What Information Should You Leave for a Pet Sitter?
The difference between a stress-free trip and three panicked calls is one well-prepared document.
Most pet owners leave a scribbled note or fire off a few texts the morning they leave. The sitter guesses feeding times, calls you mid-flight, or — in the worst case — misses a medication entirely. A clear, printed instruction pack takes 15 minutes to prepare once and works every single time.
What to Include
- Pet profile — name, breed, age, microchip number, any ID tags
- Feeding schedule — times, exact amounts, food location, treats allowed
- Walk routine — times, duration, routes, lead instructions, reactivity notes
- Medication — name, dose, time, how to give, what to do if missed
- Emergency contacts — your number, backup contact, vet name and address
- Behaviour notes — anxious around strangers? Reactive to other dogs? Any quirks?
- House rules — where the pet sleeps, rooms they can/cannot access
- What "normal" looks like — so the sitter notices if something is off
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Only giving a phone number — what if you are unreachable?
- Forgetting to include the vet address (not just a name)
- Not mentioning food intolerances or allergies
- Leaving medication instructions only in your head
- Not writing down what "off behaviour" looks like for your specific pet
Pet Sitter Instructions Pack
View Template — $9 → A complete printable and fillable pack with all 8 sections a pet sitter needs — pet profile, feeding, walks, medication, emergency contacts, behaviour notes, house rules and a quick-reference summary.