Using Feeding Stations to Find Lost Indoor Cats
A feeding station is essentially any time that you leave out food for your lost cat. For an escaped indoor cat, feeding stations may be used:
- To determine that your cat is in a given location.
- To attract your cat back home or to a location where you plan to try trapping.
- To condition your cat to eat at a given location before setting a humane trap.
- To provide food for your cat.
- Feeding stations should always be monitored with some sort of surveillance. If you don't know what you're feeding, you could be attracting predators or other cats.
- Give your cat at least 2 days and up to a week to come home on their own before putting out food. Instead use a humane trap or house trap (see Trapping).
- A feeding station with surveillance camera is a good way to verify potential sightings before trying trapping.
Know the Risks of Feeding Stations
There is a lot of disagreement among pet detectives over the use of feeding stations to find a lost cat. Before putting out food, make sure you know the potential risks.
Cons to Feeding Stations
Pros to Feeding Stations
Although there is only one Pro versus several Cons, that Pro is very important. Cats can develop serious health conditions from not eating. However, never assume your cat is dead because you can't find them and they haven't shown up at a trap or feeding station. In over a decade of finding lost cats, I have seen many cats survive weeks or even months lost outside. Some cats do lose a significant amount of weight while others are in relatively good health once caught.
Feeding Station Guidelines
When to Set Up a Feeding Station
Don't put out any food for at least the first 2-3 days after your cat goes missing UNLESS in a humane cat trap or house trap. In the first few days that they are missing, an escaped indoor cat is often more interested in either hiding or getting back inside the house then in eating. Give your cat a chance to return home without the risk of attracting other cats or wildlife that might scare them away.
Cats can develop serious health problems from not eating, especially overweight cats. If you decide to put out food immediately, don't put it right at the likely location of escape UNLESS you are monitoring it with a camera. You don't want other cats or wildlife being attracted to the food and preventing your cat from coming home. Instead place the food at least 20 feet away from the likely point of escape. Alternatively, place the food near another entrance to your home, the garage, porch or shed.
Once your cat has been missing at least 3-5 days, then a feeding station is more important. Your cat needs to find food somewhere or they may leave the area. However, if you live in an area with lots of predators or other cats, you may want to wait a week to give your cat longer to return home. Most indoor cats return home during nights 4 through 7 after they get outside.
Try a feeding station on your own property for a minimum of two weeks unless you are attracting predators. Some indoor cats don't return home for several weeks or even months. You might consider keeping a feeding station on your own property for up to 4-6 weeks.
How to Set Up a Feeding Station
Always place food in bowls or on plates. Don't put out piles of food or sprinkle food trails. If placing out a large amount of food, put down a towel or piece of cardboard to contain all the food. When you later move feeding stations or switch to trapping, you don't want old food or food odors in prior locations.
What Food to Use
The best foods to use is ones that your cat really likes. Smelly food like tuna, sardines or jack mackerel are good options because the strong odor will travel farther. However, if your cat doesn't like fish, then use their favorite wet cat food. Likewise, if your cat doesn't like wet food, then use their favorite dry food and/or treats.
To increase the odor of dry food, you can add bonito flakes or fish food flakes to the cat food. Alternatively, drizzle Liquid Smoke, bacon grease or clam juice around the food, preferably on a paper plate or paper towel (unless there are dogs around that might eat these).
If fresh water is not readily available, you should also put out a bowl of water. You don't want your cat getting dehydrated or drinking from questionable water sources.
IMPORTANT! If you have a hard-to-trap cat, you may end up using a feeding station for an extended period of time. In this case, be sure to put out cat food in addition to any other baits you are using. Cats require taurine for their dietary health because they are unable to synthesize this organic acid. For this reason, taurine is added to all wet and dry cat foods that are labeled approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
How Much Food to Use
You can start with a small amount of food (e.g. a can or cup). However, once the food starts being eaten, you want to make sure that there is enough food that it lasts through the night. Lost cats often don't show up until between 12am - 5am. If raccoons and skunks eat all the food before midnight, then your cat is never getting any food!
If lots of food is being eaten, you may want to add a large amount of cat food or even an auto-feeder. If cost is an issue, buy some cheap cat food. I have found that lots of cats love the Kit & Kaboodle Cat Food. See below for suggestions on dealing with wildlife problems.
Where to Set Up a Feeding Station
If possible, place feeding stations near potential cover such as decks, bushes, sheds or garages. Also consider, the edges of your yard or along your house. Don't put a feeding station out in the middle of your yard or another open area.
