1How to reach you, and who to call if they can't
Your travel dates, the best way to reach you and an emergency contact who lives nearby and has met your pet. Add your vet and the nearest 24-hour emergency vet, with addresses.
Printable page
Pet Care Team →
2Food, treats and what never to feed
The food, the exact amount per meal and the feeding times. List approved treats, and be explicit about foods that are off-limits. Many common human foods are dangerous for dogs and cats, and a sitter may not know which ones.
Printable page
Feeding & Routine →
3Medications, dose by dose
Name, dose, time and how to give it (in food, in a pill pocket, by mouth). A simple checkbox per dose stops a missed or doubled dose. Never let anyone give human medicine without your vet's OK.
Printable page
Medications & Weight →
4Walks, potty and the house rules
Walk times and routes, leash or harness quirks, litter routines, whether they're allowed on furniture and any doors that must stay closed. Then a quick list of where things are: food, leash and bags, litter supplies, medications, cleaning supplies, first-aid kit and the carrier.
Printable page
Pet Sitter Instructions →
5Personality and quirks
What they're scared of, how they react to strangers and other animals, their favorite hiding spots and the words they know. This is the part sitters say they wish every owner wrote down.
Printable page
Pet Profile →
6Ask for a daily report
Leave a simple report sheet: fed, water, walks, potty, medications, mood and anything unusual. You come home to a clear picture, and your sitter has a checklist that makes sure nothing gets skipped.
Printable page
Pet Sitter Instructions →
7Just in case: the emergency sheet and lost pet poster
Post a pet emergency sheet by the door so anyone entering the home knows which pets are inside and where they hide. And keep a lost pet poster ready with a recent photo, so you're never designing one in a panic.
Free printable
Pet Emergency Sheet →
