Leaving your cat in someone else’s care can be nerve-wracking, especially if your feline friend tends to be shy, anxious, or particularly attached to their routine. Whether you’re heading off for a weekend getaway or an extended holiday, finding the right person to care for your cat at home is crucial for peace of mind.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything a sitter should have in their toolkit, from calming techniques to checklists and communication tips. We’ll also help you weigh the pros and cons between using a sitter and placing your cat in a cattery, with insights tailored to different feline personalities. If you’re based in the UK, especially in busy cities like London, knowing what to look for in a sitter can make all the difference.
We’ve also included advice on preparing your cat for a new caregiver, finding someone with experience in dealing with anxious cats, and what to include in your sitter’s instructions. Whether you’re new to cat sitting or just looking to improve your setup, this guide has you covered.
Key tips for every purr-fect situation
1. How to Prepare My Cat for a New Sitter
Preparation starts days before your departure.
- Familiarisation visits: Ask your sitter to come in advance for short visits. This builds trust and allows your cat to adjust to a new person and smell.
- Rehearse routines: Keep feeding times, play sessions, and post-meal cuddles consistent. Consistency helps reduce stress.
- Document everything: Print a clear schedule covering meal times, meds, vet contacts, and emergency authorisations.
- Comfort items: Leave worn t-shirts or blankets. The familiar scent gives anxious cats a sense of security.
By focusing on tasks like familiarisation visits and scent reminders, you’re actively reducing separation anxiety, ideal fodder for searchers wanting how to prepare my cat for a new sitter support.
2. Is It Better to Hire a Cat Sitter or Use a Cattery?
This decision depends on your cat’s personality, routine, and your own travel plans:
- In-home care: Cats stay in familiar surroundings. No cage time and no disruption to litter habits.
- Flexible visits: Quick daily visits or overnight stays, customised to your cat’s need for presence.
- Custom care: Ideal for administering medications, caring for elderly or anxious cats, or maintaining complex feeding routines.
- Cattery Option
- Constant supervision: Best suited for short trips, especially for cats needing regular monitoring or vaccinations.
- Social structure: While some cats thrive with kitten companions, others find unfamiliar surroundings stressful.
- Peace of mind: With trained staff, liability insurance, and secure environments, catteries provide reassurance, if your cat thrives in a kennel-like setting.
How to Choose
Ask yourself:
- Does your cat prefer familiarity or handle novelty well?
- Is your schedule flexible enough to support multiple cat-sitter visits?
- Are there medical needs requiring routine check-ins?
Whether you choose Cat sitting or a safe overnight cattery, matching the option to your cat’s temperament and your travel habits is the key takeaway.
3. Hiring an Experienced Cat Sitter for Anxious Cats
An anxious cat needs more than food and a clean litter tray, the sitter must be calm, understanding, and skilled in feline behaviour.
What to Watch For:
- Behaviour credentials: Look for Cat sitter profiles that mention kitten socialisation, reactive-cat experience, or specialised training.
- Calm communication style: Your sitter should respect your cat’s boundaries, using slow body language and quiet tones.
- Experience verification tip below: We’ll cover verifying sitter reliability.
Benefits:
- Reduces stress-induced behaviours like excessive grooming or hiding.
- Helps anxious cats maintain routines during life changes, especially in multi-pet households.
4. How to Verify a Cat Sitter’s Experience and References
Peace of mind comes from thorough vetting. Here’s how to validate your potential sitter:
- Request references: Ask for at least two recent clients, ideally those with similar needs (anxious cats, medical care, etc.).
- Check social proof: Do they have Facebook reviews, Google feedback, or pet community endorsement?
- Interview checklist:
- Ask about specific behaviours: “How would you handle hiding or wetting?”
- Inquire about time flexibility: “Can you visit multiple times when snow disrupts schedules?”
- Trial run: Pay for a test visit and ask how the cat behaved. Did your sitter follow your care routine and send a report?
- Formalise responsibilities: Use a written agreement covering services, costs, emergency care, insurance, and cancellation policy.
This section perfectly supports visitors who want to know how to verify a cat sitter’s experience and references.
5. What to Include in the Cat Sitter’s Toolkit
A well-prepared sitter toolkit ensures your cat gets the best care.
- Daily checklist: Log meals, litter inspections, medications, activities, and any quirky behaviours.
2. Safe spaces and enrichment: Guide on hiding boxes, scratching posts, toys, and at least two feeding stations.
3. Secure Duo: Provide spare keys so backups can step in if needed.
4. Cleaning extras: Keep stock of towels, diapers, clothes, and multiple litter scoops in the event of accidents.
5. Emergency resources: Provide vet, out-of-hours service, allergic advice, poison helpline, and any behavioural helpline number.
6. Communication: The Stress-Free Secret
Open communication enhances trust in the cat sitter-client relationship. Best communications include:
- Daily updates: Ask for photos or short voice notes after each visit.
- Emergency clarity: Clarify spend threshold and medication permissions.
- Post-care review: Invite your sitter to share how the cat seemed, if anything stood out; this enhances service quality and encourages repeat bookings.
Conclusion
Finding the right person to look after your cat isn’t just about availability; it’s about trust, experience, and making sure your pet feels safe and comfortable in your absence. Whether you’re still wondering “is it better to hire a cat sitter or use a cattery?” or you’ve already decided that a cat sitter is the way to go, the key is preparation.
From knowing how to prepare your cat for a new sitter to choosing someone experienced with anxious cats, small details make a big difference. A thoughtful setup, a clear care guide, and good communication can turn a good experience into a great one for both you and your cat.
If you’re looking for a reliable cat sitter in London or nearby, start with someone who truly understands what your cat needs. The right cat sitting experience isn’t just about feeding bowls and litter trays, it’s about care, patience, and building trust.
