Outdoor wireless camera recommendations for feral cats (and other wildlife), please?

DeeCat

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Hi,

Short version: Can anyone recommend a good wireless NIGHT outdoor wildlife camera that has short enough range that I can put it on my front porch and it can focus on the floor, but also catch any intruders that move quickly? I see cameras that are short range (Ring type cameras) but they seem to be very slow to trigger, and other true wildlife cameras are for long-range (tens of yards) but have much faster trigger time, like Moultrie. I need both: close focus, and fast trigger time.

Long version: I have a new feral outside and an occasional other feral who may or may not still be lurking around. I am completely unsuccessful at getting close to either of them, though I have TNH (trapped, neutered and homed) others. I can't get near these cats. If they even see me, they are gone for a while. I am also realizing that there is a LOT more wildlife in my yard than I had thought. I see tracks of bigger animals but I'm not sure what they are... so I need a good nighttime camera that can see up close, but doesn't take forver to trigger in case there is a fast-moving animal out there. Maybe I need more than one camera...? I have never owned one, though I've dealt with feral cats in a fairly rural area for 20 years.

Thank you in advance.
:catrub:
 

tabbytom

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Can anyone recommend a good wireless NIGHT outdoor wildlife camera that has short enough range that I can put it on my front porch and it can focus on the floor, but also catch any intruders that move quickly?
This is what they use to capture wild life :-

best-trail-cameras
 

swagman

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I use Wyze cams. wyze.com Their version 3 model is only about $30 and it is outdoor ready but it does require an AC power source and wifi. They have another outdoor model that is more expensive - about $75. but it has a battery that lasts 6 months. They all have a memory card slot so you can keep days or weeks of video to go thru. Your can set them to be very sensitive to motion or sound and they start recording based on that. I have about 10 of these monitoring every movement of my feral friends and their predators. Some of the cameras I have got those adapters in the outdoor light socket to get power to them. I am including a link to a video from one of my wyze cameras to give you an idea. It is a video of 2 coyotes coming through my yard one night. They ended up catching some poor thing, I think a possum but I am not including that part of the video. This is just a video of 2 coyotes doing nothing to give you an idea on quality. And these cameras are good at the close up level too, they adjust to wherever the action is happening.


and when there is activity it sends an alert to your phone which might be helpful in your case. Good luck!
 

swagman

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Since you mentioned focusing on the floor I am adding another video from a cam that is really close up and personal. This is where I tried to set up another living space for Swag and she tested it out. You can see it is a really good cam from a close or far range. In this case, since I had no power source I connected the camera to one of those battery packs that people use to recharge their phone and it worked fine. How long a battery pack like that will work depends on the settings (continuous recording vs motion activated only). Good luck! And feel free to contact me with any questions.
 
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DeeCat

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This is what they use to capture wild life :-

best-trail-cameras
Thanks - I ended up buying an inexpensive GardePro, to start - but I need something more user-friendly. It seems better for a hunter, not a cat-watcher ;-). I don't get alerts and it keeps disconnecting, but would work great for out in the woods.
 
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DeeCat

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I use both foscam and Amcrest for outside. You need to have a power source and wifi connection. I have 3 outside on my property.
Thank you! I have not heard of either. My issue is I don't have any plugs outside where the ferals are... so I need battery-operated... perhaps I could use them elsewhere, though. Much appreciated.
 
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DeeCat

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I use Wyze cams. wyze.com Their version 3 model is only about $30 and it is outdoor ready but it does require an AC power source and wifi. They have another outdoor model that is more expensive - about $75. but it has a battery that lasts 6 months. They all have a memory card slot so you can keep days or weeks of video to go thru. Your can set them to be very sensitive to motion or sound and they start recording based on that. I have about 10 of these monitoring every movement of my feral friends and their predators. Some of the cameras I have got those adapters in the outdoor light socket to get power to them. I am including a link to a video from one of my wyze cameras to give you an idea. It is a video of 2 coyotes coming through my yard one night. They ended up catching some poor thing, I think a possum but I am not including that part of the video. This is just a video of 2 coyotes doing nothing to give you an idea on quality. And these cameras are good at the close up level too, they adjust to wherever the action is happening.


and when there is activity it sends an alert to your phone which might be helpful in your case. Good luck!
OK. This is what I need. The outdoor version. This sounds PERFECT.

The coyotes part of your post is scary. We have heard them in the past around here. I just saw on the GardePro that raccoons are eating some of the cat food - NEVER KNEW. Who knows what is out beyond the front porch? 😱

I've spent so much on these latest ferals already (houses, wraps, heating pads, converting a space, fake grass, new router!, etc) -$75 is cheap. I need to see what's up with them and focus on trying to TNR them.

Definitely need a battery option (I should have said that in my first post!) and if it lasts 6 mo -- wow! that is amazing. (The GardePro I just got lasts for about 5 days -- not optimal for me, but could be used way out in the woods, like for a hunter - which I most definitely am not.)
 
