What to include in pet sitter instructions
A good sheet answers the questions your sitter would otherwise text you at seven in the morning. It doesn’t need to be long. It needs to be specific.
The daily routine
Write the day the way it actually runs, with times. “Walk her twice a day” leaves a lot open. “7:30 AM, 30 minutes, the loop around the park” doesn’t. Put in the small things you do without thinking: the last trip outside before bed, which door the cat uses, the treat that always follows a walk. If the kids are staying home and helping, a pet chore chart shows the sitter who does what.
Food
Amounts in the units you use, and where everything lives. “Two cups of kibble at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM, from the green bin on the bottom pantry shelf. The scoop is inside.” If there’s wet food, say what happens to an open can. If treats are counted, say how many.
Medications
Copy the name and amount from the label, then add what the label doesn’t say: the time, how you actually get it in, and whether it goes with food. “Allergy tablet, half a tablet at 7:00 AM, hidden in a piece of cheese, with breakfast.” Say where it’s kept and how much is left. If your vet has told you what to do about a missed dose, write that down in their words.
Vet and emergencies
Your vet’s name, number and address, and the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, because most vets close at night. Look that one up now rather than leaving it for your sitter to search at 2 AM.
Vets often ask a sitter how much they can spend before reaching you, so decide a number and put it on the sheet: “You can spend up to $500 at the vet without calling me first.” Then add your own instructions for a pet that gets out, gets sick or won’t eat, starting with who to call.
The house
Where the leashes, bags, litter and cleaning things are, which key opens what, and when the trash goes out. Door and alarm codes are better sent separately than printed on a sheet that sits on the counter.
What normal looks like
This is the part that’s easiest to leave out, because to you it’s obvious. Your sitter has never seen your pet on an ordinary day. “Juniper finishes dinner in under a minute and always wants her walk. If she leaves food or won’t go out, text me.” One line like that turns a vague worry into a clear next step. Add the quirks too: the dog who hides from thunder, the cat who spends the first day under the bed.
Before you leave
- Enough food and medication for the whole trip, plus a few days in case you’re delayed.
- A test run: your sitter does one feed or one walk while you’re still home, with the sheet in hand.
- A call to your vet to say who’s looking after your pet, and that they’re authorized to bring them in.
- The microchip number on the sheet, and the chip’s contact details still yours.
- The sheet somewhere it will be seen: on the fridge, or in the chat you keep with your sitter.
The routine on this sheet can live in Toffee — everyone at home sees what’s done, and reminders come in your pet’s own voice.