Keeping Your Cats Safe at Home While on Vacation

_{All photos on this page are by the author, sockii, unless provided by Amazon.}

Just because your friend has met your cats before doesn't mean she knows exactly how you want her to take care of them. Arrange a time when she can stop by and you can go through your feeding routine, cat box cleaning care and any medications your cats are on, if necessary. Show her where you store cat food, spare litter, clean food bowls and medicine. If certain cats need to be fed in certain locations in the house, explain and show her where.

Cats are very much creatures of habit and it will minimize their stress while you're gone if their routine is followed as closely as possible by the sitter. I like to leave the sitter a written instruction sheet as a checklist, so she can have something to reference while taking care of my cats.

A friend may know your cats well, but a newly hired professional cat-sitter may not. When you have your sitter over to go through your routine, make sure he sees and meets each of your cats, at least briefly. If some are more shy than others, explain as much so the sitter won't become upset if he does not see the a certain cat each time he stops by. Indicate if any cats have favorite toys which may lure them out of hiding, as well as regular hiding spots and behaviors for which to watch out (I had a cat once who, out of annoyance when I'd be away, used to use my bathtub as his litter box. If not kept out of the bathroom I would return home to quite the mess.)

While basic cat care may be simple, your cats will grow lonely and anxious if left by themselves for too long - especially if you have only one single cat.

Make sure you have someone coming over at least every other day to do litter box duty, change water bowls and refill dry food. Cats who eat wet food should get fresh food every day, and daily visits will help make sure your cats don't get into unexpected trouble or injure themselves without someone there to rescue them, if need be.

If you have a security system and decide to leave it on while you are away - a wise choice to make - be sure your cat-sitter knows how to turn it on and off when he enters.

Many security systems will allow you to program in a specific user code, separate from your primary one, which you can assign to the sitter and de-activate or change once you get back home. Even so, be sure too that they have the right contact information in case an alarm event happens, so they don't end up being interrogated by the police (or you receiving a fine for a false alarm.)

Also, if you have any "tricky" or sticky locks in your home, be sure your sitter has been made aware of this and can successfully open (and close) your doors when he enters and leaves.

Keep it simple for your sitter by pre-measuring bags of dry food for your cats, especially if any are on restricted diets and you don't want excessive food to go to waste. Make stacks of wet food cans, one for each day you will be gone, to make it easier for the sitter to know exactly how much food to put out for your cats.

Ensure that your cat-sitter knows how to contact you in case of any emergencies, such as a sick cat or a problem in your home. Leave him your hotel/lodging name and phone number, your cell phone number, and any other local contact information you might have available.

Also, you may wish to provide the name and phone number of a friend who lives near your house and has a set of your keys, in case the sitter gets locked out or cannot make it to your home for any reason. Having such a "back-up plan" for your cats' care is always a good idea.

Also don't forget to let your cat sitter know which veterinarian or pet hospital has your pets' records and information. If something were to happen while you are away, you want to make sure the sitter can take your cat to someone who has detailed records of any past medical issues, vaccinations and history since you can't be there to answer such questions.

Should your cat-sitter need to rush your pet to a veterinarian or buy emergency supplies, it is a good idea to leave her with a small supply of cash for such needs. $100-200 should suffice, in a safe, hidden place you tell her about in advance.

You may have an indoor/outdoor cat, but do not assume that he would be fine with being left outside for days or weeks on end without you!

If you cannot find a cat-sitter you trust to have access to your house, board your cat at a pet hospital or with a reputable boarding service instead. A beloved pet should not be forced to deal with the elements and scavenge for food, lacking the shelter of home and feeling abandoned.