Build a sitter file that lets someone run your cat's normal day without guessing. A good file is not a fond essay about her personality; it is a working document a reliable friend, neighbour or professional sitter can follow at seven in the morning, in your kitchen, while your cat watches from a doorway and decides whether this person can be trusted.
Identity, temperament and how she hides
Open with her name, age, colour and markings, a clear recent photograph, microchip details where held, and whether she is indoor-only, written so there is no room for interpretation. Add where she hides when a stranger arrives, how long she usually takes to appear, where she likes to be stroked, whether she can be picked up, and any handling she dislikes. Note door behaviour honestly: a cat who darts for an opening door needs a sitter who knows that before carrying shopping through it.
Include social facts that shape a visit: whether she is used to children, dogs or other cats in the house, whether a second cat in the home is fed separately, and any rooms where she is not allowed or where she tends to get shut in accidentally, such as a garage or a spare-room wardrobe.
Feeding, water and litter, with amounts
Write food type, exact amounts per meal, feeding times, where food and bowls are kept, and how to store an opened pack. State treats separately, with a limit, and name any food that must never be offered. If she grazes, say how much is put down for the day and what a normal leftover looks like, so a sitter can tell the difference between her usual picking and a day of not eating.
Cover water in the same detail: bowl or fountain, where each is, how often to wash and refill, and any place she prefers to drink. For litter, give tray locations, litter type, scooping frequency, where waste goes, where spare litter and bags live, and what to do about a miss outside the tray. A sitter who knows the normal litter routine spots a change in urination, diarrhoea or a cat avoiding the tray far sooner than one who was told only to keep it clean.
Health, medication and permission to act
List ongoing conditions, allergies, recent treatment and the signs your vet has asked you to watch for, in plain language. Write your usual vet's name, address and number, the out-of-hours service, and what to do first for the problems a sitter can plausibly face, such as not eating, repeated vomiting, straining in the tray or an injury after a fall.
If she takes medication, record the medication, timing and how it is given exactly as your vet directed, how she usually takes it, and who to call if she refuses a dose; never leave a sitter to guess, substitute or change a dose. Then add the permission section in writing: the sitter may take her to the vet and authorise emergency care on your behalf, how you will handle payment or reimbursement as arranged, your phone number, and a backup contact who can decide if you cannot be reached.
The home itself, and a daily check-in rhythm
Finish with household instructions that protect the cat as much as the house: keys and alarm details, carrier location, windows and doors that stay closed, cleaning products or plants to keep away from her, heating or cooling settings she is used to, and where torches and the fuse box are if the power fails. Agree how the sitter will update you, such as a short daily message with a photo, what a normal update should confirm (ate, drank, used the tray, seemed herself), and which changes should prompt an immediate call rather than waiting for the evening update.
Through KinsLe's Care Pass, that complete sitter file can be shared as temporary access for the exact dates of a trip, giving your sitter feeding amounts, vet contacts and permission details in one place.