Cats have a reputation for being low-maintenance — but if you’ve got two, three, or more sharing a home, you know that’s not quite the whole story. Multiple litter boxes, different feeding schedules, one cat who hides and one who “helps” unpack your suitcase — a great sitter needs the full picture before you leave town, not a quick rundown at the door.
Whether you’re heading out of town or just want your regular in-home cat care visits to run smoothly, here’s a checklist of what your sitter actually needs to know about a multi-cat household.
1. Feeding: Who Eats What, Where, and When
In multi-cat homes, feeding is rarely one-size-fits-all. Your sitter should know:
- Each cat’s food type, brand, and portion size
- Whether any cat is on a special or prescription diet
- Where each cat eats (separated feeding stations prevent food-guarding and help you track who’s actually eating)
- Any supplements or medications mixed into food
If one cat eats too fast or tends to steal from the others’ bowls, mention it — a sitter who doesn’t know this might assume everyone ate fine when one cat quietly went without.
2. Litter Box Setup and Scooping Routine
The general guideline is one litter box per cat, plus one extra, to prevent territorial stress. Your sitter needs to know the location of every box, not just the “main” one, plus your preferred litter type and how often each box should be scooped. At Bull City Pet Care, litter scooping or changing is included in every cat visit — but in a multi-cat home, we need the full map of boxes to make sure nothing gets missed.
3. Personality Differences and Hiding Spots
Multi-cat households almost always have at least one shy or independent cat who disappears when someone new walks in. Let your sitter know:
- Each cat’s typical hiding spots
- Which cats are food-motivated enough to come out, and which need to be located visually to confirm they’re okay
- Any tension between cats (some multi-cat homes have pairs who avoid each other entirely)
For especially shy cats, we’re able to add a video camera check to confirm a cat is doing well, even if they won’t come out during the visit — just let your sitter know in advance.
4. Medical Needs and Medication Schedules
If any cat in the household is diabetic, has thyroid issues, or takes regular medication, your sitter needs clear, individual instructions — not just “the orange one gets a pill.” Include dosage, timing, and how to actually get the cat to take it (pill pocket, wrapped in food, etc.). Vets generally recommend cats be checked no less than once every 24 hours, and more frequently for cats managing an ongoing medical condition.
5. Litter Box and Behavior Red Flags
Give your sitter a quick primer on what’s normal for each cat so they can catch problems early — a cat skipping the litter box, straining, or eating noticeably less can be an early sign of a urinary blockage or other medical issue, which the ASPCA notes can become an emergency quickly in cats, especially in males. A good sitter isn’t just topping off bowls; they’re watching for these changes and reaching out if something looks off.
6. Introductions and Access
If your cats are separated by room, gate, or door for any reason (new cat still adjusting, health quarantine, etc.), make sure your sitter has clear instructions on which doors stay closed and why. This is also the time to flag any cat who’s an escape risk near an open door.
7. Comfort Items and Routine
Consistency matters for cats, especially when their people are away. Note each cat’s favorite toys, scratching posts, or window perches, and any daily routine (like a specific time they expect to be fed or let into a certain room) that helps keep things feeling normal while you’re gone.
Set Your Sitter Up for Success
The more detail you can give upfront, the smoother every visit goes — and the faster a new or unfamiliar sitter can tell if something’s off. At your initial consultation, we walk through all of this with you directly, so nothing gets left to guesswork.
If you’re in Durham and looking for in-home cat care for your multi-cat household, we’d love to meet everyone (yes, even the shy ones). Request services here or call us at 919-740-7481.
Annika Hugosson is a writer and marketing specialist with professional experience writing across various industries including sports, tattooing, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare. She has worked in soccer media, animal sheltering, and emergency veterinary medicine and presently manages a Durham tattoo shop, Ethereal Tattoo Gallery. Annika holds a Master of Science in anthrozoology (human–animal studies) and has completed additional graduate-level research focused on the human–animal bond. Her master’s research examined hyenas and the ways their portrayal in popular and scientific media shapes public perception and conservation outcomes. She has been published in academic journals and has presented at conferences on topics including pit bulls and gender, the usage of snakes’ skins in fashion, animal ethics in Harry Potter, and related issues at the intersection of culture, animals, and society. Outside of her professional work, Annika is interested in R+ dog training and has completed extensive group class training with her dog, Hawthorn, whom she adopted from the APS of Durham.
