What to Leave a Cat Sitter: Printable Instructions
Your sitter does not need a novel about your cat. They need one page that answers the questions that come up at 7 a.m.: Which scoop? Which bowl? Where is the cat hiding? Is the back door supposed to stick? This guide helps you make that page, test it and leave without sending twelve follow-up texts from the airport.
Researched by the CanMyPet Editorial Team · Scheduled for October 16, 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below.
- Your travel dates and return time
- Your phone number and time zone
- A nearby backup contact
- Visit times and expected visit length
- Exact food portions and locations
- Water-bowl locations
- Litter-box locations and routine
- Your cat's usual hiding places
- Doors, windows and outdoor rules
- Favorite play and comfort routines
- Veterinary clinic and carrier location
- House access, alarm and lock-up steps
Start with a live handoff, not just a note
Arrange a visit before the trip while you are still home. Let the sitter enter using the same key or code they will use later. Walk through a normal visit in order: greet the cat, refresh food and water, scoop litter, play, check the home, send an update and lock up. The rehearsal catches practical problems that a written checklist cannot, such as a stubborn lock, a bowl hidden in the dishwasher or a cat who disappears when a stranger enters.
Cats Protection recommends meeting a prospective sitter in the home and arranging backup care in case the first sitter cancels. It also recommends at least two visits a day for most cats, with more frequent care for some kittens, older cats or cats with individual health needs. Agree on the actual schedule before booking instead of assuming that “daily care” means the same thing to both of you.
Choose the right level of detail
Write exact actions
“Half of the blue scoop in the ceramic bowl at 7 a.m.” is useful. “Feed normally” makes the sitter guess.
Describe what is normal
List familiar hiding spots, usual appetite and the kind of interaction your cat normally accepts. Keep it observational.
Give a contact order
Write who to call first, second and third. Include your time zone and the hours when you expect to be unreachable.
Separate cat care from house care
Put mail, plants, bins and lights in their own short section so essential cat tasks do not get buried.
Food and water: remove every hidden assumption
Show the sitter the exact food, utensil, bowl and storage location. Write the portion in a unit both of you can repeat. If a feeder is used, demonstrate how to open, refill and reset it. Leave enough familiar food for the whole trip plus a reasonable buffer, and label any container that could be confused with another pet's food.
List every water location and say whether the sitter should wash, refill or fully replace it at each visit. If you use a fountain, show how to check that it is running and where the ordinary backup bowl is kept. Avoid making the care plan depend on a single device.
Litter instructions that are actually usable
Mark every litter-box location, including the one tucked behind a door or in a basement room. Leave the scoop, bags and replacement litter together. Write where waste goes and which doors must remain open so the cat can reach the box. If you expect a complete litter change during the trip, put the day on the sheet rather than leaving “as needed” open to interpretation.
A photo of each setup can help in a multi-cat home. Label which cat tends to use which area only if that information is consistent and useful; the sitter still needs access to every box.
Routine, personality and the hiding-place map
A sitter should know what your cat likes, what your cat tolerates and what your cat avoids. Write down the usual greeting, favorite toy, preferred type of touch and normal resting spots. Note if the cat typically watches from a distance or hides for most of a visit. This helps a sitter avoid turning a shy cat's normal behavior into an all-house search.
List the two or three hiding places that should be checked visually without pulling the cat out. Explain any rooms that stay closed. Put wand toys and anything with loose string away after supervised play; leave simple solo toys that you already know your cat uses safely.
Doors, windows and outdoor access
Write one unambiguous rule: indoors at all times, secure catio only, or the exact existing outdoor routine you have agreed with the sitter. Demonstrate the entry sequence if your cat waits near the door. Identify windows that must remain closed, screens that are unreliable and interior doors that must stay open for litter or water access.
Test the sitter's key before departure and leave a backup with a nearby person you trust. Cats Protection specifically recommends checking access with the sitter and keeping a spare key available for problems.
Contacts and veterinary logistics
Give the sitter your regular veterinary clinic, the nearest emergency clinic and a local backup person who can make decisions if you cannot be reached. Tell the clinic who will be caring for your cat and ask what authorization or payment arrangement it wants on file. Leave the carrier where it can be reached without moving boxes or searching a locked room.
If your cat has prescribed care, use the veterinarian's labeled instructions and the clinic's written plan. Confirm in person that the sitter is willing and able to follow it. Do not improvise, rewrite or change a veterinary plan for the trip.
The house notes most owners forget
- Which door to use and how to relock it
- Alarm code and exact disarm/rearm sequence
- Wi-Fi details only if the sitter needs them
- Thermostat range and whom to call if heating or cooling fails
- Where cleaning supplies, paper towels and rubbish bags are kept
- Which plants, rooms or cupboards are off-limits
- Expected deliveries, visitors or maintenance appointments
- Where the fuse box and water shutoff are located
- Whether photos or daily messages are expected
- Final-visit tasks before you return
Printable cat sitter instruction sheet
Fill this in on screen by printing the page and writing by hand, or use it as the structure for a shared note. Keep the final version beside the food and send the sitter a photo or digital copy.
Cat Sitter Instructions
Print this section and complete it before the handoff.
Every visit
- Visually confirm the cat's location
- Follow the written food plan
- Refresh water as instructed
- Scoop and check all litter boxes
- Spend the agreed time on calm company or play
- Check doors, windows and room access
- Send the agreed update
- Lock up and rearm the alarm
Do a five-minute final test
- Put the sheet down and ask the sitter to find the food, litter supplies and carrier without hints.
- Have them unlock and relock the entry door.
- Ask them to explain the contact order back to you.
- Confirm the first and last scheduled visits in writing.
- Send the digital copy and test that it opens on their phone.
If any answer depends on “you'll know when you see it,” rewrite that line. A good care sheet makes the boring details obvious so the sitter can spend more of the visit with your cat.
Frequently asked questions
What information should I leave for a cat sitter?
Leave one scannable sheet with feeding and water instructions, litter locations and routine, normal hiding places, play preferences, house access details, your itinerary, your contact information, a backup contact, your regular veterinary clinic, the nearest emergency clinic and the location of the carrier.
Should a cat sitter visit once or twice a day?
Cats Protection recommends that a sitter visit at least twice a day. Kittens, older cats and cats with individual care needs may require more frequent visits, so agree on the schedule with your veterinarian and sitter before the trip.
Should I leave written instructions if I already explained everything?
Yes. A short written sheet prevents small details from being lost during the handoff and gives the sitter a reference for each visit. Walk through it together before you leave.
Where should I leave the cat carrier?
Keep it assembled and easy to reach, then write its location on the care sheet. Do not bury it in a locked room or behind stored boxes.
Sources
- Cats Protection — Going on Holiday Without Your Cat (accessed October 2026)
- Cats Protection — Cat Sitter Checklist (printable care fields)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Pet Sitter Safety: What to Know Before You Go (contact, itinerary and care-plan preparation)
For general planning information only. Individual care needs and veterinary instructions should come from your cat's veterinarian. Local requirements and clinic authorization policies vary.