Pet Sitter Instructions: The Emergency and Daily-Care Information to Leave Behind

The best pet-sitter instructions answer questions before anything goes wrong. A sitter should know not only how much food to give, but also what is normal for your pet, what changes matter, and who can authorize veterinary care if you cannot be reached.

Start with one profile per pet

• Name, species, breed or type, age and sex
• Microchip or ID information
• Normal body weight if relevant
• Veterinarian and emergency clinic
• Insurance details if applicable
• Your contact and a local backup contact

Write feeding instructions in exact amounts

“Feed normally” is not enough. Write the food name, amount, times, treats allowed, foods prohibited, where supplies are stored, and what to do if food runs out.

List medication separately

Include medication name, dose, route, exact timing, whether it is given with food, storage instructions, and what to do if a dose is missed. Do not expect a sitter to improvise.

Explain normal behavior

Tell the sitter whether your cat normally hides for an hour after visitors arrive, whether your dog barks at delivery workers, whether your rabbit dislikes being lifted, or whether your bird has a loud evening contact call. A baseline helps the sitter recognize real changes.

Write the emergency red flags

Tailor the list to your pet. Examples can include breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting, inability to urinate, collapse, seizure, significant bleeding, toxin exposure, a rabbit stopping eating, or a bird sitting weakly on the cage floor.

Give clear veterinary authority

Decide who can approve veterinary treatment if you are unreachable and how payment will be handled. Leave insurance or payment information securely rather than forcing the sitter to solve this during an emergency.

Include walking and outdoor rules

For dogs, specify leash rules, harness fit, known triggers, off-leash restrictions, gate security and usual routes. For cats, explain whether they are strictly indoor. Do not assume a sitter knows your escape-prevention routine.

Small pets need precise husbandry notes

For rabbits, birds and hamsters, include water checks, hay or food routine, cage security, temperature needs, cleaning instructions, and handling limits. Explain which objects should never be removed or changed.

Leave household safety instructions

• Which doors must stay closed
• Alarm and key instructions
• Where carriers are stored
• How to isolate pets from each other
• Where cleaning supplies and medication are kept
• What appliances or rooms are off limits

Do a handover before you travel

The RSPCA recommends giving carers clear instructions, veterinary contact details, routine information, health information and behavior notes. An introductory visit also lets the sitter see the routine rather than learning from paper alone.

Ask for a simple daily update

A short message covering appetite, toileting, medication and general behavior is usually enough. Photos can help, but objective information matters more than a daily posed picture.

Add a normal-baseline section

Tell the sitter what “normal” actually looks like: typical appetite, usual stool or litter-box pattern, normal sleeping places, usual energy level, and any harmless quirks. This makes it easier to spot a real change early.

Write down what must never happen

Examples include letting an indoor cat outside, allowing a dog off leash, opening a bird cage near an exterior door, changing a rabbit’s diet, feeding a hamster sticky treats, or mixing pets that are normally separated. Clear prohibitions reduce avoidable mistakes.

Show the sitter how equipment works

Demonstrate harnesses, medication devices, microchip feeders, water bottles, litter systems, carrier latches, thermostats, and any gates or locks. A short practical handover is safer than assuming written instructions will explain unfamiliar equipment.

Plan for delayed travel

Leave enough food, litter, medication, bedding, and cleaning supplies for more days than your trip is scheduled to last. Flights, weather and emergencies can delay your return.

Agree on when the sitter should contact you

Decide which changes deserve an immediate message and which can wait for the daily update. A missed meal, vomiting, breathing change, medication error, escape, injury, or abnormal urination should not be saved for an end-of-day summary.

Leave permission to act when you cannot answer

If you are unreachable, the sitter should know who the backup decision-maker is and which clinic to use. Written authorization and a payment plan can prevent treatment delays during a genuine emergency.

Leave a one-page emergency summary

Put the most important information where the sitter can find it quickly: your contact, backup contact, regular veterinarian, emergency clinic, insurance details if relevant and permission to seek care. Long instructions are useful, but emergencies need a short page.

List medications exactly as the label states

Write the medication name, strength, amount, timing and how it is given. Do not use shorthand such as “usual pill.” The ASPCA recommends leaving a sitter detailed medication and veterinary information, especially when the owner may be unreachable.

Explain what to do after a missed meal or dose

Some pets can safely wait; others need prompt veterinary advice. Leave clear thresholds for when the sitter should call you or the clinic rather than improvising.

Include hiding places and normal behavior

A cat that sleeps under one bed every afternoon may be normal; a normally social cat hiding for a full day may not be. Tell the sitter what behaviors are typical so change is easier to recognize.

Write down escape-prevention rules

Specify which doors must remain closed, whether the dog is ever allowed off leash, which windows cannot be opened and how bird or small-animal enclosures are secured. These instructions should be explicit rather than assumed.

Leave enough supplies for delays

Provide extra food, medication, litter and bedding in case your return is delayed. If the sitter may need to buy more, leave the exact brand, formulation and shop or ordering information.

Decide how often updates should arrive

Agree on a realistic schedule before travelling. A short daily note about appetite, toileting, medication and behavior is often more useful than many messages with no objective information.

Explain how to handle deliveries and visitors

A sitter may need to answer the door while managing a dog, cat or bird. Write down where pets should be secured before doors open and whether anyone else is expected to enter the home during the trip.

List household hazards that matter to your pet

Mention toxic plants, rooms that must stay closed, open balconies, accessible rubbish bins or appliances that should never be left on around the pet. What is obvious to you may not be obvious to a temporary carer.

Provide cleaning instructions for accidents

Tell the sitter where pet-safe cleaning supplies are kept and which products should not be used around the animal. This is particularly important for birds and small pets that may be sensitive to fumes.

Leave a key and access backup

A lost key, failed smart lock or building-access problem should not prevent the sitter from reaching the pet. Arrange a backup method with a trusted person or building manager where appropriate.

Explain waste and litter routines

Write down where waste bags, litter, cleaning tools and disposal areas are kept. Small practical details reduce missed care and help the sitter notice changes in stool, urine or litter-box use.

The bottom line

Good sitter instructions reduce ambiguity. Exact feeding, medication, routine, emergency contacts, behavior notes and veterinary authority let the sitter care for your pet confidently instead of guessing under pressure.