The more you tell me, the better I can look after your cat, so please overshare. Specifically helpful is any medical needs or medications, dietary requirements and exact feeding schedules, any known fears or triggers, their favourite hiding spots so I know where to look if they go quiet, and their general personality. Are they a "yell at me from across the room" cat or a "must be touching me at all times" cat? Do they have a nemesis (a neighbour's cat, a specific sound, the vacuum in the corner)? It all helps.

I arrive, and the greeting ritual begins, or doesn't, if your cat is the type who needs five minutes to decide whether they like me today (I respect the process). First things first: a quiet health check, eating well? Litter normal? Energy and mood on track? Once we've established that all is well, we get into it. For playful cats, that means proper interactive play. For the more dignified types, it might just be sitting nearby, existing companionably, the occasional slow blink exchanged. For senior or shy cats, I let them set the pace entirely. Every visit ends with fresh food and water, a clean litter, a tidy space, and a proper photo or video update, and a sad bye from me :( I'm probably more affected leaving your cats at the end of the day than them being left...