You booked the sitter. Now it's the day before your trip and you're staring at a counter covered in cat food bags wondering what you've forgotten.

Here's the checklist we've seen work best across hundreds of sits.

## Write everything down, even the "obvious" stuff

Your cat's routine is obvious to you. It's not obvious to anyone else. Leave a single printed page (or a shared doc) covering:

- **Feeding**: brand, amount, times, where the food lives, where the bowl lives
- **Water**: where the water fountain is, how often to refill
- **Litter**: where the box is, where the scooper and bags are
- **Medication**: what, when, how (pill pocket? pill in food? direct?)
- **Hiding spots**: the three places your cat likes to disappear to
- **Off-limits areas**: rooms or spaces the cat shouldn't enter

## Leave out more supplies than you think you need

The rule of thumb: enough for your trip + 3 extra days. Trips get extended, flights get cancelled, and nothing is worse for a sitter than realizing they need to go buy food at 9pm.

- Food for trip length + 3 days
- Litter for trip length + 1 week
- Medication for trip length + 5 days
- A backup of any special treats or lickable supplements

## The "cat emergency" list

Somewhere visible (fridge is good), leave:

- Your vet's name, address, and phone
- A 24/7 emergency animal hospital within driving distance
- Your cat's weight and any ongoing conditions
- Written permission for the sitter to authorize up to $X in emergency care (many vets won't treat without this)

## Small things sitters consistently thank you for

- A labeled bin with everything cat-related in one place
- A doorbell camera or clear instructions on key/lockbox
- Wifi password on the counter
- Robot vacuum schedule (so they're not startled)
- Heads-up about loud neighbors, mail carriers, or the cat's specific triggers

## What _not_ to do

- Don't change feeding brands or times the week before you leave. Cats under stress + a new food = stomach issues the sitter has to clean up.
- Don't assume the sitter will "just figure it out" with medication. Write it. Demo it if you can.
- Don't leave the sitter guessing on photo/video updates. Tell them what you want, most good sitters prefer clear expectations.