Pet sitter instructions that are easy to follow

Start with the decisions your sitter needs first

Put the care dates, pet’s name, caregiver’s name, and contact order at the top. Keep owner-known restrictions easy to scan. A sitter should not have to read a long biography to find out which food to use or whom to call.

Rover’s preparation guide recommends leaving a clear checklist covering care instructions and the supplies a sitter needs. Use that as a prompt to document your own arrangements, rather than as a universal routine for every animal.

Source: Rover: A checklist to get ready for the dog sitter.

Make each instruction observable

A useful instruction answers four questions: what is the task, when does it happen, what does the owner already use, and where is it kept? Replace shorthand such as ‘the usual bowl’ with a description a first-time visitor can recognize. Record the amounts you already use; do not let a generated document invent them.

Separate pet care from home access

Give feeding, activities, rest, and cleaning their own sections. Put home tasks in a separate list so a request to water plants does not hide a care instruction. Consider who will receive each version: a printed fridge copy may need a vet number, while a widely forwarded copy should not include door codes or key locations.

Keep sensitive access details in a channel you and the caregiver have agreed on. Review the exact contents of a share link before sending it.

Make uncertainty visible

An empty field is not an instruction. Mark missing details as ‘Confirm with owner’ and resolve them before the handover. If the sitter asks a question, update the saved pack so the answer is available next time. For prescribed care, keep the original veterinarian’s instructions and arrange any necessary explanation directly.

• Do the dates and caregiver responsibilities match the booking?
• Can the sitter find the supplies mentioned?
• Are feeding quantities and times supplied by the owner?
• Has a backup contact agreed to be available?
• Are there any unresolved notes or outdated instructions?

Run through one day together

Walk through the first morning, afternoon, and evening as if the trip had already started. Let the sitter point to the supplies and describe the next task. Agree how a completed task, an exception, and a question will be recorded. Finally, add a last-reviewed date and leave an accessible printed or downloaded copy.

A care pack is a shared reference. It does not replace the sitter’s agreement, a conversation about responsibilities, or professional veterinary advice.