What to include in pet sitter instructions

Start with the non-negotiables

Put the details that affect safety and health first. Include the exact meal portions and times, prescribed medication instructions, allergies, escape risks, and any rule the sitter must follow. Avoid vague phrases such as "a little food" or "give the usual tablet." Use the unit, amount, location, and timing.

• Food brand, portion, meal time, and where supplies are kept.
• Medication name, prescribed dose, time, method, and what to do if a dose is missed.
• Water-bowl locations and any normal drinking pattern worth knowing.
• Doors, gates, balconies, leads, carriers, and known escape behavior.

Describe the normal daily rhythm

A sitter does not need a minute-by-minute schedule. They need a reliable sequence. Explain the usual morning, midday, evening, and bedtime pattern, then mark what can move by an hour and what should remain consistent.

Write down behavior in plain language

Say what your pet enjoys, avoids, and does when stressed. Include reactions to visitors, children, unfamiliar animals, doorbells, handling, grooming, and being left alone. Give the sitter a practical response instead of only a warning.

• "She hides when visitors arrive. Leave the bedroom door open and do not pull her out."
• "He lunges toward bicycles. Keep the lead short and create distance before they pass."
• "She may skip the first meal after I leave, but should drink and eat by the next morning."

Make the emergency decision path obvious

List your regular vet, nearest emergency clinic, your phone number, and one backup decision-maker. State whether the sitter may authorize urgent treatment if you cannot be reached and where the carrier, lead, medical records, and insurance details are kept.

Separate urgent warning signs from ordinary quirks. Breathing difficulty, collapse, severe bleeding, repeated seizures, obvious severe pain, or inability to urinate should not wait for a routine update.

Agree on updates before you leave

Choose one update rhythm and channel: for example, one photo and short message after dinner. Ask the sitter to report appetite, medication, toileting, energy, and anything outside the normal pattern. This creates useful information without turning the handoff into constant monitoring.

Final five-minute check

1. Walk through the food, medication, lead or carrier, and cleaning supplies.
2. Test keys, gates, alarms, and building access.
3. Send the written plan and emergency card before departure.
4. Confirm the first visit time and the update schedule.
5. Make sure the sitter can reach the backup contact.

Source notes

The American Animal Hospital Association's sitter instructions informed the contact, routine, medication, and emergency handoff structure.