Even though four of my friends also have cats, I have some how wound up with the ‘Crazy Cat person’ title, maybe because I refer to my two as fur-babies; they have a fancy cat fountain and the cattery they stay at costs more than our monthly rent! When the Pawbo+ arrived, I felt I might as well live up to the title and install it.

The Pawbo+ is an 720p HD live video stream that connects to your phone via an app, allowing you to view and interact with your pet whilst you are away from home. It has a 130° wide-angle lens to get as much of your room in view as possible, with a 4x digital zoom that allows you to double-check that fuzzy black sausage sticking out from behind your curtain…is in fact your cat. On the off chance you spy your cats doing something ‘unusual’ whilst you are away (watching Jeremy Kyle or ordering catnip off the dark web for example), you can take a video recording or photo and instantly share it on social media. Initially I was worried that as the Pawbo+ only covers one room, I wouldn’t see both cats as they often sleep in different rooms. However the inbuilt two-way microphone means I can whistle (this is how I call them for dinner and treats) and they will both run into the room, and any cat can quickly be trained to come as the Pawbo+ lets you release treats for them.

As mentioned: the microphone is two-way, so you can hear your fluffies hissing at the neighbour’s cat or chirping at the birds. The Pawbo+ also has a built-in laser pen that can either be controlled automatically or manually to make sure your kitty is getting enough exercise. For once the companion app ‘PawboLife’ was easy to sync up and simple to use! You can add up to eight different users simultaneously, so partners, parents, children - the whole family - can check in on the hairiest family members.

I LOVE the Pawbo+ I found myself logging on to it more than Facebook! There are two little additions I would like to see on the next model: a night-vision camera so you can see them without leaving all your lights on, and a larger treat dispenser. You can fit in three ‘Dreamies’ into each compartment and there are only nine compartments - you can cut them up but that gets messy quickly. However, it is still a brilliant product in its current form and works really well. If you get a pang of guilt every time you leave the house then this could definitely help ease the pain.  RRP £149

5 out of 5

Buy now

Pros

Live stream onto your phone

Two-way microphone

Treat dispenser

Capture photos and videos

Allows up to 8 users

Built-in lazy toy

Easy to install

Good connectivity

Cons

None