clearly knows the rabbit is in there. I'm away from home for about four hours at a time.
inparticular.ai
Right, so a determined sniffer with a strong prey drive and a clear target — that's exactly the kind of situation where you want proper visibility, not just an occasional glance. I'd recommend picking up two TP-Link Tapo C200 cameras, one for each room. They pan and tilt, so you get good coverage of a whole room rather than a fixed angle, and they have motion detection with phone alerts, so you'd get a notification if the dog starts working that door. The two-way audio means you can speak to him through the camera if he's scratching — a lot of Beagles respond to that and it can interrupt the behaviour. They're about £25–30 each, work through a simple app, and the footage is reliable enough that you'd genuinely be able to tell whether the door is still shut and what the dog is doing. No subscription needed for basic alerts and live view.
That sounds really practical. Would one camera cover both rooms or do I definitely need two?
inparticular.ai
You'd want two. The whole point is being able to check both areas independently — if you only have one and it's on the dog, you can't confirm the rabbit's door is still closed, and vice versa. At £25–30 per camera it's a small price for the peace of mind. Set one up pointing toward the door the dog fixates on, and one inside the rabbit's room so you can see the door from the other side and confirm the rabbit is calm and secure. Two cameras, one app, and you can switch between views instantly.
Perfect, that actually makes a lot of sense. I'll go with two of those.
inparticular.ai
Good call. Once they're set up, tune the motion sensitivity so you're not getting alerts every time a curtain moves, but do keep it sensitive enough to catch the dog approaching the door. The Tapo app lets you adjust zones too, so you can set it to only alert on movement in the area around that specific door rather than the whole room. Should give you exactly the visibility you need.
