What should I leave out for a cat sitter?
Leave enough of your cat's usual food and water, a full litter supply with scoop and bags, your cell number and a backup contact, your vet and an emergency hospital, a copy of the rabies certificate, and a note on routines and house access. Put it all in one place, labelled, so the sitter never has to guess.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Set out food and water
Leave the cat's usual food, bowls and any medication in one place, with portions, times and doses written on a note.
Step 2: Stock the litter station
Leave a full bag of the cat's usual litter, a scoop, waste bags and a lidded bin, and say where waste goes.
Step 3: Write the contact sheet
List your cell number, a backup person, your vet's phone and address and the nearest emergency animal hospital.
Step 5: Explain access and routines
Give the key, alarm code and entry door, and write down the rooms, hiding spots and habits that are normal for your cat.
Step 6: Tell your vet
Tell your vet's office who will be caring for the cat and what you authorise the sitter to approve.
The short list for a cat sitter is food, water, litter, your contact details and your vet's, a note on routines, and a clear path to everything the sitter needs. Put it all in one spot, usually on the kitchen counter, so nothing depends on a text message you will not see on the plane.
Virginia law gives you a useful checklist. Among other things, an owner must provide each companion animal with adequate feed, adequate water, adequate shelter that is properly cleaned, adequate exercise, and veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or disease transmission.[1] Your sitter is standing in for you on every one of those, so leave out what they need to do each.
Food and water
Leave enough food for the whole trip plus a few extra days, measured out if your cat gets a set portion. Write the brand, the amount, the number of meals and where the food is kept. If your cat has a special diet or medication, say so in plain words and put the medication next to the food with the dose and time on a label.
Set out the bowls you normally use and tell the sitter how you want them washed. Mention any cat quirks, such as a cat that drinks only from a fountain or ignores a bowl that has been touched.
Litter
Leave a full bag of the litter your cat uses, a scoop, waste bags and a lidded bin, and say where the sitter should dispose of the waste. A cat that dislikes a change of litter may stop using the box, so do not swap brands just before you travel. Virginia law also expects shelter that is properly cleaned,[1] which for a cat mostly means a clean litter box every visit.
Contacts and vet details
Write down your cell number, a second person who can make decisions if you cannot be reached, your vet's name, address and phone number, and the nearest emergency animal hospital. If you want the sitter to be able to authorise treatment, say so in writing and say how much you are comfortable with. Tell your vet's office, too.
Add your cat's microchip number and a recent photo. If a cat slips out of a door, those two things save time.
Paperwork worth leaving
Virginia law says the owner of every cat four months of age and older must keep it currently vaccinated for rabies.[2] The owner must also furnish the vaccination certificate within a reasonable period of time when an animal control officer or another official asks for it.[2] Leave a copy of the certificate with your vet details so the sitter can produce it if someone asks.
A locality can also require cat licences. Virginia law lets the governing body of a locality prohibit owning a cat four months old or older unless the cat is licensed.[3] Check with your county or city, and if your cat is licensed, leave the tag on the collar and the number in your notes.
Access and the house
Give the sitter the key, the alarm code and the door they should use. Say which rooms the cat can enter, where the cat hides when it is nervous, and which windows or doors tend to be left open. Tell them about the trash day, the thermostat setting and the spare towel for accidents.
Leave a short note on what is normal for your cat: when it eats, how it behaves at feeding, where it sleeps and what it does when it wants to be left alone. A sitter who knows normal can spot a difference quickly.
Steps before you leave
The list above comes down to a few jobs the day before you go, and the steps at the top of this page walk through them in order. Do them a day early so you still have time to buy anything that is missing.
Stop and call a pro if
You do not need a licence to hire a cat sitter, but some situations need a vet, not a sitter. Call your vet before you leave if your cat is ill, needs daily medication you have never given, or has never been left alone. Tell the sitter to call your vet or an emergency animal hospital if the cat stops eating, hides unusually or seems in pain, and make sure they have the number.
Next steps
If you are still choosing a sitter, read is a cat sitter better than boarding and how much a cat sitter costs in Virginia. You can browse more pet services answers or find pet services near you.
When you are ready, describe what you need once and local sitters can respond.
Common questions
- How much food should I leave for a cat sitter?
- Leave the portions your cat normally gets, measured out and labelled by meal, plus a few extra days of food in case your trip runs long. Write the brand and where it is kept. Virginia law lists adequate feed and adequate water among what an owner must provide, so the sitter should never have to guess.
- Should I leave my vet's number for a cat sitter?
- Yes. Leave your vet's name, address and phone, plus the nearest emergency animal hospital. Virginia law includes veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering or disease transmission among an owner's duties, so decide ahead of time who can authorise care when you cannot be reached.
- Does a cat sitter need proof of my cat's rabies vaccination?
- It helps to leave a copy. Virginia law requires cats four months and older to be currently vaccinated for rabies, and the owner must furnish the certificate when an animal control officer or other official asks for it. A copy on the counter lets the sitter handle that request.
- Do I need a licence for my cat in Virginia?
- It depends on where you live. State law lets each locality decide whether to require cat licences, so check with your county or city. If yours does, leave the tag on the collar and the number in your notes.
- Should I change my cat's litter before a trip?
- Usually not. A new litter is a change a cat may not accept, so leave the brand your cat already uses and a fresh supply for the whole trip.
Sources
- [1] Va. Code § 3.2-6503, Care of companion animals by owner; penalty, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] Va. Code § 3.2-6521, Rabies inoculation of companion animals; availability of certificate; rabies clinics, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Va. Code § 3.2-6524, Unlicensed dogs prohibited; ordinances for licensing cats, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
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