Food for a week in the life of an athlete
Pack your Turkish Van's food as seven labelled days plus a spare, because this large, muscular breed eats with an athlete's appetite and a sitter's guesswork will not match your measures. Portion her usual food exactly as you serve it, include her regular treats with a daily ceiling, and note the feeding times that anchor her day. A Van who misses the shape of her routine gets restless fast, and restlessness in this breed means climbing, door-testing, and creative destruction. If she grazes rather than eating set meals, say so and pack the full week's supply in a sealed container the sitter can keep out of reach of a cat who can open an unlatched cupboard.
Toys and scratching gear that protect the sitter's house
Pack entertainment like it matters, because for a Turkish Van it does. Include her favourite wand toy for the long evening session she expects, a couple of solo toys she can hunt and carry, and, if she is staying at the sitter's home and transport allows, her scratching post or a sturdy substitute. A Van without her usual outlets will road-test the sitter's curtains, shelves, and door frames instead. Rotate the packed toys across the week in the written notes, two out at a time, so each evening still offers something that feels fresh. Note where she is allowed to climb and what is genuinely off limits, so the sitter holds the same lines you do.
The water and security notes, packed on top
Place a bold note on top of the bag covering the two Turkish Van hazards a sitter will not guess: water and escapes. State that toilet lids stay down, bathroom doors stay shut, and no filled bath or sink is left with her loose nearby, because many Vans are drawn to water in a way other cats are not. State equally plainly that outside doors and windows need a conscious check at every visit, since a strong, clever Van leans on handles and remembers any latch that gave a little. Ask the sitter to report any attempt, successful or not, the same day, because the second attempt is usually better than the first.
Litter, bedding, and a scent of her own territory
If your Turkish Van is staying away from home, pack her own litter for the week and, if space allows, the tray she already uses, since a familiar toilet setup avoids protest accidents in a strange house. Send the blanket she sleeps on, unwashed, so one corner of the sitter's home smells like hers from the first night. Vans are territorial cats who settle by claiming space, and scent-marked bedding speeds that claim along. Include a spare blanket in case of accidents, and leave irreplaceable items behind.
Vet envelope and the final bag audit
Finish with the vet envelope riding on top: practice name and number, your contacts, a local backup decision-maker, and written permission for the sitter to authorise urgent care, with payment explained. For an athletic Van, list the triggers plainly: not eating at all, repeated vomiting, straining in the tray, limping or reluctance to jump after her usual acrobatics, or a sudden flatness in a cat who is never flat. Audit the packed bag against a full week the day before you leave, imagining the sitter finding only what you packed. Everything she needs to know should already be travelling with the cat, which is the purpose of KinsLe's Care Pass: temporary clear access to a Turkish Van's routine and key details, handed to the sitter while you are away.