It’s almost the start of a fresh year, which means it’s time to make your cat sitter New Year’s resolutions! As a stellar cat sitter, providing great care to your kitty clients is a must. Looking after people’s beloved fur friends is certainly a big responsibility and can come with its own set of challenges. 

Hence, the new year is a great time to take a step back and see where and how you can enhance your feline friends’ lives. Your kitty clients and their paw parents will certainly thank you for it! Are you looking for some great cat sitter New Year’s resolutions for January 1^st? Look no further! Below, Cat in a Flat shares 6 New Year’s resolutions for every cat sitter. 

1. Cat sitter New Year’s Resolution: Litter box maintenance

Each of your clients will have different rules and requirements for litter box maintenance while they’re away. Some might want their kitty’s litter boxes scooped just once a day, others may ask for twice a day (hence they’ll hire you to pop in for double daily visits). At times you may even be required to completely empty out and change the litter. And, you’ll need to keep an eye on Mr Whiskers’ habits to make sure they have a healthy toilet routine.

It’s also important to keep in mind that there are a lot of different litter types out there! When you meet a new client, make sure to familiarise yourself with which kind they use. And always follow your client’s instructions for disposing of litter. While some litters are flushable, this doesn’t always mean your client wants you to dispose of it via their toilet. So, a great cat sitter New Year’s resolution should be to ask plenty of questions about how clients would like you to maintain their furry friend’s litter box—this way both kitty and paw parents are happy! 

2. Should I update cat sitting clients daily?

Should I update cat sitting clients daily? When you meet a cat sitting client, ask how often they’d like to be updated while they’re away. However, daily updates are usually the standard. Even if Mr Whiskers’ paw parents don’t specify how often they’d like to get messages, you should send them an update at least once a day. 

Make it your cat sitter New Year’s resolution to be consistent about your furry clients’ updates. Personalise these messages so pet parents feel prioritised. Keep your updates upbeat and informative—the more paw parents know about what’s going on at home, the less they’ll worry. And you can score extra points by including cute photos or videos of Mr Whiskers too! 

3. Cat sitter New Year’s Resolution: Be on time

Felines love routine. By timing your cat sitting visits for around the same time every day you’ll help minimise any stress and anxiety your kitty client might be feeling about the absence of their owners. When hired for a pet sitting gig, ask the paw parents when the best time of day is to visit their fur friend. 

Some might prefer you pop in when the kitty is most active so you can play with the cat and make sure it gets daily exercise. Others might need you to visit at a specific time to administer medication to Mr Whiskers. Whatever the case, make it your cat sitter New Year’s resolution to be on time as much as possible. And if something happens to delay you, inform the owner immediately. It’s also a great idea to have a backup plan in case something happens to prevent you from visiting your kitty clients.

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4. What should I do on my last day cat sitting?

What should I do on my last day of cat sitting? Your human clients will appreciate coming back to a tidy home after their trip. Hence, it never hurts to put in a little extra effort on your final day cat sitting. If you can, sweep or vacuum up any litter your furry friends may have tracked around the home, make sure their food and water areas are clean, and tidy up stray toys. Of course, most important of all, make sure to spend a little extra quality time with Mr Whiskers on your last day! 

It’s also a good idea to put together a general summary of your care to send to your feline client’s paw parents. This can include any last-minute details they should know (e.g. Mr Whiskers has run out of wet food, or needs a toy replaced) before returning home.

5. Cat sitter New Year’s resolution: Keep your client’s home safe

Caring for someone’s beloved pet and home is a huge responsibility. It’s up to you to ensure that not only is Mr Whiskers safe and healthy while their owners are away, but that you keep their home secure too. Make it your cat sitter New Year’s resolution to always ask clients to walk you through how to lock and unlock their doors. Some doors can be tricky, so it’s better to know beforehand what to do so you don’t have trouble getting inside. 

Some clients may ask you to open a window to air out their home while they’re away. Always follow their instructions on how to do this and be extra vigilant about closing all windows and securing the door at the end of each visit. Cats are escape artists, and you don’t want the stress of a feline going missing under your care.

6. When should a cat sitter return the keys?

When should a cat sitter return the keys? You should always make sure to hold onto keys until Mr Whiskers’ owner is physically back at home. Delays can happen for any number of reasons. You may need to provide emergency pet care if your fur friend’s paw parents aren’t able to make it back on the previously agreed upon date. 

As a five-star cat sitter, one of the New Year’s resolutions you can implement to enhance your clients’ lives is providing greater peace of mind. This means holding on to keys, checking that the owner has arrived back safely, and only then returning them. 

Hopefully you’re looking forward to an exciting new year of cat sitting for both long-term and new kitty clients! Without a doubt, working as a cat sitter is one of the greatest jobs in the world. These New Year’s resolutions will not only make your job better but enhance your furry friends’ lives too. And if you’re not a pet sitter (yet), but debating whether it’s right for you, check out our blog post with everything you need to know about becoming a cat sitter!