Leaving your cat while you travel is never easy — even when you’ve hired a sitter you trust completely. Over the years, I’ve learned that the smoothest trips happen when homes are set up for success before the suitcase is zipped.

When you spend your days caring for cats the way I do, you learn very quickly which litters actually work and which ones only claim to. As a professional cat sitter, it is quite literally my job to scoop litter boxes all day — in every kind of home, with every type of cat, and with every litter on the market.

Getting Your Cat Used to Their Carrier: A Step-by-Step Guide with Must-Have Supplies