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Smart Home Automations for Pets

How Google Home Can Help Make Pet Care Easier

Golden retriever sitting and smiling Golden retriever sitting and smiling

Find out how Google Home can help you brighten up your pet’s day

Google Home is here to help you take care of your home and everyone in it. And the good news is, that includes your pets.

We can help you build the smart home your pets deserve and ensure that they can reap all the benefits of a fully integrated, connected home.

How do I go about it?

Google Home’s automation capabilities let you dream up ways to make your life – and your pets’ lives – easier and more fun at home.¹

It’s easy to set up automations in the Google Home app. If you’re looking for something more advanced, the script editor on Google Home for web allows for even more customization.

Here’s a selection of our favorite automations for pets that you can create in the Home app or using the script editor.

Key takeaways

Google Home isn’t just for the humans in your house

We've curated 7 automations to help make your pets' lives better at home

Let us know your favorites - or your own ideas - on the Nest Community forum

5 min read

Brighten up the end of the day

Help ease pet anxiety

Automatically turn on the lights at sunset.

If you’re held up getting home, the last thing you want to think about is your pet sitting alone in an empty, dark house. Why not brighten up the end of their day by setting the living room and bedroom lights to come on as the sun sets?¹

This automated lighting to ease anxiety means your pet will know it’s not long until you’re back on the sofa for play time - and maybe a treat or two.

Shop Smart Bulbs

Sunset Lighting

  • When the sun sets

    At sunset · Everyday

  • Living room lights

    Turn on

    Bedroom light

    Turn on

Help me script

Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

Turn on the living room and bedroom lights at sunset if nobody is home

    Get back to nature

    Mirror your pet’s natural environment

    Set up the lighting in your pet lizard’s tank to help keep them happy during the day and sleepy at night.

    One thing that keeps pet lizards happy is when the lighting in their tank matches what they would experience in nature. When it's daylight, they need brightness. When it's nighttime, they like the lights low.

    You can help keep your pet lizard happy by setting a smart plug (connected to their tank’s basking lights) to turn on at sunrise and turn off at sunset.¹ This way their waking hours will be happier - and their sleeping pattern will be improved.

    Shop Smart Plugs

    Daytime Lighting

    • When the sun rises

      At sunrise · Everyday

    • Basking Lights

      Turn on

      Night light

      Turn off

    Nighttime Lighting

    • When the sun sets

      At sunset - Everyday

    • Basking lights

      Turn off

      Night light

      Turn on

    Help me script

    Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

    At sunrise, turn off the night lights and turn on the basking lights. At sunset, turn off the basking lights and turn on the night light.

      Keep them cozy while saving energy

      Warm up your pet’s bed

      When no one’s home, you can save energy and keep your pet cozy by turning on a warming pad.

      During the colder weather, we want our heating to be as efficient as possible - especially when no one's home. But we also want our pets to be warm.

      One way to accomplish both is with a Home/Away routine that sets your thermostat to Eco mode and turns on a smart plug connected to your pet’s warming pad when the last person leaves home.¹ This way you’ll save energy, but there will always be somewhere warm for your pet to snooze.

      Shop Smart Plugs

      Pet Bed Warmer

      • When everyone's away

        Use presence detection

      • Thermostat

        Set to Eco mode

        Kitty warming pad

        Turn on smart plug

      Help me script

      Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

      When everyone leaves the house, set the thermostat to Eco mode and turn on the kitty warming pad.

        Light the way (but not too brightly)

        Help your pet on adventures

        Use your Nest cam to turn on dimmed lights in hallways or rooms at night.

        Our cats and dogs often go exploring in the house at night, whether to get some water or check out a strange noise.

        Set up an automation that sets the lights to 20% when your hallway Nest cam recognizes your pet.¹ That way they can head off on their nighttime adventure – without disturbing the rest of the household.

        Shop Nest Cameras

        Nighttime Adventure Lighting

        • Camera detects your pet

          Seen in Hallway

        • If the hallway lights are off

          Between 11pm - 5am

        • Turn on hallway lights

          Set brightness to 20%

        Help me script

        Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

        When the hallway camera sees my pet between 11 pm and 5 am, set the hallway light to 20% brightness if it’s turned off.

          Sound the alarm

          Keep your pet bird safe

          Send a custom notification if your pet bird flies the nest.

          We all know how much fun it is for our pet birds to fly freely around the house. But we don’t always want this to happen when we’re not around.

          To help with this, you can put a contact sensor on your pet bird’s cage door.¹ If the door opens, you’ll then receive a custom alert meaning you can dash home and attend to the situation and help keep your bird safe.²

          Shop Smart Sensors

          Cage Door Open

          • Contact sensor is on "open"

            Attached to cage door

          • When everyone is away

            Using presence detection

          • Send custom notification

            "Here we go again"

          Help me script

          Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

          If the birdcage contact sensor opens while nobody is home, send me a notification letting me know.

            Give them a televisual treat

            Keep your pet entertained

            Turn on a pet-friendly TV show when your pet’s home alone.

            If the household has all gone out for the day and there’s no one to keep your pet company, why not brighten up their day by turning on a pet-friendly TV show when they’re in the living room?

            You can set up an automation so that the Chromecast³ will turn on if the camera detects your pet while the Home is set to “Away”.¹ This way you can keep your pet entertained even when you’re away.

            Shop Chromecast

            Pet TV Time

            • Camera detects your pet

              Seen in Living Room

            • When everyone is away

              Using presence detection

            • Turn on Chromecast

              Living Room TV

              Play YouTube

              Play squirrel videos for dogs on YouTube

            Help me script

            Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

            The first time you see my dog in the living room while nobody is home, turn on Chromecast and play squirrel videos on YouTube.

              Ring the dinner bell

              Don’t forget to feed your pet

              Send a custom notification if your pet’s food container hasn’t been opened by dinner time.

              Much as we love our pets, there are times when we simply can’t remember if we fed them or not. This automation means that you’ll never forget to feed your pet again.

              Simply put a contact sensor on your pet’s food container.¹ You can then set it up to send a notification if the container hasn’t been opened by dinner time.² This way you’ll be reminded to feed your pet - no matter how busy you are.

              Shop Smart Sensors

              Dinner Time Reminder

              • Contact sensor in unopened state

                Attached to food container or drawer

              • During set time range

                From 6-7pm

              • Send custom notification

                “King Felix hasn’t had dinner yet”

              Help me script

              Try entering this prompt into the script editor’s “Help me script” panel:

              If the food drawer contact sensor hasn’t opened by 7 pm, send me a notification saying “King Felix hasn’t had his dinner yet”

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