The ultimate cat sitter checklist

Along with our ultimate pet sitter checklist, this cat sitter checklist aims to prepare all cat carers for any upcoming or future sits. These questions can be tailored to your cat and your home’s needs, plus any other useful tidbits to settle in your sitter. Let’s begin!

Cat sitter checklist

• Complete your welcome guide
• Cat care checklist
• House rules checklist
• Stock up on house and pet supplies
• Cat supplies checklist
• Cleaning supplies checklist
• Prepare your cat for their sitter
• Prepare your home

Complete your welcome guide

Your preparation can begin as soon as your sit has been confirmed. We recommend creating and sharing a welcome guide which can be done on your membership dashboard. This guide should clearly list what is expected of the sitter, including:

• Emergency plan, contact details, and essential documents
• House rules, routines, and information
• Your cat’s routine, care, and health information
• A checklist of supplies

Make sure to share this welcome guide with your sitter at least a week or so before their sit. This will allow them plenty of time to ask questions and for you to add to the list if needs be.

Cat routine and care checklist

Food, treats, and litter trays

• Do they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
• What time do they eat?
• How much to feed at each meal?
• Where is their food located?
• Do they have a water bowl or water fountain? When should the water be changed?
• Where are the treats kept? 
• How many treats are they allowed each day?
• Is your pet allowed any human foods?
• Which foods are forbidden?
• Is there any extra information about feeding your sitter should know?
• How often does your cat sitter need to be cleaning the litter box?
• How do they dispose of dirty cat litter? Do they need to clean the whole tray?

Exercise & playtime

• Is your cat an outdoor or indoor kitty?
• If you have an indoor cat, do they need to be walked? If so, are they harness-trained?
• How long should walks be?
• How long should they play during the day?
• How often do they nap?
• Do they need alone time throughout the day?
• If an outdoor cat, when does the cat go out during the day?
• If an outdoor cat, when should they expect the cat to return home?

Your cat’s personality

• Does your cat have any behavioral issues?
• What tends to calm your pet down?
• What is your pet like with other animals?
• If an outdoor cat, are they likely to bring home prey?
• What are your pets’ favorite toys?
• Does your pet like listening to music?
• Is there anything your pet dislikes?
• Are there any household objects that trigger unwanted behavior?
• Is your pet friendly towards other people and children?
• Are there any other pet quirks your sitter should know about?
• Where are your pets allowed in the house?
• When is your cat allowed outside?
• Is your cat allowed on the beds and couch?
• Point out your cat’s favorite hiding spots

Health, well-being, and medical records

• Are there any pet appointments, like vet check-ups or the groomers booked in?
• Immunization records
• Any other medical records
• Microchip information and contact details
• Insurance card and any pet insurance paperwork
• An up-to-date photo of your pet, clearly showing what they look like
• Your contact details and back-up contact details in case you can’t be reached
• Your vet’s contact information
• Insurance information
• Warn your vet you’ll be having a sitter
• Leave your payment details with your vet so that your sitter doesn’t have to pay anything upfront.
• Do they have any medication? If so why, what dosage, and what administration

House rules checklist

Emergencies

• Emergency vet details and directions
• Emergency home contact details
• Leave at least one emergency phone number of a neighbor or nearby relative
• Leave a spare set of keys with said neighbor or relative - make sure your cat sitter knows they have a spare set
• Decide what you’d like to happen should your cat go missing or have an accident
• Provide information about where your furry friend might be if suspected missing
• Are there any alarm systems in place? How does it work? Is there parking available?
• How will the sitter be reimbursed for covering the costs of any essentials, such as emergency vet appointments?

Day-to-day house knowledge and rules

• When are the bins collected?
• How are items recycled?
• Is there a food waste bin?
• Where is the wifi router?
• What’s the wifi password?
• Will your sitter use any of your vehicles?
• How will the cost of topping up essentials be covered?
• Where is the electrical panel?
• Leave instructions on how to use appliances. 
• Where are the appliance manuals kept?
• Are there any spare keys? Where are they kept?
• Are there any house quirks your sitter should know about?
• What is the plant watering schedule?
• Do any plants need special care?
• What are your preferences for post-collection?
• Will they need to take care of the swimming pool?
• How much communication do you expect from your sitter while you’re away? Would you like daily updates?
• Is your sitter allowed visitors?
• What are the end-of-sit arrangements?

Prepare your cat for their sitter.

It’s not uncommon for cats to be unsettled by a new person being in the house. As animals who are very sensitive to change, the key is to make adjustments at their pace and well in advance. Some tips to help your cat settle before their sitter include:

• Have people round to get your pet used to having others in your home
• Meet with your sitter first to get the pair introduced
• Continue to welcome sitters to get your pet used to it
• De-worming and de-fleaing
• Have a grooming appointment  (if needed e.g. claw trim, a good wash, fur trim, de-matting)
• Make sure vaccinations and microchip details are up to date
• Prepare a pheromone plug
• Leave something that smells of you in their bed
• Make your departure a non-event

Prepare your home for your cat sitter

Finally, make sure your home is ready for your sitter. It’s easy to forget the little things when you’re also trying to prepare your pup and yourself. So, here’s a list of usual items and checks to do just before your cat sitter arrives:

Check pet supplies

• Extra cat litter
• Towels
• Cat toothpaste (if needed)
• Cat toothbrush (if needed)
• Grooming brush  (if needed)
• Food
• Treats
• Medication
• Leash (if needed)
• Collar  (if needed)
• Bed and bedding
• Favorite toys and comforters
• Pet carrier
• ID tags

Check cleaning supplies

• Bleach
• Toilet cleaning equipment
• Disinfectant sprays
• Antibacterial sprays
• Washing up liquid
• Dishwasher tablets
• Duster
• Vacuum cleaner
• Hand soap
  

The day before sit checklist

• Clean your home thoroughly
• Take out any trash and perishable food items
• Free up some wardrobe and bathroom space so your sitter can unpack and get settled.
• Check the Wifi is working.
• Securely lock away anything potentially dangerous, including yard chemicals, rat poison, and chocolate.
• Shut the doors to any rooms the pets can’t go in (and leave a note)
• Block up any pet escape routes (attic, basement, gaps in the fence)
• Make sure the gates are secure
• If you have a cat flap, is it working and set correctly?
• Put the handover notes and boxes of animal supplies in an obvious place, along with any spare keys.

As we said, this cat sitting checklist isn’t exhaustive, but should help to give you extra peace of mind once you’ve handed the keys to your sitter. Make sure they know they can contact you anytime and when, and, of course, have a great trip!

Remember, you can also reach out to our Membership Services Team via our 24/7 Help Desk if you have any questions or concerns. Otherwise, why not start searching for the purr-fect cat sitter and check out the latest sitters available near you?