Do not put the feeding under bright lights or motion activated lights. Most lost indoor cats prefer darkness. Only use lights if you are actively watching the feeding station, and then only use the minimum amount of light that you need to see your cat.
Locations Around Your Home
At least 1 in 3 lost indoor-only cats will attempt to return to their point of escape. In the first few days, they are often more interested in getting inside then in eating. Don't put out food near the likely point of escape for the first 2-3 days. Give your cat a chance to return home without the risk of attracting other cats or wildlife that might scare them away. This option works best if you are instead using a humane trap or house trap.
Locations to try a feeding station around your home:
- Around your home at least 20 feet from the likely point of escape.
- Near other entrances to your home.
- Inside a garage with the door left open at least 1 foot.
- Inside a porch, shed or basement.
- Along the edge of your yard near bushes, brambles or other thick cover.
Locations Away from Home
Potential sightings are key locations to try a feeding station WITH surveillance. When you check a possible sighting, you will rarely find your cat by searching. Consider asking permission to set up a camera and feeding station. IF it is your cat, you'll then want to try trapping or simply sitting.
If it has been more then a week and you aren't getting any sightings of your cat, first make sure that you are effectively advertising. However, some escaped indoor cats are incredibly elusive. You can try putting up feeding stations with surveillance at key locations to check for your cat.
Lost indoor cats prefer to hang out in quiet areas with good hiding spots. Some locations to try:
- Any neighbor's property within 3-5 houses that has LOTS of good hiding places. Be sure to get permission first!
- Any abandoned or empty properties within 500 feet and up to 1/4 mile.
- Near any dense woods or thick brambles within 500 feet.
Also keep an eye out for any existing feeding stations. Some people may feed outdoor cats or wildlife. If you find someone that puts out food, ask if you can try putting out a surveillance camera to see if your cat is eating there too.
Always Monitor Feeding Stations
In order to be effective, feeding stations must be monitored with some sort of surveillance. If you don't know what animal is eating the food, you can spend a lot of time feeding and trying to trap the wrong animal. You may even be unknowingly attracting predators that might scare or injure your cat.
You could start by putting out a small amount of food at several locations. However, as soon as the food is eaten, then you need to add surveillance to learn what is eating the food.
Surveillance options include wifi security cameras, cellular or SD card wildlife cameras. See Surveillance for more information.
Alternatives to Feeding Stations
Given the potential risks, you may want to skip using a feeding station if possible. One option is to just use a House Trap and/or humane cat trap. If just using a humane trap, keep the following in mind:
- Some cats will refuse to enter a humane trap. Always monitor your trap with a surveillance camera if possible. This way you will see if your cat is attracted to the food, but refuses to enter the trap.
- Always place a small amount of food in the entrance to the trap. This will provide your cat with some food even if they refuse to enter. This means they are more likely to return looking for food again.
- Trapping is labor intensive and you need to monitor the trap. Keep in mind that trapping is only really effective if you can release other trapped animals quickly. As long as another cat or wildlife is in the trap, you can't trap your cat.
Lures
A lure is a non-bait attractant. Unfortunately, there isn't research to support that these work well, but some people have had success with them. Most people try these in addition to food, but if you can't use a feeding station, try some of these instead.
- Articles of clothing or blankets that smell like you, your cat or other people/animals that your cat has a strong bond. Be aware that cat-scented items may attract other cats or predators. If these are sprayed by other cats, remove them.
- Catnip or Valerian root. Not all cats are attracted to these.
- Feliway sprayed on something absorbent like a washcloth or sock (better yet if it also smells like you).
- Wildcat trapping lures such as Hawbaker's Wildlife Cat Lure #2. This could also attract coyotes or bobcats.
- Canned cat food or tuna with holes poked in the lid. This provides a scent attractant but won't feed the wildlife.
- Other food scent lures such as Liquid Smoke, bacon grease, tuna water or clam juice. Drizzle on the ground or soak into pieces of cardboard. Don't do the latter if loose dogs are around that might eat the cardboard.
- Try adding a visual lure. This is more likely to work if your cat has been lost for several weeks or is a bolder cat. Something shiny and/or feathered that moves in the wind such as a cat toy, fishing lure (with hooks removed) or square of tinfoil might work. If using a motion sensitive camera, this may need to be placed where it won't trigger the camera.
Troubleshooting Feeding Stations
If you don't see an answer to your question here, please submit a question to info@lostpetresourcecenter.com.
