The Complete Pet Sitter Checklist (2026)

You already know how to care for your pet. The problem is that most of that knowledge lives in your head, scattered across habits you don't even think about anymore. You know that Cooper gets anxious when the recycling truck comes on Tuesday mornings. You know the kitchen cabinet with the treats has a sticky latch. Your sitter doesn't.

Without a written checklist, sitters fill in the gaps with guesswork. They might feed the cat twice because they weren't sure if their partner already did it. They might skip a medication because they didn't realize the small brown pill in the drawer was for the dog. They might panic when the dog throws up after eating grass, which is something your vet has already told you is normal.

A checklist isn't about micromanaging. It's about giving your sitter the confidence to handle every situation without needing to call you. That's better for them, better for your pets, and dramatically better for your peace of mind.

The checklist below covers the eight areas that matter most. You probably won't need every single item, but scanning through them will remind you of things you might otherwise forget to mention.

Start with the basics. This might feel obvious, but if your sitter has never met your pet (or is caring for multiple animals), having it written down prevents mix-ups.

• Pet's full name and any nicknames they respond to
• Species, breed, age, and weight
• Color and distinguishing features (helpful if the pet escapes)
• Microchip number and registration company
• Spayed/neutered status
• Photo of each pet (a recent one, not the puppy photo)

For multi-pet households, label everything clearly. Something like "Luna (grey tabby, 9 lbs)" and "Milo (orange tabby, 14 lbs)" makes it easy to tell whose food is whose, especially if they eat different diets.

Feeding is where most sitters have the most questions, especially with pets that are picky, on special diets, or have allergies. Be specific about amounts. "A scoop" means different things to different people.

• Brand and type of food (dry, wet, raw) for each pet
• Exact amount per meal (cups, grams, or cans)
• Feeding times and location
• Where food is stored and how to prep it
• Water bowl locations and how often to refresh
• Treats: which ones, how many per day, and any off-limits snacks
• Human foods the pet absolutely cannot have
• Any food allergies or sensitivities

A concrete example is more useful than a vague one. Instead of writing "feed twice a day," try something like:

• Breakfast (7:30 AM): 3/4 cup of Orijen Original kibble + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree, mixed in the metal bowl by the back door.
• Dinner (5:30 PM): Same as breakfast, plus half a can of Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken on top.
• Treats: Up to 3 Zuke's Mini Naturals per day. No rawhide, no chocolate, no grapes.

Medication instructions deserve extra care. A missed dose or wrong amount can have real consequences, and most sitters are understandably nervous about getting this right. For a deeper dive on this topic, see our guide to writing pet medication instructions.

• Name of each medication and what it treats
• Dosage (exact amount, e.g., '1/2 tablet' or '0.5 mL')
• Schedule (time of day, with or without food)
• How to administer (in food, pill pocket, syringe, ear drops)
• Where medication is stored
• What to do if a dose is missed
• Side effects to watch for
• Known allergies (medications and environmental)
• Date of last vet visit and any upcoming appointments

Again, specifics matter. Instead of "give allergy meds in the morning," write:

• Apoquel (allergy): Luna gets 1/2 tablet (8 mg) with breakfast. Hide it in a Greenies Pill Pocket. She'll spit it out if you just drop it in the bowl.
• If missed: Give it as soon as you remember unless it's within 4 hours of the next dose. In that case, skip it and resume the normal schedule.

Even if your pet isn't on medication right now, note any chronic conditions (arthritis, seizure history, sensitive stomach) so your sitter has context if something comes up.

Pets thrive on routine. The more closely your sitter can follow your pet's normal schedule, the less stressed everyone will be. Write out a typical day, even if it feels mundane. What's obvious to you is new information to them.

• Morning routine (wake up, potty, feeding, etc.)
• Walk schedule: when, how long, which route
• Leash and harness details (which hook, which leash, any pulling habits)
• Off-leash rules: where it's allowed and any recall commands
• Playtime preferences and favorite toys
• Nap and rest patterns during the day
• Evening wind-down routine and bedtime
• Where the pet sleeps (crate, bed, couch, your bed)

A sample daily schedule might look like this:

• 7:00 AM: Let out into the backyard. He'll bark once at the back door when he's ready to come in.
• 7:30 AM: Breakfast (see feeding section).
• 8:30 AM: Walk, 25-30 minutes. We usually go left on Maple St toward the park. He pulls toward squirrels but responds to "leave it."
• 12:00 PM: Quick backyard break, 5 minutes.
• 5:00 PM: Second walk, 20 minutes. Any route is fine.
• 5:30 PM: Dinner.
• 9:00 PM: Last potty break. He sleeps in his crate in the bedroom with the door closed but not latched.

Every pet has rules, and your sitter can't follow them if they don't know what they are. This section prevents the well-meaning sitter from letting your dog on the couch for the first time, then having to deal with a dog that refuses to get off it for the rest of the trip.

• Rooms or areas that are off-limits
• Furniture rules (allowed on the couch? the bed?)
• Door and gate rules (which doors stay closed, baby gates)
• Counter surfing, begging, or jumping habits to manage
• How to handle barking or whining
• Behavior with visitors or delivery people
• Rules for car rides (if applicable)
• Litter box location, type of litter, and cleaning frequency

Be honest about your pet's bad habits. If your cat knocks things off the counter, say so. If your dog bolts for the door when it opens, your sitter absolutely needs to know that before they find out the hard way. Frame it as practical info, not as a warning.

If you have a house sitter staying overnight, include notes about household quirks too: which light switches control what, how to work the thermostat, where the flashlights are, and whether the smoke detector chirps when the battery is low (it probably does).

This is the section you hope your sitter never needs. But if they do need it, having it organized and accessible makes all the difference. Don't make them dig through your texts to find a number at 11 PM.

• Your phone number (and your partner's, if applicable)
• Primary veterinarian: name, clinic, address, phone number
• After-hours emergency vet: name, address, phone, hours
• Poison control hotline (ASPCA: 888-426-4435 in the US)
• A trusted neighbor or nearby friend who has a spare key
• Pet insurance provider and policy number (if applicable)
• Authorization note for emergency vet treatment

That last item matters more than you might think. Some emergency clinics will hesitate to treat a pet if the person bringing them in isn't the registered owner. A simple written note saying "I authorize [sitter name] to approve medical treatment for [pet name] in my absence" with your signature and date can prevent delays. Ask your vet if they have a preferred format.

A checklist is only useful if your sitter can actually find it. The fridge-magnet approach works, but it's limited. Paper gets buried under takeout menus. Text messages get lost in the scroll. And if you have a sitter who visits twice a day, they need something they can reference from their phone while standing in your kitchen.

Here are the most common approaches, with their trade-offs:

• Printed sheet on the counter: Simple, always visible, but hard to update. Works well for short trips with a sitter who's been to your home before.
• Shared Google Doc or Notes app: Easy to update, but your sitter needs to remember to check it. No structure beyond what you build yourself.
• A dedicated care manual: Organized, shareable, and designed for exactly this purpose. You write it once, update it as things change, and send a single link to any sitter, any time.

That third option is what Vadem is built for. You fill in your pet's info, daily routine, medication details, emergency contacts, and house rules. Your sitter gets a clean, mobile-friendly link with everything organized into tabs. Sensitive info (alarm codes, lockbox combos) stays encrypted and only unlocks after your sitter verifies with a PIN. No app download required.

Whether you use Vadem, a spreadsheet, or a notebook on the counter, the key is making the information easy to find when your sitter needs it. Don't bury critical details (like the emergency vet number) three pages deep. Put the most time-sensitive info first.