The Feeding Facts a First-Time Carer Cannot Guess
Exact feeding information is the first thing a new carer needs for a Domestic Shorthair. Write down what food is fed, how much at each meal, at what times, and where the food and bowls are kept. Include treats honestly, including any table scraps your household allows or forbids, because a generous sitter improvising in this area is the most common source of an upset stomach and a confused routine.
Add water details too: bowl locations, how often to refresh, and whether your cat prefers a fountain or a particular bowl. Note any foods that must never be offered, and where a spare supply lives if a stay runs longer than planned.
Litter, Hiding Spots, and the Geography of Your Home
A Domestic Shorthair's home geography is individual knowledge no breed guide can supply. Tell the carer where litter boxes are, how often to scoop, and where supplies and disposal bags live. Then map the hiding spots: under the spare bed, behind the water heater, inside the wardrobe. A sitter who knows the usual refuges will not panic during the first quiet hour, and will recognise the difference between normal retreating and a cat that truly cannot be found.
Include door and window habits as well. If your Shorthair darts for the front door, bolts at the vacuum, or must stay out of one room, the carer needs those facts before the first evening, not after an escape attempt teaches them.
Handling, Play, and the Cat's Social Rules
Explain how this particular Domestic Shorthair likes people. Some are lap cats within minutes; others accept one stroke and retire. Tell the sitter the signs your cat gives when it has had enough, where it likes to be touched, whether it can be picked up, and how it responds to visitors, children, or other pets in the home.
Play preferences help a first stay go well. Name the favourite toy, the usual play times, and the games to avoid, such as hand-wrestling a cat that gets overstimulated. A carer who can offer the right kind of attention builds trust quickly, and a cat that trusts the sitter eats, drinks, and relaxes far sooner.
Health Notes and When to Call for Help
Share current health information in plain language: ongoing conditions the vet is monitoring, recent illnesses or injuries, appetite or litter changes to watch for, and any behaviours that would worry you, such as hiding combined with refusing food. Be specific about thresholds: what can wait for a message to you, and what should trigger an immediate call to the vet.
Provide the vet clinic's name, address, and phone number, an emergency or out-of-hours option, and your own contact details plus a backup person nearby with a key. State clearly that the carer has your permission to seek urgent veterinary care if you cannot be reached, so no one hesitates in a real emergency.
Put It in Writing and Walk It Through Once
A doorstep conversation evaporates; a written handover for a Domestic Shorthair endures. Leave the feeding, litter, hiding, handling, and health notes as one document the carer can re-read at midnight, and walk through the home once together, opening the food cupboard, showing the carrier, and pointing out the refuges. Invite questions on that walk, because first-time carers often remember to ask only when they see the setup.
Update the document after the stay with anything the carer reports learning. Passing that same briefing to a sitter or boarder through KinsLe using a Care Pass for your Domestic Shorthair gives them temporary, clear access to the routine and key details exactly when they need them.