What to leave for your pet sitter: the full checklist
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Leave your pet's usual food and treats, every medicine with written dose times, the vaccination record, your number and your vet's, the nearest 24-hour vet, and a signed note allowing vet treatment. In an Indian home, add the keys, the society's gate or app access, the guard's number, household help timings and the inverter.
Write it all on one care sheet, not in a chat thread. The RSPCA's holiday checklist and PDSA's advice both start with the routine written down, because it is hard for someone else to remember.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Why write it down instead of telling the sitter?
Because the sitter will need it at 7 in the morning on day four, not during the handover chat.
PDSA's holiday advice is to write down your pet's usual routine and food, because these can be difficult for someone else to remember, and to leave a list of likes and dislikes too. The RSPCA's checklist for carers asks for the routine kept as consistent as possible, the usual food and treats with feeding instructions, emergency contacts and vet details including out-of-hours, health information, medicine instructions, behaviour information and exercise needs.
A single sheet also protects you. If a sitter changes, or a family member steps in, everything is still there. Petym's free pet care sheet has every field below, ready to fill in and print or share. When Petym bookings open, the sitter follows that plan as you write it and logs each feed, walk and medicine as it happens.
What should you leave for your pet sitter?
The full list. Tick each one the day before you leave.
- Your pet's usual food for the whole stay plus a few days extra, and where to buy more nearby. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Feeding instructions: how much, what time, and which treats are allowed. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Every medicine with its prescription, and the dose times written down. Merck Veterinary Manual
- The vaccination record, and the date of the last tick, flea and worm treatment. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Your phone number, a backup contact in the same city, and how to reach you if your phone is off. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Your vet's name, clinic and number, and the nearest 24-hour vet with its address. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- A signed letter giving the sitter permission to take your pet to the vet and to authorise treatment. PDSA
- Recent photos of your pet and its collar ID details, in case it goes missing. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Behaviour notes: fears (fireworks, thunder, lifts, street dogs), habits, what calms it, how it reacts to visitors. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Exercise needs: walk times, route, length and leash habits. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Supplies where the sitter can find them: leash, harness, poo bags, litter, toys, towels. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- For cats: enough litter, food and medicine, and daily care instructions. Cats Protection
- Keys, and a spare with a trusted neighbour.
- The society's gate approval, visitor app entry or a note with the security desk.
- The inverter, the main switch, the AC remote and the Wi-Fi password, explained.
- Household help: who comes, when, and whether they have keys.
What should go on the care sheet, and why?
Each field, why the sitter needs it, and an example from an Indian home.
| Why it matters | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding PDSA | Familiar food helps prevent stomach upsets; a sudden change can cause diarrhoea. | "1 cup kibble at 8 am and 7 pm, curd only on Sunday, no roti from the cook." |
| Medicines Merck Veterinary Manual | Doses must match what the vet prescribed, exactly. | "Tablet at 9 am with food; the strip is in the kitchen drawer; tick the sheet." |
| Vet consent PDSA | Lets the sitter get treatment without waiting to reach you. | "Signed letter in the folder by the door; clinic knows the sitter's name." |
| Walks RSPCA (England and Wales) | Keeps the routine the same, which the RSPCA says reduces stress. | "6 am and 7 pm only in summer; avoid the road with the community dogs." |
| Fears and habits RSPCA (England and Wales) | A sitter cannot calm a fear it does not know about. | "Hides under the bed during crackers; do not drag out." |
| Society and access | Guards turn away visitors they were not told about. | "Flat B-1204, approved on the visitor app; guard's number is on the fridge." |
| Household help | A cook or maid with a key can let a pet out by accident. | "Maid 10 to 11 am on weekdays; she has a key; dog goes in the bedroom first." |
| Power and heat PDSA | A room can heat up fast when the power goes; PDSA lists poor ventilation as a heatstroke risk. | "Inverter runs the fans only; open the balcony door mesh if the AC goes off." |
What Indian household details do sitter checklists leave out?
International templates miss these. Your sitter will need every one.
- Gate approval
- Most housing societies log visitors at the gate or on an app. Approve the sitter in advance, or leave their name and photo with the security desk.
