# The handover your cat sitter needs. Turn an everyday routine into clear, useful instructions. Canonical: https://coricat.com/guides/cat-sitter-handover/ Published: 2026-09-19 Author: Coricat editorial Review status: AI-assisted editorial; not independently reviewed by a veterinarian ## What information should I leave for a cat sitter? Leave exact feeding and care instructions, veterinary contacts, identification details, and a description of each cat’s normal habits. Agree on visits, updates, emergency authority, and a backup contact before you leave. ## Make instructions observable “Feed normally” leaves room for mistakes. Use product names, measuring methods, locations, and times. Show the sitter where each cat usually rests, where the carrier lives, and how doors and windows should be secured. ## Build a one-page handover Keep sensitive information in a private document shared only with the caregiver. 1. List each cat and a recent identifying photo. 2. Record meals, litter cleaning, and any vet-prescribed care exactly. 3. Provide routine and out-of-hours veterinary numbers. 4. Agree what the sitter should report and how to reach a backup person. ## Do a practice visit Ask the sitter to walk through a normal visit while you are available. Check that they can find supplies and operate locks. Use their questions to improve the written note, then leave a dated copy in a consistent place. ## Choose care that matches the cat’s actual needs Start with the care your cat requires, then find a person who can provide it reliably. Consider meals, social contact, litter care, age, health, and any prescribed treatment. A confident independent adult and a kitten or medically vulnerable cat may need different arrangements. Ask your veterinary team for guidance when illness or treatment affects the necessary level of care. Discuss experience through concrete situations. Can the sitter recognize that a usually enthusiastic eater has stopped eating? Are they comfortable contacting the clinic, transporting the cat, and following existing veterinary instructions? If medication is involved, arrange a demonstration and confirm that the sitter can perform the task safely before you leave. Agree on visit timing, expected length, updates, and cover if the sitter becomes unavailable. A backup person should know they are the backup and be able to access the home. Avoid relying on an informal assumption that a friend nearby will help. The useful result is a care arrangement that remains workable when somebody is delayed or unwell. ## Make meals and supplies unambiguous Write the exact food name, amount, measuring method, and usual feeding locations. Explain which instructions come from a veterinary plan, and keep those instructions with the relevant product. Leave enough familiar food and litter for the trip plus a reasonable allowance for delays, without changing the diet just to simplify shopping. In a home with several cats, explain how the sitter can tell who has eaten. Individual bowls do not guarantee individual intake if one cat regularly finishes everybody’s food. Demonstrate any separate-room feeding arrangement or existing feeder and explain what to do if it does not work as expected. Label supplies clearly, including where opened food is stored and how utensils are cleaned. Do not leave a selection of similar unmarked containers and expect the sitter to recognize them. If an item runs out unexpectedly, agree how substitutions will be handled. Changes that affect a prescribed diet or treatment should be discussed with the veterinary team, not improvised from whatever happens to be available. ![Unbranded food pouch, bowl, kibble, and blank notebook on a counter.](https://coricat.com/assets/images/reading-cat-food-labels-1280.webp) Identify exact foods and measuring methods so the sitter does not have to guess from packaging color. Illustrative image · AI-generated. ## Explain what a normal visit looks like The sitter needs to know the cat as an individual. Describe favorite resting places, usual greetings, preferred games, and interactions the cat dislikes. Explain that a shy cat should not be pulled from a retreat for a photograph. A calm visit can include quiet company and a check that resources are used, without demanding affection. At the same time, the sitter should have an agreed way to confirm every cat is present and assess whether anything seems wrong. A bowl that is empty does not prove that each cat has eaten. Show ordinary hiding places and discuss what should happen if one cat cannot be located or appears markedly different from normal. Choose updates that are useful rather than burdensome. A concise message might include meals, litter observations, behavior, and anything needing attention. Agree which concerns require an immediate call rather than waiting for the routine update. Clear expectations help the sitter act promptly without feeling they must diagnose a problem themselves. ## Put emergency decisions in writing Leave the regular practice and out-of-hours veterinary numbers, the clinic address, and your cat’s identifying details. Tell the practice that another person will be caring for the cat and ask what authorization or account arrangements they require. Requirements differ, so confirm the process directly rather than assuming a written note will cover every situation. Discuss transport, payment, and how to reach you. Name a backup decision-maker for times when you are on a flight or outside phone coverage. Give the sitter clear instructions to seek urgent veterinary advice for an apparent emergency even if you cannot immediately answer. The plan should reduce delay, not require a chain of unanswered messages before a call can be made. Keep personal and financial information private and share only what is needed for the arrangement. Store the handover somewhere the sitter can find without searching through your belongings. Check that phone numbers work and that the clinic location is correct before departure; an old saved address can create avoidable confusion under pressure. ![Cream cat inside a closed carrier beside a phone and keys.](https://coricat.com/assets/images/when-your-cat-needs-urgent-help-1280.webp) Show the sitter where the carrier is and confirm the emergency contacts and decision arrangements. Illustrative image · AI-generated. ## Walk through access and escape prevention A trial visit should include the front door, keys, alarms, internal doors, and any equipment the sitter will use. Explain where the cat tends to wait when somebody arrives. If one animal rushes toward the entrance, demonstrate the established way to manage that situation while keeping everyone safely contained. Show which windows must stay closed, how any enclosure is secured, and which rooms are off limits. Make clear that the sitter should not introduce new outdoor access or experiment with a balcony arrangement. Check that the carrier is accessible rather than locked in a cupboard whose key is traveling with you. Test the backup access plan as well. A second key is useful only if the authorized person can obtain it. Agree what to do if the sitter cannot enter, the alarm behaves unexpectedly, or a door lock fails. These practical details can be resolved calmly in advance instead of becoming an urgent problem while a cat is waiting for care. ## Write a handover someone can use at a glance Organize the final document around decisions the sitter will actually make. Put emergency contacts and the cat’s name first, then the visit routine, meals, litter care, and any prescribed instructions. Add a photograph for each cat in a shared household. Use the names written on products and doors so the document matches the home. For example, a feeding note can say which bowl belongs in which room, how the measured portion is prepared, and how the sitter checks that the intended cat ate it. A behavior note can say that the cat usually watches from a bedroom chair and prefers company at a distance. These details are more actionable than “feed as usual” or “she is shy.” Date the document and remove outdated copies. Ask the sitter to explain the routine back during the practice visit, then correct anything unclear. Keep later updates in the same agreed place. A concise main page with a clearly labeled veterinary-care attachment is often easier to use than a long message history. ## Takeaway A useful handover makes both normal care and unexpected decisions clearer. ## Care caution Prescription instructions should come from your veterinary team. Arrange a suitably experienced caregiver if a cat has medical needs. ## Sources - [Cats Protection — Going on holiday](https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/going-on-holiday) Educational guidance, not diagnosis or treatment.