Working Pet Parents Can Keep an Eye on Pets More Easily with Mobile Apps and Various Home Security Options
In addition to home security for you and your family, your pet’s safety is also important, particularly when you’re not at home. Security site SafeWise explains why pet safety risks increase when you’re away.
“When you’re not home for short periods of time there is a risk something catastrophic could happen to your beloved pets. Your pet could get trapped in your home if it were to catch fire, get into hazardous material that may harm its health, or even become tangled in cords or wires around the home. Having constant monitoring while you’re out, in the form of home security, enables you to keep your peace of mind and get down to work.”
You have many options to help keep your pets safe and secure when you’re away from home.
1. INSTALL SECURITY CAMERAS AROUND YOUR HOME.
Having home security cameras in place throughout your home provides you constant surveillance over what your pet is doing while you’re at work, down the street, or traveling many of these devices connect to a mobile app so you can monitor your pet on the go, and others come with a two-way talking feature so you can say hello or talk to your pet sitter.
2. CONSIDER INVESTING IN A MONITORED HOME SECURITY SYSTEM.
A home security system—particularly one that detects fire, smoke, carbon monoxide, or intruders in your home—helps protect your pet as much as it helps protect you. While you’re away from home, a monitored home security system, like ADT monitoring or Vivint, ensures that first responders arrive at your home more quickly to prevent any harm to your pet while she is kept in the house. To find a system that will work for you, read reviews and get important questions answered so that you can learn whether or not security monitoring is for you.
If all-encompassing security monitoring isn’t your first choice, systems like Dropcam, a security camera you connect to with your computer or smartphone, and Smartthings, an app that allows you to control and monitor home automation, can give you peace of mind as well.
3. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT TO KEEP YOUR HOME AT A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE FOR YOUR PET.
During certain times of the year, particularly extreme winters and summers, the temperature in your home can rise or drop to be uncomfortable and unsafe for your pet. Ensure her safety and comfort with a thermostat adjusted to the right temperature or an automatic thermostat, such as Nest, that adjusts at the times of day you set it to.
4. FIND A RESPONSIBLE AND TRUSTWORTHY PET SITTER.
While you’re at work or traveling, consider hiring a pet sitter to walk your dog, change out the litter box, refill food and water bowls, and most importantly, ensure she is safe. But when it comes to your pet, be sure that this pet sitter is trustworthy and responsible enough to come when he is supposed to or else risk your pet not having food or water, unable to go to the bathroom, or in an unsafe situation.
5. GET A PET GPS DEVICE.
Does your pet often try to escape from your home or backyard? Whether it’s to roam around or find their owners, pets may try to escape and can get lost somewhere in the area. To ensure your pet stays safe and you can find her easily, attach a GPS to your pet’s collar to help you find her. If your pet leaves the designated area, you receive alerts so you can take care of the situation as soon as possible.
With these precautions in place, you won’t have to worry about your pet’s security, even while you aren’t home to take care of them.
