Best Trail Camera For TNR And Lost Pets

Wildlife trail cameras are not just for hunters. Trail cameras are wireless, inexpensive, and can help you find a lost pet, manage a feral cat colony, or monitor outdoor wildlife in your area. Cats develop routines and patterns, and if you position a camera correctly, you’ll have a window into their activity.

In this article, we’ll discuss the features you’ll need in a trail camera and which is the best trail camera for TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), cat rescue, and finding missing pets.

The Best Trail Camera

I spent six weeks and had six cameras looking for a cat that escaped her new adopter. During that time, I tested several different pet cameras, security cameras, and trail cameras in real rescue situations.

For most rescue situations, you’ll want an outdoor, battery-powered camera rather than a pet camera or indoor home security camera.

You’ll secure the camera about 3 feet in front of a feeding station or cat food dish. Toss treats in for good measure to get your pet’s attention. Here’s the best bait for cat trapping.

The best wildlife trail cameras for TNR and finding a lost pet are ones that meet all nine of these criteria.

Affordability

TNR projects require multiple cameras to cover different trapping sites. Since these cameras may be placed in public areas, the risk of theft is real. Choosing an affordable trail camera is important.

Fortunately, there are excellent options in the market that provide quality performance without breaking the bank. There are several good trail cameras on the market for around $45. Here’s Amazon’s list of wildlife trail cameras under $50 with 4+ star reviews.

Night Vision Motion Tracking

Cats, especially feral ones, are primarily diurnal creatures and are often times active at night or early morning. Thus, an outdoor camera equipped with the ability to shoot clear videos during low-light conditions is essential for TNR and pet detection. Most trail cams, pet cameras, and security cameras, like the Eufy camera, have basic features that now include night vision mode and record video in night mode and HD resolution.

Resolution

In many cases, you won’t need crystal clear resolution, but a good camera lens and wide-angle camera are important. The best pet camera will have at least 24 MP and 1080p video resolution, which should work in most lost pet scenarios. Most cameras offer a wide-angle lens, which can help with passing cats.

Energy Efficiency

In cat rescue operations, maintaining several cameras can be a time-consuming task. To avoid frequent battery replacements, an energy-efficient trail camera is ideal. The more camera features you have active, the more battery power could be drained. Consider turning off audio or even activating picture-only mode instead of recorded footage and continuous recording if you’re in a very windy location.

Waterproof and Weather Resistant

This is a given if you plan to use your camera outside. The camera must be able to work outside in cold and wet conditions. You don’t need pet-specific cameras, and many pet owners own indoor security cameras, which could be used under the right conditions. But, if you are leaving your camera far from your house, you’ll want it water-resistant to prevent morning dew and moisture.

Local Storage

Most trail cameras will have local memory storage. A 32GB SD memory card is usually sufficient for a few days of video footage. If you are using 4k video recordings, then you may want a 64GB memory card. Traditional security cameras or indoor cameras might need Wi-Fi for cloud storage if they don’t offer a local storage option.

3 Pet Camera Features You Might Not Need

If you plan to utilize multiple of the best pet cameras, then you can save on a few features you might not need. The only pet camera, indoor camera, or home security cameras features that you need are clear video quality and reliability. However, some of these features can come in handy but may not be needed in most regular rescue situations.

Audio

Audio usually isn’t very helpful when trying to identify a cat’s location. If your cat is vocal, audio could help identify the cat in poor video recordings or differentiate between cats. If you are leaving your camera out for a few days, turning off the audio can help conserve battery life. In windy locations, the sound quality and audio quality are often times poor as well.

4k Resolution

You may be tempted to upgrade to the 4k video quality. While poor video quality can be a problem, standard HD video recordings are usually clear enough to identify cats. One exception may be low-lighting situations or if you need high resolution to see the characteristics of a cat to differentiate between black cats, for example. 4k resolution could be just what highly detailed pet parents need to differentiate their fur babies from other animals.

WiFi

You’ll probably begin your search for the best trail camera by looking for WiFi-enabled, app-connected, and live-streaming capable cameras. Wyze cams are popular pet cameras with all the features. While those cameras are nice, they can be expensive and have significant range restrictions, which don’t make them ideal for TNR purposes. Some services offer free cloud storage, while others may charge a monthly subscription fee for additional cloud storage.

The average house WiFi or mobile hotspot range is about 150 feet. Your camera will need to remain in that WiFi radius to access the camera. WiFi pet cameras can come in handy if you are trapping in a backyard and sitting in your car. This can help you monitor the trap from a distance.

Other Camera Options and Features

There are top security cameras available with all the features, even Google Assistant. Some nice-to-have features include 4k video resolution, cloud storage, color night vision, and crystal-clear sound detection.

WiFi And Bluetooth Capable

WiFi and Bluetooth cameras can be used through a mobile hotspot for live viewing or to wirelessly download or view the camera footage. They usually have a limited range to receive WiFi, and they do not act as live webcams. However, the best pet cameras and trail cameras have the ability to view recordings from a few feet away, which can come in handy.

Solar Powered Trail Camera

If you are searching in a windy location that burns through your battery, having a solar-powered camera should extend the battery duration. You’ll need to position the camera directly in the sunlight to gain the full benefits of the charger.

Premium Security Camera Features

Due to the risk of theft, an expensive camera might be too risky. However, if you are able to effectively secure and camouflage the camera, it might be worth the added features. A premium trail camera will have better resolution, further motion activation, faster trigger timing, and longer battery life.

Pet Cameras

There are other cameras specifically designed for pets and may have features like two-way audio. However, many of these pet cameras are wired and for indoor use. They do offer pet motion detection, so if you have one and you are looking for a lost pet, you can definitely use it on your property as a home security camera.

What’s The Right Camera For You?

The best trail camera should be affordable and reliable. TNR and cat rescue projects often require multiple cameras, and the risk of theft is real when placed in public areas. Look for night vision capabilities to capture crucial nighttime activities of feral cats accurately. A 24 MP camera with 1080p resolution should work well for most lost pet scenarios.

Once you get your new trail camera, check out our article How To Use A Trail Camera To Rescue A Cat.