You booked the sitter. Now it's the day before your trip and you're staring at a counter covered in cat food bags wondering what you've forgotten.
Here's the checklist we've seen work best across hundreds of sits.
Write everything down, even the "obvious" stuff
Your cat's routine is obvious to you. It's not obvious to anyone else. Leave a single printed page (or a shared doc) covering:
- Feeding: brand, amount, times, where the food lives, where the bowl lives
- Water: where the water fountain is, how often to refill
- Litter: where the box is, where the scooper and bags are
- Medication: what, when, how (pill pocket? pill in food? direct?)
- Hiding spots: the three places your cat likes to disappear to
- Off-limits areas: rooms or spaces the cat shouldn't enter
Leave out more supplies than you think you need
The rule of thumb: enough for your trip + 3 extra days. Trips get extended, flights get cancelled, and nothing is worse for a sitter than realizing they need to go buy food at 9pm.
- Food for trip length + 3 days
- Litter for trip length + 1 week
- Medication for trip length + 5 days
- A backup of any special treats or lickable supplements
The "cat emergency" list
Somewhere visible (fridge is good), leave:
- Your vet's name, address, and phone
- A 24/7 emergency animal hospital within driving distance
- Your cat's weight and any ongoing conditions
- Written permission for the sitter to authorize up to $X in emergency care (many vets won't treat without this)
Small things sitters consistently thank you for
- A labeled bin with everything cat-related in one place
- A doorbell camera or clear instructions on key/lockbox
- Wifi password on the counter
- Robot vacuum schedule (so they're not startled)
- Heads-up about loud neighbors, mail carriers, or the cat's specific triggers
What not to do
- Don't change feeding brands or times the week before you leave. Cats under stress + a new food = stomach issues the sitter has to clean up.
- Don't assume the sitter will "just figure it out" with medication. Write it. Demo it if you can.
- Don't leave the sitter guessing on photo/video updates. Tell them what you want, most good sitters prefer clear expectations.
Booking a sitter near you
Looking for a verified, cat-owning sitter? Find one on Pawsible. Every sitter is a cat parent themselves, which means they already know most of this stuff cold.