Cat-sitter checklist: the holiday handover your cat deserves

A small International Cat Day present with a big payoff

International Cat Day falls on 8 August, right in the middle of UK summer-holiday season. Your cat may prefer a cardboard box to a commemorative gift, so try something more useful: make the handover to their sitter genuinely easy.

A good briefing is not a biography. It is one clear page that answers the questions a responsible person will face at 7am, at teatime and if something does not look right. It also saves you from writing the same hurried WhatsApp messages from the airport.

Your cat is not Kevin McCallister

Home Alone works as a film because Kevin is unusually resourceful and the burglars are unusually bad at their jobs. It is not a cat-care plan. The RSPCA advises never leaving a pet without a responsible person to care for them, while Cats Protection suggests at least twice-daily visits for most cats.

That does not mean every visit looks identical. A confident adult cat may want food, a clean tray, play and a quick health check. A kitten, senior cat or one receiving treatment may need longer or more frequent care. Agree the plan before anyone books a flight.

The one-page cat-sitter mission briefing

Put the essentials in the order a sitter will use them. Keep a printed copy somewhere agreed and send a digital copy they can reach if the paper disappears beneath a cat.

• Contacts: your mobile, a nearby backup person, your usual vet and the out-of-hours service
• Routine: visit times, meal amounts, treats, fresh-water locations, play and quiet time
• Litter: tray locations, preferred litter, scooping routine, waste disposal and what is normal
• Access: tested keys, alarm or door instructions, cat-flap rules and rooms that stay closed
• Health: current needs, medication instructions, known sensitivities and insurance details if relevant
• Emergency plan: carrier location, veterinary consent, transport plan and who can make decisions if you cannot be reached
• Daily update: agree whether you want a short message, photo or call, and what needs reporting immediately

The cat-specific details generic checklists miss

Write down where your cat hides, what their normal appetite looks like and how sociable they usually are. “She is shy” is less useful than “she normally appears when the food cupboard opens, but may watch from under the spare bed.” That gives the sitter a sensible baseline without asking them to diagnose anything.

Be unambiguous about outdoor access. Say whether the cat flap is locked at certain times, whether your cat should remain indoors during the booking and what to do if they do not return as expected. Check that microchip contact details are current before travelling.

Show the sitter where the carrier is and how it opens. Put string, ribbon and fishing-rod toys away when nobody is supervising, then leave safe favourites and a familiar-smelling blanket where your cat chooses to rest.

Medication: write it down and leave no room for improvisation

List each medicine exactly as supplied, with the amount, time, method and storage instructions agreed with your veterinary practice. Demonstrate the routine before the holiday and confirm that the sitter is comfortable carrying it out.

Add a specific instruction for a refused, late or missed dose. That instruction should come from the veterinary practice; the sitter should never guess, double a later dose or substitute a product. Leave enough medication for the booking plus a sensible contingency agreed with the practice.

If your cat becomes unwell, is injured, eats something concerning or behaves noticeably differently, the sitter should contact the named vet or out-of-hours service promptly. A checklist supports that call; it does not replace it.

Home sitter or cattery?

Cats Protection says staying at home is often the least unsettling option for cats, while a well-run cattery can suit others. Think about your cat rather than the holiday brochure: travel tolerance, handling, medical needs, household security and the reliability of the available carer all matter.

For commercial boarding in England, current statutory guidance requires records covering owner and emergency contacts, the usual vet, relevant medical and behavioural history, diet, recent vaccinations and parasite treatments, medication and consent. Licensing differs across the UK, so check the rules and local authority where the cattery operates.

Visit before booking. Ask how staff monitor eating, drinking and litter use, who contacts the vet, what happens in extreme weather and where a cat can hide. A glossy reception is less important than calm, species-appropriate care and a clear emergency plan.

Do a dress rehearsal before departure day

Invite the sitter over while you are still home. Let them use the keys, find the food and litter, practise the routine and meet your cat without a suitcase rolling through the hallway. Cats Protection also recommends having a backup key with someone you trust.

Run through one awkward scenario: the cat will not come in, the medication is refused, the alarm will not set or you cannot be reached. The aim is not to invent disasters. It is to remove the tiny uncertainties that become stressful when you are several hours away.

Make the handover useful, then let it expire

A handover pack contains personal information, so share only what the sitter needs. Avoid leaving insurance documents, full medical histories or spare-key details visible after the booking. Collect paper copies, revoke digital access and update anything that changed when you return.

Wiggly is being built to keep pet profiles, routines, appointments, medicines and vet contacts together. A future holiday handover should let an owner choose the useful fields, share them for a set period and switch access off after the last visit. Until then, a tidy one-page briefing is a very good start.