Cats

Pet Sitter Checklist

Nicole Groshek | August 30, 2021 | 3 minute read

Things Your Pet Sitter Should Know

Some of the most important details that you should include in your pet sitter checklist are information about your pet, a snapshot of your pet’s daily routine, important contact information, and anything they should know about your home.

Tell Them About Your Pet

Don’t be shy when it comes to telling your pet sitter about your dog or cat! Give them specific details that can answer questions such as:

What kind of personality (i.e. energetic, shy, lazy, etc.) does your pet have?
Does your dog or cat have anxieties, like when someone knocks on the door or if they hear certain types of noises?
What are your pet’s favorite toys or games?
Where is your dog or cat’s favorite spot to take a snooze?

Inform Them of Your Pet’s Daily Routine

What does a typical day look like for your dog or cat? It’s better to give your pet sitter more information than they’ll need so that they can give your furry friend the best experience possible.

Your pet’s feeding routine, which should answer the following questions:

What does your pet eat?
When do they eat?
How often does your dog or cat eat?
How much food do they eat?
How often should they get treats?

Specific information regarding any medication(s) that your pet is currently taking to help answer questions like:

What medicines, if any, does your dog or cat take?
How often do they need their medications?
When do they take their medicine?
How do you administer their medications?

If you take your pet on regular walks, then include information that answers the following questions:

Where does your pet like to go for a walk?
How long of a walk does your pet like to go on?
How does your pet act on walks?
Does your pet pull, jump on people, or have issues with other pets while walking?

Give Them Important Contact Information

Think about all of the ways that your pet sitter should contact you or others if necessary. Be sure to include instructions regarding your preferred method of communication (i.e. text messages, phone calls, etc.) and when to reach out to secondary contacts and/or your veterinarian. With that being said, make sure the following details are on your pet sitter checklist:

How can your pet sitter contact you? Consider including:

Your cell phone number.
The cell phone number of anyone traveling with you.
Your email address.
The phone number of the hotel you’re staying at or for the people you’re staying with.

Who else can your pet sitter contact if you’re not available? Be sure to include the following:

Neighbors’ phone numbers.
Friends’ phone numbers.
Family members’ phone numbers.

Who should your pet sitter contact if your pet gets sick or hurt? It’ll be especially important to include:

Your veterinarian’s name, phone number, and address.
The name, phone number, and address of a 24/7 emergency vet clinic nearby.

Show Them Around Your House

Your pet sitter will need to know where to find supplies, like food, treats, medications, walking gear, toys, litter, grooming tools, cleaners, and more. Additionally, they’ll need some general information about your home as well, so be sure to have them arrive early enough so that you can show them around. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to let your neighbors and/or landlord (if applicable) know that someone will be at your home while you’re away.

Some additional perks that you should include for the person that will be watching your pet include:

Clean linens if they’ll be staying the night.
Instruction on how to use the remote(s).
Details on how to change the heat or air conditioner.
Your WiFi password.
Instructions on where to find extra toiletries.

If your pet sitter isn’t staying in your home for an extended period of time, then it’d be wise to close any doors to rooms that your pet or pet sitter shouldn’t go into and remove valuables that your pet could break if they become anxious about having a new visitor in their space.

Pet Sitting Suggestions from Stella & Chewy’s

Including as many personalized pieces of information about your pet in your pet sitter checklist is essential for creating an enjoyable experience for both your pet and pet sitter. For more tips and tricks from our team, be sure to visit Our Blog: For the Pet Obsessed.