We suggest that you weigh the pros and cons of all methods suggested in these blogs carefully. Each case is different and has very different parameters. Please especially consider the benefits and drawbacks of using traps and lure techniques. Here are a few words of caution about using lure techniques from a Pet Detective who does NOT suggest putting out feeding stations. Following those comments is reply from a person who is searching for their lost cat (the same or similar arguments apply when searching for a lost dog.) Both are well thought out arguments. We side with the reply from the person searching for their cat. Take the information and make your own decision.
From Pet Detective:
"Despite what some professionals will tell you, leaving food out to attract your lost kitty (or dog) and leaving it unattended with a stealth camera is very dangerous, as it not only attracts coyotes, fishers, raccoons, aggressive cats, rats, dogs and a host of other predators. It creates a habitat that other critters, which are established in the area, will fight to defend. This could result in your cat (or dog) getting diseased, killed, beaten and chased farther away from home.
Let's take the raccoon as an example: This is the most common non-target animal that is attracted to the kitty buffet. (Or any pet food left outside.) Raccoons are known carriers of rabies, canine and feline distemper, listeriosis, encephalitis, trypanosomiasis, histoplasmosis, coccidiosis, toxoplasmosis, tularemia, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, roundworms, and mange. They are also infested with fleas, ticks, lice and mites which are known transmitters of disease. Children and pets are particularly at risk. They can also carry Aleutians disease which is a virus that affects other fur-bearing animals including cats. Currently there is no treatment or prevention for this disease. Therefore you are putting your cat (or dog) at risk by using the buffet and allowing your cat (or dog) to eat and drink off of the same plate as other animals.
This idea (kitty buffet) was originally used to manage feral cat colonies as one could set up a camera and see if there were cats that were missed during a TNR (trap neuter and release) program. The problem is that there is a huge difference between feeding a well established feral colony that has always depended on human handouts, and the sudden introduction of food to any habitat, causing aggression and the spread of disease, this is true either in rural or urban areas. Cat and other predator activity change dramatically during the night when nocturnal predators walk through our yards unbeknownst to us. PLEASE for the sake of your lost kitty or dog, DO NOT use the Kitty Buffet or feeding stations. The only food that should be left out must be in a live humane trap. That way you can clean the trap, change the food and protect your beloved little fellow."
Now a word from the owner:
"This is good information and thank you for passing it along. The feeding station was well-thought out and the risks weighed out before the onset. I would much rather chance disease, fleas, etc., than to leave my cat to fend for himself in this hostile environment by lessening his odds for rescue without the feeding station. The afflictions you cite are possible even without a feeding station. I worried about cats and raccoon's eating from common dishes until I realized there is zero food left after a raccoon visit. The raccoon eats it all, and there is nothing left for other critters afterwards! It's tiring to go re-load the food, but it gets done diligently here."
Both make very compelling arguments. We hope that you take them both into consideration as well with all the pros and cons mentioned in previous blogs before making any final decisions while searching for your beloved lost pets.
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