A good pet sitter instructions checklist turns “you know the routine” into a clear care plan someone can actually follow. Whether you are leaving for one night, a work trip, a hospital stay, or a holiday, written notes help your sitter keep your dog or cat safe, fed, comfortable, and on schedule.
The best instructions are short enough to use, detailed enough to prevent guessing, and easy to find in an emergency. Aim for a one-page care brief, with supporting details attached if your pet has medication, behavior needs, mobility limits, or a special routine.
Quick Answer
Write down your pet’s daily routine, feeding amounts, medication labels, behavior notes, house rules, emergency contacts, veterinary details, and backup plans. Leave supplies together, add written consent for emergency care where appropriate, and tell your sitter not to make medical decisions alone when a veterinarian or emergency contact is needed.
The One-Page Pet Sitter Instructions Checklist
Start with the essentials your sitter may need within the first hour. Put this page on the kitchen counter, by the food station, or in a shared digital note. If you have more than one pet, create a separate section for each animal so feeding, medication, and behavior notes do not get mixed up.
| Section | What to Write | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pet profile | Name, species, breed or mix, age, color, microchip number, and a current photo. | Helps identify each pet quickly, especially in multi-pet homes or escape situations. |
| Daily routine | Wake-up time, walks, meals, litter box care, play, bedtime, and quiet hours. | Familiar rhythm lowers stress and reduces behavior surprises. |
| Feeding | Food brand, exact amount, schedule, treats allowed, foods to avoid, and where bowls go. | Prevents overfeeding, stomach upset, and accidental access to unsafe foods. |
| Medication | Medication name, dose, timing, method, storage, label location, and prescribing clinic. | Supports safe administration and avoids guesswork. |
| Behavior notes | Fears, triggers, handling preferences, hiding spots, leash habits, and bite or scratch risk. | Protects the sitter and helps pets feel secure. |
| Emergency plan | Vet, emergency clinic, authorized contact, consent note, carrier location, and transport plan. | Saves time if urgent care is needed. |
| House rules | Doors, gates, alarms, keys, thermostat, restricted rooms, and waste disposal. | Prevents escapes, damage, and confusion. |
Pet Profile: Make Identification Easy
Begin with the basic facts. Include each pet’s full name, nicknames they respond to, species, age, sex, color, and any visible markings. Add a recent photo, microchip number if available, and whether your dog wears an ID tag or your cat has a breakaway collar. If your pet is newly adopted, shy, elderly, or still settling into your home, say so clearly.
For rescue pets or animals with unknown histories, avoid vague labels such as “bad with strangers.” Instead, describe what the sitter may see: “May hide under the bed for the first day,” “barks when someone knocks,” or “does not like being picked up.” Practical descriptions help a sitter respond calmly and humanely.
Daily Routine for Dogs and Cats
Routine is one of the most useful gifts you can leave. Dogs may need exact walk times, potty breaks, crate time, enrichment, and bedtime cues. Cats may need feeding routines, litter box cleaning, play sessions, door rules, and preferred hiding or resting spots. Even confident pets can become unsettled when their person leaves, so familiar timing matters.
Write the day as a simple schedule. For example: “7:00 a.m. breakfast, 7:30 a.m. short walk, noon potty break, 5:30 p.m. dinner, 8:00 p.m. play, 10:00 p.m. last potty trip.” For cats, include litter box scooping frequency, whether food is meal-fed or left out, and whether windows, balconies, or catios are allowed.
Include cues your pet understands. A dog may know “wait,” “leave it,” “go potty,” or “crate.” A cat may come to the sound of a treat jar, respond to a name, or retreat when visitors arrive. These details reduce frustration for both the sitter and the animal.
Feeding Instructions: Be Exact
Food notes should be more specific than “feed twice daily.” Write the brand, formula, flavor if relevant, amount per meal, measuring tool, and serving location. If you use wet food, note whether an open can should be refrigerated and how long leftovers can stay down. If your pet eats from a puzzle feeder, slow bowl, lick mat, or raised dish, explain how to use it.
List treats separately. Include how many are allowed, which treats are approved, and whether treats are used for walks, medication, crate time, or training. If a pet has allergies or a sensitive stomach, make that obvious. Write “no table scraps” if you mean it, and name any foods in the home that must be kept away from pets.
For multi-pet homes, explain whether pets eat together or apart. If one cat steals food or one dog guards a bowl, the sitter needs a plan. A simple note such as “Feed Luna in the laundry room with the door closed for 15 minutes” can prevent conflict.
Medication and Health Notes
Medication instructions must be copied from the label and written plainly. Include the medication name, dose, time, route, storage instructions, and whether it must be given with food. Keep medication in its original labeled container when possible, and do not leave unmarked pills in a bag or dish.
Tell the sitter what normal looks like for your pet. Note appetite, drinking, bathroom habits, mobility, breathing sounds, coughing, vomiting history, seizure history, or any chronic condition. This is not asking the sitter to diagnose a problem; it helps them notice when something is different and call the right person.
If a pet may need urgent care, leave your veterinarian’s contact details, the nearest emergency clinic, your preferred transport carrier, and written permission for emergency treatment where relevant. Also name a trusted backup decision-maker. A sitter should not have to decide alone whether to authorize care, change medication, or delay treatment.
Behavior, Handling, and Comfort Notes
Behavior notes protect everyone. Write down what your pet enjoys, what worries them, and how they prefer to be handled. Include fears such as storms, fireworks, strangers, children, hats, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, or other animals. If your dog pulls, lunges, guards toys, bolts through doors, or should not greet other dogs, say it clearly.
