back from 5 days away, toffee was fine (mostly)

Just got home from a 5 day trip and I wanted to share how the sitter arrangement went, since a lot of people here asked me about it last time.

I used a sitter who comes to the condo twice a day, morning and evening. She is an animal lover with a background in vet nursing, and I checked her references before booking. She sent me photos every day which was good for my peace of mind, though Toffee always looked annoyed in the photos, like she was not part of the arrangement.

The first day Toffee hid under the bed and would not come out for the sitter. By day 2 she was eating the wet food from the bowl while the sitter stood at the door. By day 3 she was waiting for her at the entrance. Cats are funny that way.

One thing I would tell anyone: write everything down. Feeding times, the grooming brush, which drawer has the meds, where the spare key is. I made a one-page sheet and stuck it on the fridge, and the sitter said it saved her a lot of time.

Toffee has her long hair brushed twice a day and it got a bit tangled when I came back, so I am spending the afternoon detangling. Her weight is stable and she has been drinking water fine. Overall it went well, I think, but I will be picky next time about the sitter's experience with long-haired cats.