What Information Should a Pet Sitter Have?

Give a pet sitter one clear care sheet containing owner contacts, veterinary and emergency numbers, the pet’s identity, routine, feeding, medication, behaviour, access instructions and explicit emergency authority. Walk through it together before care begins and update it whenever something changes.

Create a concise care sheet

Keep the primary instructions short enough to use. Put supporting detail behind the main sheet rather than mixing everything into one long paragraph. Add the dates of care, the sitter's contact details and the date the instructions were last reviewed.

Record identity and contact information

Include the pet's name, species, breed or type, sex, age, photograph, microchip number and distinguishing features. Provide your primary and backup telephone numbers, travel details if relevant, a local trusted contact, the usual veterinary practice and its out-of-hours provider.

Explain the normal daily routine

Describe waking, feeding, walks or exercise, toileting, sleep, enrichment and any restrictions. Note what is normal for appetite, behaviour and toileting so the sitter can recognise a meaningful change. Avoid rigid instructions that conflict with welfare or veterinary advice.

Specify food, treats and water arrangements

Record the exact food, portion, frequency and location. List foods, treats and household substances that must not be given, including allergies or intolerances confirmed by a vet. Explain how to monitor water and who to contact if the pet refuses food or develops vomiting or diarrhoea.

Provide precise medication instructions

Supply medicines in original labelled packaging and provide the exact dose, route, timing and storage requirements. Demonstrate administration only if the sitter is willing and competent. State what to do if a dose is missed, refused or vomited, which should usually include contacting you or the veterinary practice rather than guessing.

Describe behaviour, handling and risk

Explain fears, triggers, escape risks, reactivity, handling preferences, interactions with children or other animals and any equipment required. State whether the pet must remain on a lead, avoid particular locations or be separated from other pets. Honest information protects the sitter, the animal and the public.

Cover home access and practical safety

Explain keys, alarms, doors, gates, heating, ventilation, waste, cleaning supplies and where carriers or leads are stored. Identify rooms or outdoor areas the pet must not enter. Share only the access information required and recover keys or codes after the arrangement.

Give explicit emergency authority and financial instructions

State who the sitter should contact first, when they may take the pet directly to a vet and who may authorise treatment if you cannot be reached. Include insurer details and realistic payment arrangements. Check with the veterinary practice and insurer whether written consent or account notes are needed. The sitter should call a vet immediately in an urgent welfare situation.

Run a proper handover

Meet in advance where possible. Let the sitter observe feeding, medication, walking and security routines. Show the location of records, carrier and emergency equipment. Ask the sitter to repeat critical instructions back to reveal misunderstandings.

Agree updates and keep a simple care log

Decide how often the sitter should send updates and what should be recorded. A brief log of food, medication, toileting, walks, behaviour and unusual events can be useful. Avoid demanding constant messaging that distracts from care. At the end, review any changes that may need veterinary follow-up.

Make the record useful to the veterinary team

Record observable facts: appetite, drinking, toileting, mobility, breathing, sleep, behaviour, visible changes and the timing of each event. Use comparison with the pet’s normal behaviour and include photographs or short videos only when they can be captured without distress or delay.

For medicines, copy the exact product name, strength, dose, route and frequency from the label or veterinary instruction. Record when it was actually given, any missed or delayed dose and any reaction. Contact the veterinary practice before changing the plan.

Prepare a concise summary for appointments and keep the longer history available. Include the questions you need answered and write down the agreed next steps, monitoring period and circumstances in which you should seek further help.

Common pet-record mistakes

Avoid interpreting every change as a diagnosis. A note such as “would not climb the stairs at 7 pm” is more useful than “arthritis worse” unless a veterinary professional has made that assessment.

Do not combine records for several pets without clearly identifying which animal each entry concerns. Do not rely on colour, breed or nickname alone where microchip, date of birth or other identifiers are available.

Never delay contacting a veterinary practice to finish a checklist or search old records. Do not give human medicines or another animal’s medicine unless a veterinary professional specifically instructs you to do so.

Review records at natural care points

Update the summary after each veterinary visit, vaccination, procedure, medication change, insurance change or new diagnosis. Check that microchip registration and emergency contact information remain current.

For an ongoing symptom or medicine, review the entries at the interval suggested by the veterinary team. Look for patterns, missed entries and clear changes from normal rather than trying to diagnose the cause yourself.

Archive resolved episodes without losing them. A short dated conclusion—what the vet found, what treatment was given and whether the issue resolved—makes the history easier to understand later.