The Ultimate In-Home Cat Sitting Guide
for Columbia, MO Cat Owners

What Your Cat Sitter Needs to Know Before You Leave

Daily Feeding: Consistency Is Everything

Cats rely heavily on timing and familiarity. Even small feeding changes can trigger digestive issues or anxiety.

What we need from you before your trip:

• Exact feeding times (we visit on your cat’s schedule, not ours)
• Type of food — wet, dry, or both
• Precise portion sizes (avoid “a scoop” — tell us the exact amount)
• Treat rules and any foods to avoid

Our tip: The more specific you are, the better your cat eats. We’d rather have too much information than too little.

Fresh Water and Clean Bowls

Fresh water in a clean bowl is easy to overlook and critical to your cat’s health.

Tell us:

• Bowl locations
• How often to refresh (we provide fresh water at every visit)
• Fountain instructions, if applicable — we’ll go over these at the meet & greet

Litter Box Care

A neglected litter box is one of the fastest ways to create accidents outside the box. Cats are naturally clean animals.

We scoop at every single visit.

Tell us:

• Litter box location(s)
• Where scooping supplies are stored
• Preferred litter brand and fill level

What we monitor: We watch for changes in bathroom habits — frequency, consistency, or avoidance — and report anything unusual to you right away. These changes can sometimes be early signs of a health issue.

Medication Administration

If your cat requires medication, we take this seriously.

We ask for a visual demonstration at the meet & greet in addition to written instructions. Cats are used to you giving medication. A new person administering it sometimes requires an adjustment — and we want to be prepared before your trip, not during it.

We require:

• Medication name and exact dosage
• Timing and frequency
• Step-by-step administration instructions
• What to do if your cat refuses

We are experienced with oral medications, topical medications, and insulin injections for diabetic cats. If your cat has complex medical needs, see our [Special Needs Pet Care page] for more detail on how we handle advanced care protocols.

Understanding Your Cat’s Personality

No one knows your cat like you do — and we want to get as close to that as possible before you leave.

Share with us:

• Is your cat shy, social, or independent?
• Favorite hiding spots (so we know they’re okay, not missing)
• What they love and what stresses them out
• Any known triggers

Some cats are social butterflies. Others need 10 minutes of quiet before they’ll even acknowledge a visitor exists. We adjust our approach to your cat — not the other way around.

Playtime and Enrichment

Play isn’t optional — it’s essential for mental and physical health. A bored or understimulated cat can become anxious, destructive, or withdrawn.

Tell us:

• Favorite toys and play style
• How long to play each day
• Whether your cat prefers interactive play or independent enrichment

Even 10–15 minutes of engaged playtime per visit makes a measurable difference. For shy cats who aren’t ready to play, we’ll sit quietly with them — reading aloud, speaking calmly — so they feel a presence without pressure.

Home Safety During Your Cat’s Care

Your home becomes our responsibility when you’re away.

Standard rules we always follow:

• All doors and windows remain secure
• Cats stay inside (no outdoor access without explicit prior agreement)
• Small or hazardous items are kept out of reach

Tell us:

• Any rooms or areas that are off-limits
• Known hazards in your home
• Anything about your home’s layout we should know

The more you tell us upfront, the fewer unknowns we’re managing while you’re gone.

Emergency Contacts: The Section We Hope We Never Use

This is the most important section to get right.

We require before every trip:

• Your primary contact information while traveling
• Your regular veterinarian’s name and number
• Your nearest emergency veterinary clinic
• A local backup contact who can access your home
• A designated contact for your pets if you are ever incapacitated or unreachable

Our goal is for you to travel knowing that every scenario — from a skipped meal to a genuine emergency — has a plan attached to it.