Good News on rescued cat and questions

I was able to rescue a beautiful Bengal that wandered into my yard over the weekend. I have a Bengal and I know that they generally have a lean look however, this one was so skinny that the back and hip bones looked like they were going to break through the skin. We left out food for it and after a few days caught him and took him to a local no kill shelter. Turns out that even though he was microchipped and the owner found, he had been missing for 2 months and she no longer wanted him. Good news is that he is headed to a rescue while looking for a good home for him. I wish I could have taken him because he was super sweet.

Now, to my question - we have a number of neighbors that allow their cats to wander outside. Unfortunately, we also have a neighbor who is purposely attracting wandering cats and taking them to the shelter with false information to make it harder for the owners to find them.

How do I tell if I have a missing cat vs. a wandering cat? I don't want to leave food out and attract cats (and other unwanted critters) when they are not homeless. What is the best way to catch a cat without running the risk of being clawed to shreds?

I really would not be feeding cats unless you know they are stray/feral and need help.  It is very difficult to tell if a cat is owned or not at times. Feral cats will never ever approach a human and mostly stay hidden during the daylight.  You would only see them during dawn or dusk.  They are very well groomed.  Stray cats are often dishelved looking as they may be having a harder time adjusting to being outside or on their own. 

In most cases I would not advise feeding cats unless they look very thin, continue to hand around.  Then they are most likely a stray.  Feeding neighborhood wandering cats is not a good idea.  You also could try talking to neighbors and asking about the roaming cats.  You will get to know who belongs to who.

As far as handling the cats:  You never know if a cat might bite.  The safest way to capture is an outside roaming cat is with a humane trap.  The cat is then taken immediately to a vet or shelter for care.