A cat brushing note for the next pair of hands

1. Start with the instructions you already have

Write the cat's name, the date and the person preparing the card. Identify the particular brush or comb, including where it is kept. 'The blue-handled comb in the grooming pouch' is easier to follow than 'the usual brush.' Add who recommended it and where the current instructions can be found. If you have no agreed method, leave a question for your veterinary team or a reputable groomer instead of choosing a tool from this sheet.

PDSA explains that grooming needs and equipment depend on the animal's coat, and recommends individual advice. Cats Protection also notes that a cat's circumstances affect how often grooming is needed. Record the routine agreed for your cat rather than copying a frequency from another household. A sitter should be able to tell which details are established instructions and which are still questions.

2. Prepare for a small opportunity

Before beginning, read the previous note and check whether any question remains unresolved. Put the identified equipment and your note within reach. Choose a familiar place where your cat can move away. Do not turn the card into a target for minutes, strokes or body areas. Its purpose is to explain what happened, including when no brushing took place.

Cats Protection recommends introducing grooming gradually and using as little restraint as possible. This card takes a conservative approach: do not hold the cat in place to finish it. Follow the method you have been shown for that cat. If routine coat care cannot be managed comfortably, ask for professional help with the ongoing plan rather than repeatedly trying to complete a session.

3. Describe the response, then stop when needed

The RSPCA's cat-grooming guidance lists attempts to move away, a stiff body, flattened ears, a swishing tail and growling or hissing among reasons to stop. PDSA likewise advises stopping when a pet is worried or stressed. You do not need to identify a cause before stopping. Let the cat leave; do not pursue them with the brush to finish an area.

Write the action you actually saw. 'Moved away when I picked up the comb' is clearer than 'was naughty.' Note what you did next, such as putting the tool away. Avoid assigning a tolerance score or claiming that a quiet cat enjoyed the session. One observation is not a diagnosis, a prediction or permission for the next caregiver to increase handling.

4. Keep unfinished care separate from permission

PDSA advises against tackling mats at home and recommends veterinary advice for skin or coat concerns. Do not use this card as instructions to cut out a mat, pull through a knot, restrain a cat or apply a product. Write where you noticed the concern, without repeatedly handling the area just to improve the description. Contact your veterinary team about apparent pain, skin concerns or a change in the cat's grooming habits; do not wait to complete the record.

Add the person who will make the call and how the answer will reach the next caregiver. 'Question sent to the veterinary team; Alex will pass on the response' distinguishes an open question from a recommendation. If advice changes, date the new instruction and clearly replace the older one. A blank answer box must remain a question, not become an invitation to improvise.

5. A fictional handover, with room to stop

This example shows how to write the card, not how to brush your own cat. Nori and both caregivers are fictional. No diagnosis, universal tool choice or required amount of brushing can be inferred from the example.

Sam's useful contribution is a clear stopping point and an assigned question. Alex can read the record without interpreting 'done' as meaning the whole coat was checked. The blank PDF and text version use the same eight fields.

6. Pass on the question as well as the equipment

Keep the current card with the existing care instructions and talk through anything unresolved. For repeated observations, start a new dated card instead of overwriting what happened. The reader can then distinguish a new response from an old one and see whether a question has been answered.

The printable is a blank writing surface. The editable text file gives the same fields in a linear format. Neither needs an account, and nothing you write on a downloaded or printed copy is sent to Good Company. Keep personal contact information in your own care records. This page and its companion checklist offer organization, not veterinary review or a substitute for professional advice.

Take the preparation card with you

Print the one-page PDF or use the editable text copy for linear reading. Both contain the same eight fields. No signup; no notes are sent to us.

• Blank preparation card (PDF)
• Editable plain text