Build the schedule around the carer's day
A holiday carer is fitting your cat into an unfamiliar routine, often visiting at the edges of their own working day. A schedule that only lists clock times forces them to translate; a schedule anchored to the visit itself is far harder to get wrong. Write each entry with both — the time, and the moment in the visit it belongs to, such as on arrival, after feeding, or just before leaving.
List the entries in the order they should happen across the day, earliest first, rather than grouping them by type. A carer works through a visit from top to bottom; the page should match that walk through your home, from the first task to the last check before the door closes.
Describe each entry so it cannot be misread
For each item on the schedule, write four things in the same order every time: when it is due, its name copied exactly as it appears on its label, how you give it described in plain steps as you actually do it, and what to do if your cat refuses or the moment goes wrong. Consistency is the safety feature — when every entry follows the same pattern, an entry that breaks the pattern stands out to the carer as something to query.
Describe your real technique, not an idealised one. If your cat takes something hidden in a particular food, say which food and how you prepare it. If she must be approached a certain way, or if a second pair of hands helps, write that down too. Never alter amounts or timing from what your vet has directed, and if anything about the written instructions from the clinic is unclear to you, clarify it with the clinic before the holiday rather than leaving the carer to interpret it.
Add a tick-off record, not just instructions
Instructions tell the carer what should happen; a record proves what did. Leave a simple grid beside the schedule — date, entry, and a box to tick or initial once each one is given. That grid protects everyone: the carer is never left wondering at an evening visit whether the morning one was completed by someone else, and you return to a clear account instead of a verbal summary.
Add a line for notes and tell the carer to use it freely. A missed or refused entry, a cat who seemed off her food, or a visit that ran late should all be written there at the time, not reconstructed later. Honest notes are what let your vet make sense of the holiday period if questions arise afterwards.
Rehearse it before the keys change hands
Sit with the carer and the schedule before the holiday and walk through it once, in your home, with the items in front of you both. Let them handle the packaging, find where everything is stored, and ask the questions that only appear when theory meets your actual kitchen. Then leave your contact details and your vet's number at the head of the same pages.
Sharing that schedule ahead through a KinsLe Care Pass gives your holiday sitter temporary, clear access to the timed routine and the key details around it, so the version they rehearse from is the version they follow while you are away.