Friends and family work well for many people, but it’s important to make sure that whoever takes care of your cat knows what you expect from a cat sitter and covers all the bases while you’re out. Make sure they are reliable and understand what an emergency situation may be for your pet and how to react or respond.

When you hire a professional pet sitter keep in mind that you are doing just that – hiring a professional. Make sure you do your homework and get referrals or references. Highly recommended pet sitters should take extra care of your cat and go the extra mile because their livelihood depends on repeat business. They also tend to book up early over popular holidays and school breaks.

Before you hire a pet sitter, determine how often you would like them to come to your home – once or twice a day. Also determine how much responsibility you’d like them to take on beyond feeding and scooping the litter. Will they need to medicate your cat? Will your plants need watering? Set up a game plan on what to do in case of an emergency and find out how they have handled emergencies in other pet sitting situations.

Your veterinarian has full medical records on your cat and already has handled any health issues that may have arisen. If your cat becomes sick while boarding your veterinarian will be prepared. If you have a senior kitty, a sick cat or a cat with special needs, your vet and the vet techs will be able to handle any medicating that may need to be done. They’re also are most likely aware of any adverse reaction your pet may have had to medication or food.

If you are boarding at your veterinarian, make sure that kennels for visiting pets are separate from cats that may be in for treatment.

You should visit any kennel you are considering and take a full tour of the facility before you board your cat. Make sure the facility looks and smells clean and watch how the caretakers interact with the kitties. Here are some other things to consider:

Separate facilities – Few cats would be comfortable in a kennel area filled with barking dogs. Consider sending your cat to a cat-only kennel since those facilities should be specialized in the care of cats. If you send your cat to a regular kennel, make sure it has separate facilities for cats.

Your cat’s space – Most cats won’t be happy in a small cage. Check out the facility to see what options are available. Some have small rooms set up and others have spacious cat condos that separate your cat’s litter area from where they eat, play and sleep

Interaction – It’s important to find out how much interaction a boarding facility will have with your cat beyond the daily feeding ritual. Cats need love and playtime and should have some grooming as well to stay stimulated and more relaxed. Find out what the policy is on pet playtime and check to make sure that extra fees aren’t charged for pet interaction.

You should also find out what vaccinations your cat will need and provide up to date veterinary records prior to boarding. It’s important to pack things like their food, treats, some toys and bedding to help keep them on track with a routine. Just like with a pet sitter, it’s important that you establish an emergency protocol for your cat or cats.

Most boarding facilities work with a veterinarian if an emergency arises. You may want to investigate this veterinary clinic if different from your own.

If your cat is overly stressed when leaving your home, a pet sitter may be the best option. Since a pet sitter comes to your home once or twice a day, you need to be comfortable with this person coming and going. If you’re not, maybe you should consider a kennel or your veterinarian. On the other hand, it’s good to have someone check your home while you’re gone and a pet sitter fits the bill.

If your pet needs more interaction or has many medical concerns, he or she may need more one on one care while boarding. You will need to weigh this when deciding to use a kennel or a veterinarian. At the vet, your pet will most likely get more interaction and someone will have a closer eye on any changes in your cat’s behavior or eating.

Too often at kennels, cats are not monitored closely and they may stop eating and drinking, causing dehydration and a drop in weight (or worse). Your vet will be able to more closely monitor food and water intake along with your pets weight on a daily basis to prevent your pet from getting sick.