Dear Miss Behavin’:
I have a business trip planned in a few weeks and my cats usually get stressed when I’m gone, even with a pet-sitter. How can I help them to be more comfortable when I’m away?

Any type of change in the home, whether leaving for a trip, moving to a new home, or rearranging the furniture, can cause stress in cats. This is mostly due to cats being creatures of habit and gaining comfort and security from an environment with less change and more stability. So having your pet-sitter stick to your routine as closely as possible is key.
If your cats are already finicky with change, try to have your pet-sitter come over for a few trial runs. The first session could be a meet and greet between the sitter and your cats, letting the cats become familiar with the sitter and vice versa. This is a good time to go over any changes in the cats’ routines, diet and feeding schedules, medication, sleeping arrangements, favorite toys, and behavior quirks. It’s also a great way for the cats and the sitter to bond while you’re still around and the cats are less stressed.
The next trial could be having the pet-sitter come over and actually perform the daily routine that you would normally do, including feeding, medicating, litterbox cleaning, playing together, and any other activities that are important to the well-being of your cats. If there is a particular spot where they like to eat, or prefer having their food warmed up in the microwave, these details can be helpful for the pet-sitter and in maintaining the cats’ routines. If it’s easier, create a hand-out for each cat with the following:

• Preferred foods, feeding times, which bowls to use, warm or cold food, any treat toppers
• Location of litterboxes, type and depth of litter, cleaning practices for the litterbox and any accidents
• Consider using a pill box for daily AM or PM medications and instructions on how to administer
• Emergency contact information: your vet, a 24 hour emergency vet, and a family or friend’s contact that would have a spare key
• Where transport carriers and crates are located, and any specific handling techniques for loading the cats
• Behavioral quirks including hiding places when scared, if either cat gets overstimulated easily, what to do in case of a scratch or bite

Keeping this information handy for the pet-sitter and developing a relationship between them and your cats, will ensure a safe low stress environment for while you’re away.