Occasionally, there will be times in your life when you’ll have to leave your home, and you can’t always take your furry friend with you, no matter how well behaved and cute he or she might be. If you have to leave town, it’s important to make sure that your cat will be in good hands while you are not at home. For these situations, you’ll need a cat sitter.
Upon hiring a cat sitter, make sure that you leave him or her with good accurate information about your cats so that you can relax and rest assured that they are safe and healthy. In the best of scenarios, your cat sitter is a relative, friend or acquaintance, someone that you might already know.
Use your surroundings
Neighborhood teens make great cat sitters, as well as relatives. You can also call a pet sitting company if you don’t know anyone else to call. Whoever is taking care of your cats, make sure that they can be trusted and are responsible enough to show up at your house every single day at the right times. If you have multiple cats and/or other pets, or if you will be gone for a substantial amount of time, like more than a week, it may be a good idea to have someone you know well house sit and spend the night in your home.
Last minute steps to take
Before leaving, create an easy-to-read sheet of essential important information. Start by listing your cats—include their names, fur color, special diet and medication, likes and dislikes, favorite snacks and favorite hiding places. You should also include a step-by-step detailed guide for cat care and the number for you and for your vet.
Make sure that everything needed to care for your cat is out in the open easy to find and easy to use. For example, do not forget to leave a can opener for your cat sitter, if required to open up the food cans! If any of your cats fall ill or gets injured, your cat sitter will need to call a vet and possible even take your cat to the vet’s office. Have the phone in an easy-to-locate place and leave cat carriers by the door, but make sure that the door of the cat carriers are either closed so your cat doesn’t lock himself inside.
Also make sure that all essential cleaning supplies are easy for your cat sitter to find, including litter box materials. If any of your cats gets sick and needs vet care, you will have to pay for the bills, of course. Leave a $20 bill (or more if you’ll be gone for longer) for your cat sitter to specifically use for the cats. Beyond that, call your vet to alert him or her that you won’t be in town. Give your vet your credit card details, the phone number where you can be reached, and the name of your pet sitter, with the assertion that he or she will act in your place until your return. Doing this will help keep your cat safe and healthy until your return.