PetChatz Review: More than a Pet Treat Cam

Well folks, here it is – our first 5 star review! Our original PetChatz review came in at a 4.5 due to the lower quality video. Anser Innovation answered our requests for HD by giving us two-way HD (low light) video and superior audio to call our pets from PC, mobile or tablet. The new PetChatz HD is currently ranked as our number one pet cam.
Anser Innovation brought a new pet cam to the market to top them all:  PetChatz. We consider PetChatz the luxury pet cam because of its elegant design and unique features. It’s also a bit pricier compared to other treat dispenser cameras, however PetChatz out performs just about all others with its new and innovative features.

Design & Unboxing

The PetChatz is packaged really nicely and gives that excited feeling of opening new electronic devices (or am I the only one?). A thick piece of foam protects the face of the camera from damage – as a result, everything in my box was in perfect shape. Moving into the design of the PetChatz camera, we give it an A. Everything from the looks, feel, and function of the camera really impresses us. The front of the camera almost resembles a tablet, and the flat wall-mounted design prevents dogs from chewing on it. Our only gripe with the PetChatz camera is the length of the power cord, which is about 8 inches long. Yeah… that short. The reason they designed it so short is because the wall-mounted installation method is intended to be placed right over an electrical outlet. However, PetChatz also includes hardware to install the camera right on a dog kennel or cage. As a result, this renders the short power cord useless without an extension cord.

Setup

The PetChatz setup is a little more involved compared to other pet cameras. However much of this is a result of the two-way video, which other pet cams do not have. Installation instructions are straight forward, but we’ll go through some of the basics.

We chose to do the wall mounted installation versus the kennel installation for this review. If you choose to do the same, you’ll need a screw driver or drill to screw the back panel onto the wall surrounding an electrical outlet (be sure to turn off power to the electrical outlet before drilling into the wall). Then just simply plug the PetChatz in, attach it to the wall, and turn it on. Finally, you will need to download the PetChatz app and follow the onscreen instructions to connect your PetChatz to your WiFi and finish the setup.

Features

PetChatz is loaded with unique features you won’t find in other pet cams. We’ll walk you through each of them – let’s start with the basics.

Video Quality

Thanks to the new HD PetChatz model, video quality matches (or beats) other pet cameras currently on the market. In fact, PetChatz exceeds other cameras because they have two-way HD – both on the unit (for your dog or cat to see) and the video from your phone, PC, or tablet.

Treat Dispenser

The PetChatz treat dispenser works a little differently compared to other pet cams on the market. For most cameras, the treats are loosely placed into a specified compartment. With the PetChatz camera, it is specifically designed to hold a cartridge of PetChatz treats upside down. Either way, it works just as well if not better. We tried using our own treats (even though PetChatz doesn’t recommend it) instead of what comes with the PetChatz and it worked fine as long as they’re of similar size. Our dog has food allergies so being able to use a specific kind of treats is necessary.

Surprisingly, the ingredients list on the dog treats is pretty small which suggests high quality. The container also mentions they are made in the United States and that they do not contain corn, wheat, soy, or any added by-products. Salmon treats were included with our camera, although chicken and liver are also available through their online store.

Calming Scents

This is definitely one of the most unique features of the camera, and one that we personally have not seen on the market. PetChatz website states the following: “Give them a “scentz of security” by dispensing a calming scent created specifically for PetChatz or create your own to give your pet a more personalized experience.” Our dog seemed interested in the smell and didn’t mind it, however I’m not positive if it will have any sort of positive effect. If you train your dog with different scents then this could be an excellent feature for you.

Smartphone & Web App

PetChatz is only available for iOS as of right now (Android app is in development), so you can only find it in the Apple app store. However, they also have a free web app you can use from your desktop/laptop. For this review, we used the web app. Simply go to PetChatz.com, log in, and add your device. Before you know it, you’ll have two-way video so your dog can see you (from your webcam) and you can see your dog.

If you experience sound issues right at the start (echos and a lot of crazy sounds), you will likely just need to turn down the volume in the settings from the app. Once we did that, it worked great.