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Pet Sitter Checklist
What to hand your sitter before you leave, from feeding and meds to vet numbers.
A real, editable checklist below — tick, tap a line to rewrite, drag to reorder.
Tick the circles, tap any line to change it, drag the dots to reorder.
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Let your pet meet the sitter before you go if you can. One cat owner's sitter was introduced to the cats a few weeks back, and the owner's nervous cat came over to sniff the new person after a while. After that, the job is a handover: feeding, exercise, medication, habits, and who to call. Keep it short. An experienced owner and sitter on one rabbit forum warns that a sitter won't enjoy reading a novel and may miss the one detail that matters. This list assumes someone caring for your pet at home, not boarding, and it leaves out medical advice for any one species.
Why these items are on the list
- Introduce sitter to your pet. In one forum thread, a very nervous cat came over to sniff the sitter after a while during the introduction.
- Write down feeding amounts and times. What, when and how much, wet or dry.
- Say yes or no on treats. Name the favorites too. One rabbit owner capped a favorite treat at two a day.
- List foods that are off limits. One rabbit owner told the sitter no other food, saying rabbits can't throw up food that digests badly.
- Write directions on bags. On one rabbit owner's bags: litter marked about 4 days' worth, treats marked up to 2 a day.
- Describe the exercise routine. If your pet walks, say where, when and how long, and any behavior worries in public.
- Name favorite toys. Jot them down, since playing with your pet is part of what a sitter handles on visits.
- Write out the medication schedule. What it is, how often, and how it's given. Skip it if there's none.
- Leave your regular vet's details. Address, phone number and website, left where the sitter will see it.
- Add a 24-hour emergency vet. For after-hours trouble, give the address and phone of the practice you'd choose.
- Share how to reach you. Your cell number, plus how reachable you'll be during the trip.
- Name a backup contact. Someone who knows your home and pets, in case you can't be reached.
- Set the carrier out. If a cat needs a fast trip to the vet, nobody should be hunting for it.
- List favorite hiding places. Cats hide. A sitter who can't see yours on a visit needs to know where to look.
- Explain household habits. Furniture allowed or not, any anxieties, and your pet's favorite nap spot.
- Show the litter or cage routine. Where supplies are, how often to clean, and where the waste goes.
- Demo wifi, heating and remotes. Show how you use wifi, heating or air conditioning, and the remotes.
- Point out cleaning supplies. Show where the basics are, so accidents don't turn into a hunt.
- Decide lights and blinds. Lights on or off when they leave, blinds up or down.
- Check doors, windows and screens. Check every door and window before leaving the home, and make sure the screens are in.
- Warn about door escapes. One owner of curious cats asks the sitter to eyeball them as they head out.
- Collect mail. Ask the sitter to bring in the mail, alongside the lights and blinds.
- Ask for a daily log or photo. A short log or emailed picture can settle your nerves from far away.
- Agree on an end-of-day check-in. A quick call or message saying all is well. One owner found it comforting.
- Gather vaccine records and vet numbers. One owner keeps them in a single folder for whoever is watching her cat.
- Keep the handover short. One forum poster who's both sat and hired sitters says keep it simple; a long guide may bury critical details.
Work through it on your phone while you pack, adding the odd detail as it comes back to you. If a partner knows the pet's quirks better than you do, they can fill in what you forget.
When to use it
Use it before any trip when someone else will care for your pet at home.