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Getting
Ready for Your Cat Sitter
Provide a neatly printed or typed handout for your cat
sitter. Clip a twenty dollar bill to the handout in case
the sitter needs anything extra (cat food, litter,
cleaning supplies, etc.). Here's what should be included
in the handout:
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Name of each cat: coloring/fur, whether the cat is
friendly or hides, special diet, medication, likes and
dislikes, favorite toys, favorite hiding places.
Where you will be, with phone numbers.
Road travel or flight itinerary, hotel itinerary.
Name and number of a neighbor who has a spare key.
Name and number of your vet and, if you have one in your
area, your 24 hour emergency clinic.
Details about feeding - how much, how often, where food
is stored.
Details about litter boxes - where they are located,
where to dispose used litter, where fresh litter is
stored.
Details about plant care, picking up newspapers and
mail.
Details about the house - example, should closet doors
remain open, lights to remain on, toilet seats stay
lowered, etc.
All emergency phone numbers (including 911 or police
direct dial and fire direct dial).
Start looking for a cat sitter NOW . . . Do not wait
till the last minute. You'll want someone in mind for
when you do have to travel or have to leave town
unexpectedly.
Obtain at least FIVE referrences from the sitter.
Ask the sitter how many cats/homes he/she visits a day.
If he/she is doing a ton of homes back-to-back, there's
no way that he/she can deal with an emergency at YOUR
house or notice if one of YOUR cats is sick.
Tell the sitter at what time he/she MUST come to your
home. If you think he/she won't do it - find someone
else.
Don't hire a cat sitter who drives a vehicle which
advertises that he/she is a cat sitter - this tells
every thief in town that you are gone.
If the sitter is going to be sleeping over at your
house, make sure the linens are clean (freshly made bed,
nice towels, etc.) and the fridge and pantry are stocked
with food for easy meal preparation. Make sure the TV is
easy to use and the phone is accessible.
Leave with your vet a credit card number in case of an
emergency and provide the sitter's name with the
understanding that the sitter will be acting in your
place.
Cat carrier(s) should be out and easy to find - tell the
cat sitter exactly where they are.
Have an emergency medical kit for humans available for
the sitter in case of minor injuries.
Leave a note pad and pen for the sitter's use.
Leave your phone number(s) in a prominent place in the
den or kitchen.
Cat food, opener, clean bowls, etc. should be located in
an easily accessible place - be sure to show the sitter
where these items are kept.
Have more cat food than will be needed - just in case.
Instruct the sitter to rinse out the food cans or other
containers and put them in the recycling.
Instruct the sitter what to do in case there's an ant
invasion.
Have cat litter (and if used, liners) right near the
litter pans; don't make the sitter haul them from the
basement or garage.
Have a bunch of bags for soiled litter near the extra
litter.
Have a trash can nearby so that the sitter can easily
get rid of the soiled litter.
Make sure your door key/lock works. Have the sitter test
the key in your presence.
Show the sitter how to use your burglar alarm, leave
written instructions on how to arm/disarm, and notify
your alarm company about the sitter.
Make sure that the sitter knows to dead bolt the door,
both coming and going.
Don't pay 100% up front - give the sitter incentive to
do a good job.
Make sure the sitter clearly understands your rules -
for example, rinsing out empty cans, no bringing over of
friends or children (that's VERY IMPORTANT), no
long-distance calls, no trying to find or drag out from
under the bed scared cats. If you are a neat freak, TELL
THE SITTER.
Hide your jewelry and cash.
Tell your neighbors what the sitter looks like so they
don't think he/she's a burglar.
If your plane is delayed or you are behind schedule on
the road, CALL THE SITTER.
Did you put the cat sitter's name and number in your
wallet? Planes can be delayed and he/she'll need to
know.
Call him/her when you get home.
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