The moment this document matters is the moment you cannot be reached: a phone on silent in a theater, a flight in the air, a signal dead zone on a walking holiday. A cattery holding a vague verbal promise to do whatever is needed has almost nothing; a cattery holding your signed, dated authorization, with a named vet, a specific limit and a contact order, can act in minutes. Set it up as a real document, agreed with the cattery in writing alongside the booking terms, not as a hopeful note added at drop-off.
What the Signed Authorization Must Say
Begin with the basics in plain language: her full name, your name as her owner, the dates of the stay, and the name and practice of your usual vet, with the out-of-hours service the vet directs clients to if it differs. Then state the permission itself without decoration: the cattery may say yes to urgent stabilizing care for her at that named vet, up to the limit you have written, when she needs help fast and you cannot be contacted. Sign it, date it, and print your phone numbers and email beneath the signature so nobody hunts for them. Give the original to the cattery, a copy to your vet so the practice knows the arrangement exists before an emergency call arrives, and keep a photograph of it with your travel documents. If she takes regular medication or has a known condition, name it on the same page, because the vet treating her at speed deserves the whole picture in one place.
Choosing a Limit That Matches a Real Emergency
Pick the figure by pricing the emergency you are actually insuring against, not a routine appointment. An out-of-hours assessment, urgent tests to find the problem, stabilizing treatment and possibly a night under observation add up quickly, so a token sum can run out before the treatment that matters. As a worked example only, many owners might set the limit at $750: enough, in that example, for the assessment and first stabilization while the cattery keeps trying the contact order, without handing over open-ended approval for major surgery in your absence. Your figure may sit higher or lower once you ask your vet what stabilization typically involves for a cat of her age and health, and asking that question before you travel is part of doing this properly. State plainly what the limit excludes as well, such as major operations or ongoing treatment beyond stabilization, which wait for your direct decision unless delay would cost her life or serious suffering, and say so in those words if that is your wish.
The Contact Order and the Paper Trail
Write the contact order as a sequence the cattery follows before spending against the limit: first you, called and messaged on both numbers; then your named backup, a person who knows her, lives within reach and has agreed in advance to decide with the vet if you stay silent; then, if neither responds within the time you specify, the cattery acts on the authorization alone. Confirm the cattery's own agreed terms in writing at the same time: boarding fees, what happens if your return is delayed, and how any vet spending is evidenced and repaid, with itemized receipts kept for you. Ask the cattery to message you the moment the authorization is used, even if the crisis has passed, so the record is complete. While she is boarded, KinsLe's Care Pass lets you hand that named manager her feeding routine, medication notes and vet contacts for exactly the booked dates, and the access ends when you collect her.