For cats, include hiding places, petting limits, carrier tolerance, door-dashing risk, and litter box sensitivities. Some cats become affectionate with sitters, while others prefer food, clean litter, and respectful distance. Both responses can be normal, and the sitter should know what to expect.
Use action-based instructions. “Do not pick up Milo; let him approach” is more useful than “Milo can be moody.” “Clip leash to harness and collar before opening the door” is more useful than “Rex is strong.” If there is any bite, scratch, or escape history, include it honestly.
Emergency Contacts and Backup Plans
Your emergency section should be easy to find and readable under stress. Include your phone number, your travel location, a secondary contact, your regular veterinary clinic, the closest 24-hour emergency clinic, and your pet insurance details if applicable. Add the address of each clinic, not just a phone number.
Write what the sitter is authorized to do if you cannot be reached. For example, you may allow emergency evaluation and stabilization up to a certain amount, with the veterinarian guiding medical decisions. If you have strong preferences about end-of-life decisions, resuscitation, or transfer to a specific hospital, discuss those with your vet and your trusted emergency contact before you leave.
Also plan for non-medical emergencies. What happens if the sitter becomes ill, a flight is delayed, a storm blocks roads, or your pet escapes? Provide a backup sitter, neighbor, friend, or family member who has a key or can access one. If your pet has a carrier, leash, harness, muzzle, medication, or calming supplies, note exactly where they are stored.
House Rules and Home Access
Pet care often depends on house details. Write down how to enter, lock up, use alarms, manage gates, and keep pets away from risky areas. If a door sticks, a fence latch fails, or a cat can open a cabinet, include that information. Place keys, garage openers, poop bags, litter supplies, cleaning products, towels, and food in obvious locations.
List rules for visitors, deliveries, windows, balconies, fireplaces, appliances, and temperature. Dogs and cats may be vulnerable to heat, cold, open doors, unsecured screens, or unattended cords. If the sitter will stay overnight, add practical notes about Wi-Fi, lights, trash day, parking, and where pet-safe cleaning supplies are kept.
How to Use This Guide at Home
Draft your checklist at least a few days before you leave, then walk through your home as if you were the sitter. Open the food bin, measure a meal, find the leash, locate the carrier, scoop the litter box, and unlock the door. Each step may reveal a missing detail.
Keep the main page short and place extra notes behind it. A one-page brief can cover daily care, while attachments can include medication logs, behavior plans, vet records, and written consent forms. Send a digital copy as well, but leave a printed copy in case a phone battery dies or internet service fails.
If possible, schedule a short handover visit. Let the sitter meet your pets, practice the lock or alarm, find supplies, and ask questions. For nervous pets, this visit can make the sitter less surprising when you are gone.
What to Track for the Next 7 Days
During the week before you leave, track the details you usually do automatically. Write down actual meal amounts, appetite, walk length, bathroom timing, litter box output, medication times, favorite toys, and sleep spots. Note whether your pet is drinking more or less, limping, scratching, coughing, vomiting, or acting unusually anxious.
This short observation period gives your sitter a realistic baseline. It can also show whether you should contact your veterinarian before travel. If a pet is already unwell, changing appetite, having bathroom trouble, or struggling with mobility, it is safer to address that before the sitter is responsible for care.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving vague food notes: “One scoop” is unclear unless the scoop is labeled and the amount is exact.
- Mixing up pets: Use names, photos, and separate instructions for each dog or cat.
- Hiding emergency details: Vet contacts, clinic addresses, and consent notes should be easy to find.
- Using unlabeled medication: Keep medication in original containers and follow the prescribing instructions.
- Forgetting behavior risks: Door-dashing, leash reactivity, hiding, guarding, and handling limits must be stated plainly.
- Assuming the sitter knows your home: Explain locks, alarms, gates, thermostat, restricted rooms, and supply locations.
- No backup plan: Name someone who can step in if the sitter, owner, or transport plan fails.
Mini FAQ
What should I write for a dog sitter?
Include your dog’s feeding schedule, potty routine, walk route, leash equipment, commands, crate rules, treat limits, behavior triggers, medication notes, vet contacts, and emergency authorization details. If your dog should avoid dog parks, strangers, children, stairs, or certain rooms, write that clearly.
What should I write for a cat sitter?
Include food type and amount, litter box locations, scooping schedule, hiding places, door and window rules, medication instructions, play preferences, carrier location, and signs of stress. Tell the sitter whether your cat may hide, vocalize, refuse food briefly, or attempt to escape outdoors.
How long should pet sitter instructions be?
The main care brief should be one page if possible. Add separate pages only for medication logs, veterinary records, complex behavior plans, or multi-pet feeding charts. A sitter should be able to scan the essentials quickly, especially during an emergency.
When to Call a Vet
Tell your sitter to contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic promptly for serious or unusual signs, including trouble breathing, collapse, repeated vomiting, severe diarrhea, bloated abdomen, seizure, injury, suspected poisoning, inability to urinate, pale gums, extreme pain, sudden weakness, heat stress, or a major behavior change. If the sitter is unsure, they should call the veterinarian, emergency clinic, or authorized emergency contact rather than making medical decisions alone.
For medication problems, missed doses, double doses, or side effects, the sitter should call the prescribing veterinarian or an emergency clinic for guidance. They should not change doses, stop medication, or give human medication unless specifically instructed by a veterinarian.
Sources
Sources checked: June 12, 2026.
ASPCA: Pet Sitter Safety – What to Know Before You Go
AVMA: Traveling with your dog or cat
American Red Cross: Cat and Dog First Aid
Humane World for Animals: How to choose and prepare for a pet sitter
Printable tool
Download the matching worksheet
Pet Sitter Instructions Template
A practical handoff sheet for feeding, medication notes, behavior, emergency contacts, house rules, and a seven-day sitter log.