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DeeCat

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Since you mentioned focusing on the floor I am adding another video from a cam that is really close up and personal. This is where I tried to set up another living space for Swag and she tested it out. You can see it is a really good cam from a close or far range. In this case, since I had no power source I connected the camera to one of those battery packs that people use to recharge their phone and it worked fine. How long a battery pack like that will work depends on the settings (continuous recording vs motion activated only). Good luck! And feel free to contact me with any questions.
I re-read your first post about plugging into an outdoor light socket - that could work! Clever! But there is a lot of sun in front - so solar attachment could work, too.

The phone backup battery idea is genius - I have been thinking about where to put what (houses, cameras, router, food station) for weeks and with winter coming, the power source location is crucial. Love this idea, including for an emergency for a little heating pad, maybe...

Thanks again, all. I have more issues here than I realized, with raccoons, and apparently mice, too - and one feral has apparently chased the original one away, I don't even see him any more and he's the reason I started feeding them/him years ago. :/
 

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Reading your message I thought a wyze cam would be better because of power limitations but you still might have an issue with wifi - which they depend on. By the way, they also have a solar panel for this cam so you NEVER have to recharge the battery. But those little adapters that go in a light socket work fine if you go with the cheaper wyze cam option.

The charger packs for cell phones work fine to power the camera but I like them recording 24/7 and it drains in a couple hours. But with wyze you can set it to only record when there is movement which saves a lot of power. You could prob get a couple days that way.

Do you think you can get a wifi signal where you want to put the cam? I think this might be your biggest challenge.
If not - there are still options to get a wifi repeater between your house and the camera. Here's a link to their outdoor cam solution.

Wireless Outdoor Surveillance Home Security Camera | Wyze

I am not a feral cat expert but I am a tech expert, maybe this is the kind of thing I can help with here. Happy to help you however I can.
 
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DeeCat

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Reading your message I thought a wyze cam would be better because of power limitations but you still might have an issue with wifi - which they depend on. By the way, they also have a solar panel for this cam so you NEVER have to recharge the battery. But those little adapters that go in a light socket work fine if you go with the cheaper wyze cam option.

The charger packs for cell phones work fine to power the camera but I like them recording 24/7 and it drains in a couple hours. But with wyze you can set it to only record when there is movement which saves a lot of power. You could prob get a couple days that way.

Do you think you can get a wifi signal where you want to put the cam? I think this might be your biggest challenge.
If not - there are still options to get a wifi repeater between your house and the camera. Here's a link to their outdoor cam solution.

Wireless Outdoor Surveillance Home Security Camera | Wyze

I am not a feral cat expert but I am a tech expert, maybe this is the kind of thing I can help with here. Happy to help you however I can.
Well, I wasn't going to get all technical, but...

I originally bought a Blink camera. Seemed to be just what I needed for the front porch (my first goal, bc that is where I feed the cat/s). It seemed ideal but I didn't realize it ONLY worked on 2.4 Ghz, and my (fiber optic) router ONLY works on 5. No matter what I did, it would not work. Blink support was NO help, but my fiber optic co said it's a common issue, and that I need to replace the router.

I ordered a Netgear Nighthawk, which arrives tomorrow (it is taking forever...). In the meantime I got a GardePro, which is really a hunter's camera, and has it's own wifi -- it works! But it's not for me. I want alerts, and to be able to easily see what's going on out there. This thing takes foever to connect to. It's meant to be placed on a tree out there on its own with an SD card. I could do that for further down the property (4 acres.. who knows what is out there?) but don't really need it.

So I'm hoping the Nighthawk will solve the issue and work with Google or Wyze... we shall see in a few days!

Thanks again.
 

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Good luck! If you have questions I will try to help however I can!
 
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DeeCat

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Reading your message I thought a wyze cam would be better because of power limitations but you still might have an issue with wifi - which they depend on. By the way, they also have a solar panel for this cam so you NEVER have to recharge the battery. But those little adapters that go in a light socket work fine if you go with the cheaper wyze cam option.

The charger packs for cell phones work fine to power the camera but I like them recording 24/7 and it drains in a couple hours. But with wyze you can set it to only record when there is movement which saves a lot of power. You could prob get a couple days that way.

Do you think you can get a wifi signal where you want to put the cam? I think this might be your biggest challenge.
If not - there are still options to get a wifi repeater between your house and the camera. Here's a link to their outdoor cam solution.

Wireless Outdoor Surveillance Home Security Camera | Wyze

I am not a feral cat expert but I am a tech expert, maybe this is the kind of thing I can help with here. Happy to help you however I can.
Oh and yes, I think I can get wifi out there and around the house pretty well, but won't know until I get the aforerementioned router. The one from the fiber optic co worked halfway down the driveway; it had amazing range. We'll see... and then yes, I will need to get a solar adapter (if it works with the cameras).
 
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DeeCat

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Update:
The issue with the camera connecting to my system was due to using the iPhone to connect. It seemed to have some privacy feature what wouldn't allow it, but my iPad connected instantly.

I've been using them since - mostly the Blink cameras (now on sale) along with a Wyze and it's such a huge help with finding out when the cat is out there, as well as what else is out there (oh my - quite a lot! Bears, oppossum, skunks, mink, bobcat, and another CAT!).

Thanks all for your input. And if you want more info on cameras, let me know - I'm a fanatic now, lol!
 
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