Food Freezing in Winter
If you are using a feeding station in winter, wet food may quickly freeze. In this case, you could try putting a hand warmer under the food bowl OR just use dry food. To increase the odor, you can add bonito flakes or fish food flakes to the cat food. Alternatively, drizzle Liquid Smoke, bacon grease or clam juice around the food, preferably on a paper plate or paper towel.
Food Getting Gross in Hot or Wet Weather
There isn't much to be done about food getting gross in hot weather when using moist food. You should expect to have to change the food out once daily. Don't leave old food lying around. This is less likely to attract your cat and could make them sick if they eat it.
Alternately, use dry cat food or treats in hot weather. These may stay good for several days or longer in dry weather. Dry food has less odor, but you can add bonito flakes to the food.
If you live somewhere that rains a lot, you may need to place your feeding station someplace sheltered. If near your house, a garage, porch, shed or under a deck may work well. If these aren't available, then find a small table to place the food under. Or lean a piece of plywood against a stump, log or cinderblock.

Cat feeding station placed under an old table



Cat feeding station under plywood
Wildlife Keeps Eating All the Food
In many locations, you are likely to attract raccoons, skunks and opossums. While generally not dangerous to cats, they can be a nuisance. They may eat all the food and can make trapping difficult.
Use a Lure
Try adding a lure or using one instead. See the section on Lures above.
Use an Elevated Feeding Station
Placing the food on a table or platform can reduce some wildlife problems. Even a 12 inch table may prevent skunks from eating your food since they are very poor climbers and cannot jump. A 3-4 foot table may work for opossums since they cannot jump, but you have to make sure that there isn’t any way for them to climb up. It is nearly impossible to keep raccoons away unless you build a raccoon-proof feeder and even those aren't entirely successful.
Feed the Wildlife Alternative Foods
Raccoons, opossums and skunks will eat just about anything so it is difficult to keep them away from cat food. However, you can try to reduce the amount of cat food they eat, by putting out other foods that they like.
Suggestions for raccoons include marshmallows, fruit and peanut butter. Some people have found that marshmallow and peanut-butter sandwiches are very attractive to raccoons. Opossums and skunks like fruit (try apples) and vegetables.
Alternate foods should be placed at a different location then the cat's feeding station. However, if they are already eating the cat food, you may need to start with alternate foods within 10-20 feet from the cat food. Then slowly move the food farther away.
Put Out LOTS of Cat Food
If you can't keep the wildlife away from the cat food, try to put out enough food that it lasts until at least 3-4am. Most lost indoor cats are active between 12am - 4am, so you want to make sure that some food is still available.
If your cats preferred food is more expensive, consider buying a large bag of cheap cat food. Put out several large bowls or get a gravity auto feeder.
Limit the Amount of Time Food is Available
You an avoid a lot of wildlife problems by putting out food in the morning. This method works best IF your cat has been seen during the day.
Unfortunately, many indoor cats are only active at night. You could also try putting out food for a few hours at night. While not at all convenient, the best time would be between 12am and 2am.
Predators are Being Attracted to the Food
The last thing you want to see at your feeding station is a large predator such as a coyote. However, if they just show up one night or don’t appear attracted to the food, they generally are not a concern. Whether or not you have seen them before, coyotes are present just about everywhere in the US.
On the other hand, if they show up a couple nights in a row and/or are eating your food, then you should consider moving or altering your feeding station. One option is to move it into a partially enclosed space such as a shed, garage or barn. Most coyotes are uncomfortable entering enclosed spaces. You could try placing the food inside or under something that the coyote would have difficulty accessing such as a large dog crate, under a (securely propped up) drop trap or inside a (locked open) trap.
Foxes are generally less of a concern though they may still scare a cat away from the food. Seeing some foxes occasionally is actually a good sign because they generally establish their territories in areas with fewer coyotes or between coyote territories.
Ants or Other Insects on the Food
If you return to the trap and find your bait covered in ants, there are a few tricks that you can try.
- Try placing the cat food inside a smaller bowl, which is then placed in a larger bowl or saucer filled with water. This "moat" will keep out most ants.
- Try placing the cat food inside a smaller bowl. Then place this bowl on a plate or piece of cardboard. Sprinkle chalk powder or coffee grounds around the bowl. Some more lethal options (for the ants) include baking soda or food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) sprinkled around the bowl.
- Try switching to dry food. This may attract fewer ants.
Bees or Wasps Being Attracted to the Food
It is not uncommon for bees or wasps to be attracted to wet cat food.
- Use dry food during the day and only put out wet food at night when bees/wasps are not active.
- Place non-toxic bee trap near your trap.