Best budget pet cameras for two floors

Two cameras, two floors, one budget — totally doable, and honestly a smart way to set things up. Pet cameras range from basic motion-activated models to ones with two-way audio and treat dispensers, and the right pick really depends on what you actually want from them. To point you in the right direction: is this for cats, dogs, or both, what's the main reason you want to keep an eye on them, and are you after something simple or do you want to be able to interact while you're out?

That makes perfect sense. Before I suggest anything — how old is she, and does she tend to roam freely between both floors or do you gate her off sometimes? And is she anxious when you leave, or more the curious, mischievous type?

Perfect — she sounds like she just needs supervision rather than reassurance, so you don't need treat dispensers or two-way audio unless you want them. For your setup I'd go with two TP-Link Tapo C200 cameras. They're around £20–£25 each on Amazon UK, so you're getting both for well under £60. They do 360-degree pan and tilt, so you can position one downstairs covering the main living area and one upstairs, and remotely swing the view around to find her. Motion alerts, night vision, and a live app feed are all included. The app handles multiple cameras in one place, which makes checking in really easy. It's not glamorous, but it's genuinely reliable and exactly what you need for a calm three-year-old Spaniel who's just having a nosy around the house.

Everything core is free — live view, motion alerts, and manual checking in are all included with no subscription. You can store footage locally on a microSD card (sold separately, but cheap) or use Tapo Care cloud storage if you want recordings kept automatically, but that's optional and you'd only pay if you decide you want it. For just checking in on your dog, you won't need to spend a penny beyond the cameras themselves.