The short answer: A pet sitter instructions template is a one-page sheet that tells your sitter everything they need while you're away: how to reach you, a backup contact, feeding and medications, the daily routine, house rules and what to do if something goes wrong. Write it as if your sitter has never met your pet, and go over it together before you leave.
Below is what to include, a sample you can copy and a list of things owners often forget. The Pet Health Records printable has a dedicated Pet sitter instructions page, along with the vaccination record and vet visit log your sitter may need in an emergency.
What's included in the Pet Health Records
- Pet profile
- Vet & emergency contacts
- Vaccination Record
- Vet Visit Log
- Medication & Preventives
- Weight Tracker
- Feeding & care routine
- Pet sitter instructions
- Grooming Log
- Notes
Printable PDF, $5.49. Instant download; nothing is shipped. See every page on the product page.
Who it's for
- Dog and cat owners leaving for a trip, even just a weekend.
- Families using a neighbor, friend or relative as the sitter, who may not know your routine.
- Owners of pets on medication or a special diet, where details really matter.
- Multi-pet households, where each animal has its own food, rules and quirks.
How to fill in pet sitter instructions, step by step
- Write your dates and how to reach you. Add the days you'll be away, your phone number, your travel plans if you'll be hard to reach and a backup contact who can make decisions if they can't reach you.
- Describe the daily routine. Write feeding times and amounts, walks, litter or cage cleaning and playtime in the order they happen, as if the sitter has never met your pet.
- Copy medications from the label. Write each medication's name, dose and timing exactly as it appears on the vet label. Note how your pet takes it (in a treat, in food) and where it's kept.
- Spell out the house rules. Note what's allowed on the furniture, crate rules, which doors stay closed, and anything your pet tends to get into.
- Decide what the sitter can approve at the vet. Call your vet to add the sitter's name to your file, and write whether the sitter can authorize treatment and up to what amount.
- Add the emergency plan. List your regular vet, the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic and the pet poison hotline you'd want them to call, plus where the carrier and leash are.
- Walk through it together. Go over the page with your sitter before you leave, ideally during a practice visit. Leave it on the fridge with the pet's records nearby.
What to include in pet sitter instructions
While I'm away
- Your dates away and the best way to reach you
- A backup contact who can make decisions, with their phone number
Care
- Feeding instructions: what, how much and when
- Medications, copied from the vet label: name, dose, time and how to give it
- House rules: furniture, crate, doors that stay closed, rooms that are off limits
- The daily routine: walks, litter, play and bedtime
If something's wrong
- Whether the sitter can authorize treatment, and up to what amount
- Your regular vet and the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic
Those are the same sections as the Pet sitter instructions page in our printable, so you can fill it in by hand and leave it on the fridge.
A sample you can copy
Here's a made-up example for a dog named Biscuit. Use it as a model for your own page.
| Section | Example |
|---|---|
| Dates away | Friday morning to Monday evening |
| Feeding | 1 cup dry food at 7:00 am and 6:00 pm; fresh water twice a day |
| Medication | Joint chew, 1 with dinner (in the cabinet over the sink) |
| Walks | 20 minutes at 7:30 am, noon and 8:00 pm; pulls toward squirrels |
| House rules | Allowed on the couch, not the beds; keep the back gate latched |
| Vet authorization | Yes, up to $500; call me for anything more |
| Emergency | Regular vet, plus the 24-hour clinic on Main Street |
Things owners often forget
- Fears and escape habits. Thunderstorms, the vacuum, slipping out the door when the mail comes.
- Where supplies are. Food, treats, poop bags, litter, the carrier and the leash.
- What "normal" looks like. Your pet skips breakfast sometimes, or always hides when guests come.
- The vet call. Ask your vet to add the sitter to your file before you go.
- Records. Put the vaccination record and recent vet visits in the same folder.
Keep it with your pet's records
The instructions sheet works best alongside your pet's health records, so the sitter has vaccination dates and medical history in one place if they need a vet. Many families also keep a copy in their household emergency binder. If you'd like a simple checklist for the sitter's daily tasks, our free checklist template works well. You'll find more printables in our templates section.
This page is general information, not veterinary advice. Ask your vet about your own pet's care.
Ready to use
The pet records printable with the sitter page inside
Printables
Pet Health Records
Vaccines, vet visits, meds, weight and sitter notes - ready when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
What should I include in pet sitter instructions? Your dates away and how to reach you, a backup contact, feeding times and amounts, medications copied from the vet label, the daily routine, house rules, your vet's details, the nearest emergency clinic and whether the sitter can authorize treatment. Add your pet's quirks, like fears or escape habits, too.
How detailed should pet sitter instructions be? Detailed enough that someone who has never met your pet could follow them. Write exact amounts ("1 cup dry food" instead of "a scoop"), exact times and where everything is kept. A one-page sheet is usually enough; the details go in the medication and feeding sections.
Should I give my sitter permission to take my pet to the vet? Yes, most owners give their sitter permission to take their pet to the vet. Call your vet before you leave to add the sitter's name to your file, and write down whether they can approve treatment and up to what dollar limit. That way your sitter isn't stuck if they can't reach you.
What emergency information should a pet sitter have? Your vet's name and number, the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, a pet poison control hotline, your backup contact, where the carrier and leash are and your pet's medical history, including any allergies and current medications. Keeping your pet's vaccination and vet visit records in the same binder helps a lot.
Do I need to leave my pet's vaccination records? It's a good idea, especially if your pet might need to see a vet or go to a boarding facility. A copy of the vaccination record and recent vet visits saves the sitter, and the vet, a lot of time.
What should a dog sitter know that a cat sitter doesn't? Dog sitters need walk times and routes, leash and harness tips, rules around other dogs and people, crate routines and how your dog acts at the door. Cat sitters need litter routines, hiding spots, whether your cat goes outside and how to check that a shy cat is eating.
How do I write instructions for more than one pet? Use one page per pet for food, medications and quirks, plus a shared page for the house rules and contacts. Label food and medications with each pet's name.
Should I leave my sitter a key or a door code? Either a key or a door code works, as long as your pet sitter instructions say how to get in and how to lock up. Write how to get in and how to lock up, and if you use a code, consider changing it after your trip. Don't write alarm codes or passwords on a page that stays on the fridge; tell your sitter directly.
What's included in the Pet Health Records printable? A pet profile, vet and emergency contacts, a vaccination record, a vet visit log, medications and preventives, a weight tracker, a feeding and care routine, the pet sitter instructions page, a grooming log and notes. It costs $5.49 and comes in US Letter and A4, and you can print a set for each pet.
Can I fill in the template on my computer? The printable is designed to be printed and filled in by hand, which also makes it easy for a sitter to add notes. If you prefer typing, use our sample on this page as a guide for a document you write yourself.
Free printable
Have the important stuff in one place: get the free emergency binder pages
Printable starter pages for household members, emergency contacts, medical notes and where key documents live. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with simple ways to keep family records and important papers in order.
