A meet-and-greet does two jobs at once: it lets the sitter meet the cat while the cat is calm and you are present, and it turns the knowledge in your head into instructions another person can actually follow. Treat it as a working rehearsal rather than a chat. Walk, show and demonstrate, because a sitter who has opened the food cupboard and found the carrier once will not be searching for either during a real visit.
The Care Brief Itself
Cover her care end to end, in the order a visit unfolds. Start with feeding: what she eats, how much of it, and when each meal happens, including where bowls are washed and where opened food is stored. Continue with litter duties, which trays the sitter cleans, how waste is disposed of, and where spare litter lives. Add water, which bowls get refreshed and whether she prefers a particular bowl or spot. Describe play, what she enjoys, how long a session usually lasts, and any game that overexcites her. Then cover approach rules: how she likes to be approached, whether she chooses contact or prefers to be left to come forward, and where petting should stop. Name her hiding places, so a sitter who cannot see her checks those spots calmly instead of assuming an escape, and list her dislikes plainly, from vacuum noise to being picked up, so the sitter can plan around them.
The House Walkthrough and the Contacts
Walk the house together rather than describing it from the sofa. Show the sitter the cupboard holding her food, where spare litter is kept, the carrier's usual place and the emergency folder's home, opening each one so the locations become physical memories. Point out which doors stay shut during every visit, including doors to rooms with hazards, open windows or escape routes, and show any fragile or dangerous items the sitter should know about. Hand over contacts in writing: your own number, a backup person who can reach the house, and the vet's details. Define what counts as an emergency in plain terms, such as refusing all food, an injury, an escape, or signs of illness you name together, and agree what the sitter should do first in each case, including taking her to the vet rather than waiting for your reply. Show the sitter where keys, alarms and heating controls are handled, if those form part of the visit.
Confirm the Paid Terms in Writing
A short trial visit is worth arranging before any long booking. Have the sitter run one ordinary visit while you go out briefly, following the brief exactly, then talk through what matched the brief and what surprised them. Surprises are useful information: the tray that is heavier than expected, the door that sticks, the hiding place she chose that day. Adjust the written brief after the trial rather than assuming the first version was complete.
Because this brief leads to a paid booking, get the provider's agreed terms confirmed in writing before the booking begins: the dates and number of visits, what each visit includes, the fee, and what happens if you are delayed coming home. Written terms protect the cat as much as either person, since nobody is reconstructing an arrangement from memory mid-booking. Agree also that the sitter messages you after each visit during the first days, saying whether she ate, used the tray and seemed herself, so early worries surface while they are small. Watch how the sitter is with her during the meeting itself, and trust hesitation you cannot explain; a careful brief cannot fix a poor match. Once terms are agreed in writing, KinsLe can support the handover: Care Pass grants that particular sitter temporary access limited to the booking window you set.