Most instructions left for a pet sitter cover feeding and not much else. Experienced sitters will tell you the information that actually matters — the stuff that turns a stressful situation into a manageable one — usually isn't written down anywhere.
Feeding schedule and medication times
Exact times, exact amounts, and exactly how medication is given (pill pocket, mixed in food, by hand). "Feed twice a day" leaves too much room for a sitter to guess wrong on a routine your pet is used to.
Vet contact and nearest emergency clinic
Your regular vet's number is necessary but not sufficient — if something happens on a weekend or overnight, a sitter needs the nearest 24-hour emergency animal hospital already identified, not something they have to search for while panicking.
Behavior quirks and triggers
- Anything that scares or stresses your pet (loud noises, certain people, other animals)
- Whether they're safe off-leash, and any escape habits to watch for
- Resource guarding around food or toys, if applicable
- How they typically act when something's wrong — hiding, pacing, refusing food
House rules
Furniture access, rooms that are off-limits, whether doors need to stay closed for a reason (an indoor-only cat, a dog that bolts). Small stuff, but it's what sitters say clients forget most.
The "in case you can't reach us" plan
A backup contact who can make decisions if you're unreachable, and whether the sitter has permission to authorize emergency vet care up to some dollar amount without waiting for you. This single detail can save critical time in a real emergency.
Send a link instead of a sticky note
Build your pet's care profile once in PetFolio Health and share it with any sitter — it updates automatically if anything changes, so they always have the current version.
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