The Complete Guide to In-Home Cat Care in Montreal & Toronto

If you're a cat parent in  you already know: your cat has opinions. About their food. About their spot on the couch. About that one window where the afternoon light hits just right.

So when you need to travel for work, vacation, a family emergency, the last thing your cat needs is to be uprooted from the world they've carefully curated for themselves.

This guide covers everything you need to know about keeping your cat safe, calm, and cared for at home while you're away.

Why Cats Should Stay Home

This isn't just a preference. It's what veterinarians and feline behaviour experts consistently recommend.

Cats are territorial animals. Their sense of safety is tied directly to their environment, the smells, the sounds, the layout of the space, even the position of their litter box. When you move a cat to a boarding facility or someone else's home, you're stripping away every anchor they rely on.

What happens when cats are displaced:

- Stress-related illness. Feline idiopathic cystitis (bladder inflammation caused by stress) is one of the most common reasons cats visit the emergency vet after boarding.

- Appetite loss. Many cats refuse to eat in unfamiliar environments. Even a few days without food can trigger hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), which can be life-threatening.

- Behavioural changes. Hiding, aggression, excessive grooming, litter box avoidance; these can persist for days or weeks after returning home.

- Immune suppression. Stress weakens a cat's immune system, making them more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, especially in facilities with other cats nearby.

The reality is simple: the safest, lowest-stress option for the vast majority of cats is to stay exactly where they are, with a qualified person coming to them.

What Does Good In-Home Cat Care Look Like?

Not all cat sitting is created equal. There's a wide spectrum, from a neighbour popping in to top up the food bowl, to a dedicated professional providing structured, medical-aware care. Here's what the gold standard looks like:

1. A Proper Intake Process

Before care begins, your caregiver should learn about your cat,not just their feeding schedule, but their personality. Are they a hider or a lap cat? Do they warm up quickly or need space? Do they have favourite toys, hiding spots, anxiety triggers?

A good caregiver asks the questions most people wouldn't think of.

2. Consistent Visits, Not Just Check-Ins

A 10-minute drop-in to refill the water bowl is not cat care. Cats need interaction, stimulation, and observation. Quality visits include:

- Fresh food and water (following your exact feeding routine)

- Litter box cleaning (every visit, cats will avoid a dirty box)

- Playtime and enrichment (especially for indoor cats who rely on you for stimulation)

- Health observation (eating, drinking, litter output, energy level, any signs of distress)

- Medication administration if needed

3. Documentation and Updates

You should know exactly what happened during each visit. Photos, notes on appetite and behaviour, anything out of the ordinary. This isn't optional, it's how trust is built over distance.

4. Emergency Preparedness

Your caregiver should know:

- Your veterinarian's name and number

- The nearest emergency vet clinic

- Any known medical conditions or allergies

- What your cat's "normal" looks like so they can spot when something isn't right

What Cat Parents Should Look For

If you live in Montreal or Toronto, here's what to evaluate when choosing a cat care provider:‍

Certification and Training

- Are they certified in pet first aid and CPR?

- Have they received formal training in feline behaviour or care?

- Are they insured and bonded?

Experience With Cats Specifically

- Many pet care providers are primarily dog-focused. Cats require different skills, patience, quiet confidence, understanding of body language, and respect for boundaries.

- Ask: "How many cats have you cared for independently?" Not dogs. Cats.

One-on-One vs. Group Coverage

- Some services send whoever is available that day. Your cat sees a different stranger each visit, which defeats the purpose of building trust.

- A dedicated caregiving team who your cat has already met and accepted makes all the difference.

The Meet-and-Greet

- Any reputable provider will insist on meeting your cat in your home before care begins. This is non-negotiable. If someone is willing to start without meeting your cat first, keep looking.

Communication Style

- How will they update you? How often? Can you reach them if you have a question?

- The best providers communicate proactively, you shouldn't have to chase them for updates.

Special Considerations for Canadian Cats

Canada has a few unique factors that affect how you plan your cat's care:

Winter

Between November and March, Montreal and Toronto's extreme cold means your home's heating system is running constantly. If you're away for an extended period, make sure your caregiver is checking that the heat is functioning properly. A furnace failure in January isn't just an inconvenience, it's a danger to your cat.

Moving Day

If you're moving, your cat needs a plan. The noise, the open doors, the strangers, it's a recipe for an escaped or terrified cat. Many cat parents arrange for their cat to stay with a caregiver during the actual move, then reintroduce them to the new space once things have settled.

Multi-Cat Households

Montreal and Toronto have a high percentage of multi-cat households, especially in condo-dense neighbourhoods. If you have more than one cat, your caregiver needs to understand group dynamics, who gets along, who needs separate feeding, who guards the litter box.

Condo and Apartment Access

Make sure your building allows pet care providers to enter. Some condos require guest registration, fob access, or concierge notification. Sort this out before your trip, not the morning you leave.

When In-Home Care Is Especially Important

While in-home care is the best option for most cats, it's essential for:

- Senior cats — Older cats are more susceptible to stress and have less resilience to recover from disruptions.

- Cats on medication — Insulin, thyroid medication, pain management, these need to be given on schedule, in the right doses, by someone who knows what they're doing.

- Post-surgery recovery — Your cat needs to stay calm, confined, and monitored. A boarding facility is the last place for this.

- Anxious or fearful cats — Cats with a history of anxiety, abuse, or trauma need the stability of their own environment and a caregiver who approaches them with patience.

- Bonded pairs — Separating bonded cats causes distress for both. In-home care keeps them together in their shared space.

The Pawsome Cat Concierge Difference

At Pawsome, we created our Cat Concierge program specifically because we saw how underserved Montreal & Toronto's cat parents were. Most pet care companies focus on dogs. Cat care is an afterthought, a side service, not a specialization.

Our approach is different:

- Cat-specific matching. We pair your cat with a concierge who has experience with feline temperament, body language, and behaviour, not just someone who "also does cats."

- Private, 1:1 care. Your concierge isn't juggling six dog walks and fitting your cat in between. Your cat gets their full attention.

- Medical-aware. Our concierges are certified in pet first aid and CPR and trained to administer medication, monitor post-operative recovery, and recognize early signs of illness.

- Structured documentation. You get detailed updates after every visit, photos, notes on appetite, behaviour, litter box output, and anything we want you to know about.

- Your home, your routine. We follow your cat's schedule, not ours. Same food, same times, same everything.

Because your cat doesn't need a vacation. They need their person, and when their person can't be there, they need someone who understands them.

Ready to Find the Right Care for Your Cat?

If you're a cat parent in Montreal looking for someone you can genuinely trust with your companion, we'd love to talk. No pressure, no commitment, just a conversation about what your cat needs.

Request a Private Consultation

We serve cat parents across Montreal & Toronto.

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