The Ultimate Cat-Sitter Checklist: How to Prepare for a Purrfect Visit in St. Louis

Maris Miller
Sep 8
4 min read

Headed out of town? Here’s how to prep your cat for a visit from your St. Louis cat sitter—with help from House of Paws!

Whether you're off for a weekend getaway or a long-awaited vacation, leaving your cat in good hands is a must. At House of Paws Pet Care, we specialize in in-home cat sitting services across St. Louis, designed to give your cat cozy care—and give you total peace of mind.

The good news? We keep things simple with our user-friendly app, so all your pet’s info, visit notes, and adorable photo updates are just a tap away. Here’s everything you need to prep for a purrfect visit.

Feeding Instructions: Keep It Routine

Cats love their rituals—and we love sticking to them.

What to prep:

Feeding schedule & portions
Food types (wet, dry, raw)
Treat timing or quirks (like “only eats on the window ledge at 7am”)

How we make it easier:You can store all your cat’s care details in your profile in our app, so you only have to tell us once. We’ll follow it exactly, every visit.

Water, Water Everywhere

Whether they’re fountain lovers or bowl drinkers (or only drink out of the bathtub faucet 😹), hydration is key.

What to share:

Water source locations
How often to refresh
Any quirks (ice cubes? filtered only?)

Bonus: Our sitters log every refresh and detail right in the app—so you know your cat is staying hydrated while you’re away.

The Litter Box Lowdown

Yep, this one’s important. A clean litter box = a happy kitty.

You provide:

Box location(s)
Litter type
Scoop and replace schedule
Any recent litter box changes

How we help: Our cat sitters scoop every visit and monitor for any unusual behavior. We’ll note it all in the visit report you’ll see right on your app dashboard.

Toys & Enrichment = A Happier Cat

Even if your cat isn’t the social butterfly type, enrichment matters.

Tell us about:

Favorite toys or games
Hiding spots
Preferred interaction (laser chase? feather wand? cozy supervision from the couch?)

Bonus: We add a quick recap and sometimes a silly pic from playtime in your visit update—straight through the app.

Medication or Special Care? No Problem.

Many of our feline friends have unique care needs, and we’re fully trained to help.

You provide:

Medication name, dosage, and schedule
Tips for successful admin (e.g., “wrap in turkey” or “approach only when napping”)

Many of our sitters are trained to give insulin injections & sub-q fluids!

How we simplify it: Add this info to your pet profile in the app once—we’ll take it from there and keep you in the loop every visit.

Home Access & Safety Tips

Let’s make sure we can get in, care for your kitty, and keep your home secure.

You provide:

Entry method (key, lockbox, code)
Alarm info
Any rooms off-limits or quirks (creaky door, sensitive lights, etc.)

What makes it easy: All this info lives securely in your app profile, so there’s no need to write out sticky notes or instructions before every trip.

Personality Purr-file

Every cat has a vibe. We want to match it.

Let us know:

Are they shy or social?
Where do they usually nap or hide?
What’s their love language? (Head boops? Silent stares? 😂)

How we help: Our sitters review your cat’s preferences before every visit so we can respect their space—or give them all the love they want.

Daily Updates & Adorable Pics

We know how much you miss them when you’re away. That’s why we keep you in the loop.

You get:

Real-time visit updates
Cute photos
Notes about eating, playing, and behavior

Delivered straight to: You guessed it—your app! No more wondering how things are going.

Where’s the Stuff?

Make sure we know where to find:

Food & treats
Litter & scoop
Brushes, carriers, or calming aids
Cleaning supplies (just in case)

Pro Tip: Add these locations to your pet’s profile and you won’t have to repeat them again. Easy peasy.

Emergency Info

We hope we never need it—but we’re prepared.

You provide:

Your vet’s info (especially if local to St. Louis)
Emergency contact
Travel details or backup communication method
Electrician and plumber information

We’ll: Keep it on hand and act quickly if something comes up—because your pet’s safety is our #1 priority.

Why St. Louis Pet Parents Choose House of Paws for Cat Sitting

At House of Paws, we’re raising the standard of cat sitting in St. Louis. Our trained, trustworthy sitters don’t just show up and scoop—they provide personalized care, daily enrichment, and real-time updates through our app that keeps everything at your fingertips.

✔️ Bonded & insured

✔️ Fear-Free trained

✔️ Cat-obsessed in the best way

✔️ Easy scheduling, seamless updates, total peace of mind