Pet care while away
Keeping a dog, cat, small mammal, or reptile safely inside a temperature range while you’re out — possibly for a full day or several days. A tighter comfort range plus, ideally, a redundant setup.
Who it’s for
Section titled “Who it’s for”- People who leave a pet at home while at work (cats, dogs, small mammals)
- Short business trips or vacations (1–several days)
- Reptiles, amphibians, or other species where falling outside a specific temperature band is life-threatening
- Days when the pet’s room needs to be held at a different temperature from where you’re working
Thinking about the range
Section titled “Thinking about the range”Safe temperature bands vary by species. The numbers below are rough guidance only — defer to a veterinarian and species-specific references.
| Animal | Approximate guideline |
|---|---|
| Cats | 20°C – 28°C (short vs long-haired changes this somewhat) |
| Dogs (medium) | 18°C – 26°C (breed and age matter a lot) |
| Small mammals (rabbits, hamsters, etc.) | 18°C – 24°C (heat-stroke risk is high) |
| Reptiles / amphibians | Species-specific (consult specialised references) |
| Fish | Use a tank heater / chiller, not the room AC |
unawair’s comfort range supports 18°C – 30°C in 0.5°C steps with a minimum 1.5°C gap — see Comfort range.
Recommended setup
Section titled “Recommended setup”What you need
Section titled “What you need”| Recommended | |
|---|---|
| Hubs | SwitchBot Hub 2 + Nature Remo mini 2 — both registered (strongly recommended) |
| AC | IR-remote controllable |
| Subscription | Solo (one room) or Pro (multiple rooms) |
Why redundancy
Section titled “Why redundancy”When a pet’s safety is involved, you want to minimise the impact of vendor API outages and IR delivery glitches. Registering the same AC under both SwitchBot and Nature Remo lets unawair (with “Rotate” control mode) alternate target each tick and fail over automatically when one side fails.
For the exact setting, see “Control mode” on Create an area.
Multiple thermometers
Section titled “Multiple thermometers”Binding two or more thermometers to the area, in the “Indoor” role, reduces the risk of “no reading” when one thermometer dies. It also evens out hot/cold spots near vents, windows, and direct sunlight.
Pre-departure checklist
Section titled “Pre-departure checklist”Before you leave, confirm:
- Auto apply toggle is ON on the area
- Subscription status is active or trialing
- One Manual run test confirms the AC actually responds
- Hub power LEDs are on and Wi-Fi connectivity looks healthy
- Thermometer battery levels (for battery-powered meters)
- Forecast for the absence period — extreme heat / cold days may need a tighter range
Limits and caveats
Section titled “Limits and caveats”- Power or Wi-Fi outage: unawair depends on the device-side cloud connection. Control stops when either is down.
- AC hardware failure: unawair only sends IR commands. It can’t detect compressor or sensor failures inside the AC.
- 10-minute tick: a rapid outdoor weather swing can briefly push room temperature outside the range before unawair reacts.
- Multi-day absences: any of the above is more likely the longer you’re away. Always combine with a human-side check — alerting cameras, pet sitter visits, or a neighbour with a key.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- Create an area — multi-thermometer binding and Rotate control mode
- Comfort range — set species-safe bounds in 0.5°C steps
- AC is not responding — diagnostic path if the pre-departure check fails