- Security guard or watchman
- Introduce the sitter in person if you can, and leave the guard's number on the sheet. Guards are often the first to hear barking.
- Lift and common-area rules
- Some societies ask that pets use the service lift or avoid certain areas. Write down your society's rules so the sitter follows them.
- Household help
- The cook, maid or driver may come every day and may have keys. Tell them who the sitter is, and tell the sitter when they come.
- Inverter and power cuts
- Show what the inverter runs, how long it lasts, and which room stays coolest. Write the electrician's number down.
- Drinking water
- Say which water the pet drinks: the RO or filter, or a can. Show where the water cans are kept.
- Community dogs on the route
- Say which lanes have street dogs your dog reacts to, and the walk route that avoids them.
- Deliveries
- Milk, newspaper and courier timings, so the sitter knows who is ringing the bell and keeps the pet in.
What should the emergency section say?
Plan the worst day while you are calm. Merck advises calling the clinic ahead and being ready to describe what happened.
If Your pet is injured or seriously ill and you cannot be reached.
The signed treatment letter, your backup contact, and the 24-hour vet's address and number on the first line of the sheet. PDSA
If The sitter is on the way to the vet.
Call the clinic ahead so it can prepare, and be ready to describe what happened. Merck Veterinary Manual
If Your pet eats something it should not.
List the foods that are dangerous to pets so the sitter never offers them: the ASPCA's list includes chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, and xylitol. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
If A cat is near lilies or a dog's flea product.
International Cat Care says lilies are highly toxic to cats and dog flea products must never be used on cats. Keep both out of the house. International Cat Care
If The vet bill has to be paid on the spot.
Agree with your sitter, before you leave, how an emergency bill will be paid and up to what amount, and write it down.
If Your pet goes missing.
Recent photos, the collar and microchip details, and who to tell first: the guards, the society group, nearby vets.
When should you prepare each part?
A week before
Fill in the care sheet. Check you have enough food and medicines; refill prescriptions. Ask the vet to note the sitter's name.
Three days before
Approve the sitter on the society app or with the security desk. Tell the household help. Charge the inverter battery.
The day before
Walk the sitter through the flat: food, medicines, the pet's spots, the main switch, the water. Sign the vet letter. Hand over keys. PDSA
The morning you leave
Put the sheet on the fridge and send a copy to the sitter's phone. Normal breakfast, normal walk, quiet goodbye.
What is different on a dog sheet and a cat sheet?
The core is the same. The details a sitter must check every day are not.
For a dog, the walks carry most of the risk and most of the routine. Write the times, the route, how the dog behaves with other dogs and community dogs, whether it pulls, and whether it can be let off the leash anywhere (in most Indian cities, the answer should be no). In summer, write the hours not to walk. Note how many times it usually toilets, so the sitter notices if something changes, and where the poo bags and the towels for muddy monsoon paws are kept.
For a cat, the litter tray is the daily health check. Write how many trays there are, how often they are scooped, and what the sitter should do if a male cat is straining with little or no urine: Cornell calls a urinary blockage an absolute emergency. Note where your cat hides, so a sitter can find it on every visit without chasing it, and how much it usually eats, because International Cat Care lists eating less and hiding more among the signs of stress. Cats Protection also asks owners to leave enough litter, food and medicine for the whole stay.
What should you show the sitter in person?
Some things are faster to show than to write. Do them on the handover visit.
Walk through the flat together. Show where the food and medicines are kept, how much one scoop is, how your pet takes its tablet, and its favourite spots. Show the main switch, the inverter, the water purifier or water cans, and which windows and balcony doors must stay shut. Take the lift down together, introduce the sitter to the guard at the gate, and point out the walk route.
If you have a cook or maid, try to have them meet the sitter too. Five minutes face to face does more than a message. Finally, put the care sheet somewhere obvious, on the fridge or by the door, and send a photo of it to the sitter's phone.
What do sitters wish owners told them?
Do
- Say what is normal for your pet: how much it eats, how often it toilets, where it sleeps. A sitter cannot spot a change without it.
