Best Smart Pet Gadgets in 2026: Feeders, Cameras and GPS Trackers

Post #: 638Slug: best-smart-pet-gadgets-2026Pillar: Pet Care > Beginner Pet GuidesKeyword: best smart pet gadgets 2026Excerpt: Smart pet tech has matured fast in 2026. Here are the feeders, cameras and GPS trackers worth buying — and a few that aren't.Date: 2026-06-29

Smart Pet Tech Has Finally Got Good

A few years ago, most smart pet gadgets were gimmicks — expensive, unreliable, and solving problems that didn't really exist. That's changed. In 2026, automatic feeders, pet cameras, and GPS trackers have matured into genuinely useful tools, with better software, longer battery life, and price points that don't feel insane. The caveat: there's still a lot of mediocre product out there. These are the devices that consistently perform well based on real-user testing and current reviews — not sponsored placements.

Automatic Feeders: Which Ones Are Worth It?

An automatic feeder is the single most useful piece of pet tech for cats and dogs if you have an irregular schedule, travel occasionally, or just want your pet eating at consistent times. The Petlibro Granary Feeder is the one we'd actually recommend as a starting point. It costs around £60–£80 in the UK, holds up to 5 litres of dry food (about 3–4 weeks' worth for one cat), and connects to an app where you can schedule up to ten meals a day with precise portion control. It also lets you record voice messages that play at mealtime — useful for anxious pets who respond to your voice. Battery backup means a power cut won't cause a missed meal.

If you want an integrated camera — so you can watch your pet eat and confirm the feeder dispensed correctly — the Petlibro Granary Camera version adds a 1080p camera and runs about £90–£110. Worth the extra cost if you're regularly away from home. One thing to know: automatic feeders work well for dry food. Wet food requires a specific model — the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder (about £100) also prevents one pet eating another's food if you have multiple animals with different diets.

GPS Trackers: The Best Options

For dogs, the Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is the standout option. It provides live location updates every few seconds with no range limit, monitors activity levels, heart rate, and breathing patterns, and sends virtual fence alerts when your dog leaves a set area. Battery life is up to 14 days with basic tracking. It requires a monthly subscription (around £3–£5/month) for cellular connectivity — that's the trade-off, but it's what makes unlimited range possible. For cats, Tractive makes a smaller, lighter version with territory mapping showing where your cat typically roams. The main limitation is weight — for a cat under 4kg, confirm the tracker weighs under 30g. The Tractive Cat version is 25g.

Pet Cameras: What They Can Actually Do Now

The Furbo 360° camera automatically pans and tracks your dog around the room using AI motion detection, streams in 2K, and has a built-in treat dispenser. It costs about £150–£180. If you have a dog with separation anxiety who needs monitoring, it's a meaningful tool rather than a novelty. For more basic monitoring, the Eufy Pet Camera (around £50–£70) covers a fixed angle in 2K with decent two-way audio. For cats or dogs who mostly stay in one room, it's perfectly adequate. Note: treat dispensers only work well with small, hard training treats — large soft chews get stuck.

Smart Litter Boxes

The Litter-Robot 4 costs around £400–£500, which is genuinely expensive, but the litter savings and reduced daily effort add up with two or more cats. It also tracks each cat's usage frequency and can flag changes that might signal a urinary issue early. For one-cat households, it's harder to justify the cost — start with a Petlibro feeder first.

What Not to Buy

Skip cheap no-name automatic feeders under £30 — the dispensing mechanisms jam regularly. Skip automated laser toys for cats unless you supervise use actively — they can cause frustration and compulsive behaviour. And skip GPS trackers that use Bluetooth rather than cellular networks — their range is only about 30–60 metres, which is essentially useless if your pet actually goes missing. For more pet care advice, see the Pet Care section at eight2infinity.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a subscription for pet GPS trackers?

For devices that use cellular networks (unlimited range), yes — typically £3–£5/month. Bluetooth-only trackers don't require subscriptions but have very limited range.

Are automatic feeders safe to leave unsupervised?

Yes, with caveats. Choose a model with battery backup, stick to dry food only, and do a few test runs at home before relying on it while you're away.

Can a GPS tracker replace a microchip?

No — microchipping is a legal requirement for dogs in the UK and is the primary means of reuniting lost pets with owners. A GPS tracker is an additional safety layer, not a replacement.