October 13, 2008 “Mr Lee” became the internet’s most popular feline when his owner attached a matchbook camera to his collar in order to document the secret life of a cat. Now pet owners can buy their own Mr Lee CatCam to see what their furry friend gets up to when humans aren’t around.
The CatCam system includes a modified digital camera with an in-built controller. It requires only a battery to be operational and is configured to capture a still photo every couple of minutes. The camera comes with protective housing which is attachable to your pet’s collar so that images are taken from the cat’s perspective. The shots are saved to an SD flash memory card (purchased separately) for you to review at your leisure.
The CatCam Plus is essentially the same product, but with a larger batter capacity for extended recording time.
The CatCam retails or USD$58 and is available to order from the Mr Lee website. Alternatively, a CatCam DIY kit can be purchased for $31.
The Mr Lee range of products also includes CatTrack, a satellite based GPS tracking system that can be used to find out where your cat has been and there is also a concept called CatCam Live under development. This aims to go a step further by allowing you to watch the action in real time on your PC or TV using wireless broadband transmissions.