- Write down the routine and keep it as consistent as possible. RSPCA (England and Wales)
- Leave a list of likes and dislikes. PDSA
- Say how you want updates: a photo each day, a call only if something is wrong.
Don’t
- Leave the instructions spread across voice notes and chats.
- Leave out a fear or a bite history. It is a safety issue for the sitter and for your pet.
- Assume the sitter knows Indian food risks for pets: write 'no onion, no grapes, no sweets' plainly. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Change the food or start a new medicine just before you leave. PDSA
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
What should I leave for my pet sitter?
- Your pet's usual food and treats, every medicine with its dose times, the vaccination record, your number and a backup contact, your vet's details and the nearest 24-hour vet, a signed letter allowing vet treatment, and written notes on routine, habits and fears. In India, add keys, gate access, the guard's number and power backup.
Are detailed pet sitter instructions too much?
- No. PDSA says routines and food are hard for someone else to remember, so write them down. A good sitter would rather have one page too many than guess. Keep it organised: emergency details first, then daily routine, then habits and house notes, so the important lines are easy to find.
Do I need to give my pet sitter permission to take my pet to the vet?
- Yes, in writing. PDSA's holiday advice is to leave a letter giving the carer permission to take your pet to the vet and authorise treatment. Tell your vet the sitter's name, and agree in advance how an emergency bill will be paid if you cannot be reached.
What should I tell my housing society before a pet sitter comes?
- Approve the sitter as a regular visitor on the society's app or with the security desk, with their name, photo and the dates. Tell the guards in person if you can. Write down the society's pet rules, such as lift use or walking areas, so the sitter follows them.
Should I tell my maid or cook about the pet sitter?
- Yes. Household help may come every day and may have keys. Tell them who the sitter is and when they will come, and tell the sitter their timings. Agree a rule for the main door, such as keeping the pet in a closed room before anyone opens it.
How much food should I leave for the pet sitter?
- Enough of your pet's usual food for the whole stay, plus a few days extra in case your return is delayed. Do not switch foods before a trip: PDSA says a sudden change can upset the gut and cause diarrhoea. Write the amount and time of each meal on the care sheet.
Is there a free pet sitter instructions template?
- Yes. Petym's free pet care sheet has every field in this guide: feeding, medicines, vet and emergency details, walks, habits and fears, and the Indian home details like gate access, household help and power backup. Fill it in, print it for the fridge and send a copy to your sitter.
Keep reading
Services that help
Free tools for this
- Pet care sheetA printable instructions sheet for your sitter: meals, walks, vet and house notes.
- Going-away checklistA dated countdown for your trip, for dogs, cats, small pets and birds.
- Pet medication scheduleA tick-box sheet of every dose for the sitter.
- Care plan builderAdd up the visits, walks and nights your trip needs. No prices yet.
Words on this page, explained
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- Do cats miss their owners?
- Dog behaviour after you return
- Separation anxiety in dogs
- Handing over house keys safely
- How to choose a pet sitter
- Questions to ask a pet sitter
- Red flags when hiring a pet sitter
- How pet sitting is priced
- Chocolate poisoning in dogs
- Foods and plants toxic to cats
- Foods toxic to dogs
- Heatstroke in dogs
- Indian foods dogs can eat
- Pet first aid basics
- Senior pets and pets on medication
- Signs your pet needs a vet now
- Ticks and tick fever
- Adopting a senior pet
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- Getting a cat in India
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- First guinea pigs: the complete guide
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- Diwali and firecrackers
- Holi and pets
- Monsoon care
- Festival travel and your pet
- Summer pet care in India
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- RSPCA (England and Wales): Pet sitting (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Holiday health for pets (leaflet) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Planning for travel with pets (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: Going on holiday without your cat (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Diarrhoea after a change of food (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: People foods to avoid feeding your pets (opens in a new tab)
Show all 11 sourcesShow fewer
- International Cat Care: Cats and poisons (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: What to do in a dog or cat emergency (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Heatstroke in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (opens in a new tab)
- International Cat Care: Stress in cats (opens in a new tab)