We got a cat recently and will need to leave her at home for a few days at a time (with a cat sitter coming by, of course). I wanted to get an indoor camera to watch her while we are gone to make sure she’s okay.

So I ended up purchasing a Reolink E1 Zoom. Our place isn’t very large, so it should be able to cover most of the 2 main rooms she spends most of her time in.

I also don’t care too much about notifications, either. I’d mostly like to be able to open the app and see her every once in a while.

So basically: one single camera, only used in certain situations, need to access it remotely to check on a pet.

My question is;

What’s the easiest/cheapest way to get this camera set up securely?

I’ve seen people buying extra hardware or software, but that always seems to be people with multiple cameras. We will only have the one.

I’ve also seen mentions of VPNs and other networking terminology, but most of the conversation has been between people with much more advanced understandings of the subject matter than I have. I can follow directions, especially if they are clear/step by step, but it’s been hard to find that basic/101 content.

Is it worth my time (and maybe money) to make sure these cameras can’t connect to the internet, while still being able to be accessed remotely? And if so , how do I do that?

Thanks in advance!