Planning together · PetDoing Official
A pet sitter handover that leaves less to guess
Turn your pet’s usual routine into clear instructions for another caregiver, including a rehearsal and a ready-to-fill handover sheet.
The most useful handover is a set of instructions someone can follow in your home without having to infer what “the usual amount” means. Prepare it with the person who will actually look after your pet. A short rehearsal often reveals more gaps than adding another page of general advice.
Start with one ordinary day
Walk through your routine in order. Show where food, bowls, cleaning supplies, carriers, harnesses and waste bags are kept. Identify each animal clearly, especially if two look alike or have different diets. Write the exact food, amount and timing from your existing care plan, and show the measuring tool you use. “One scoop” is ambiguous if the sitter cannot identify the scoop.
Then explain what happens after a task: where opened food is stored, which doors must be shut and how to record that feeding or cleaning has been done. If more than one person will visit, agree on a shared checklist so a completed task is visible to the next person.
Separate routine instructions from exceptions
Describe your animal's familiar resting places and how they normally choose to interact. Include practical limits such as “do not let the cat onto the balcony” or “walk this dog alone.” Avoid presenting a past behavior as a guarantee. Give the sitter permission to stop an interaction and contact you if the situation differs from what you rehearsed.
If your pet has prescribed treatment, give the sitter the veterinarian's current written instructions and confirm they are able and willing to follow them. Keep original packaging and professional contact details available. Do not ask a sitter to estimate a dose or improvise a change using a general online guide.
Agree on an escalation plan
Write your preferred contact method, a backup contact, your regular clinic and an emergency clinic. Confirm the clinics' current contact details yourself. Discuss transport, who is authorized to seek care and any arrangements required by the clinic. A contact list is useful only when the sitter knows what to do if the first person does not answer.
Keep access instructions and keys separate from anything you post publicly. If using a temporary door code, share it privately and plan how to retire it after the booking. This guide does not need your travel dates, address or contact information; fill those details only into your own copy.
Rehearse before you leave
- Ask the sitter to locate supplies using the sheet.
- Have them explain the feeding and cleaning steps back to you.
- Practise familiar equipment with you present, if appropriate for the animal.
- Locate the carrier and discuss transport without forcing the pet into a stressful rehearsal.
- Send one sample update and confirm you can receive it.
Make updates specific
Example message: “Evening visit completed at 6:20. Meal offered as listed; about a quarter remained when I left. Water refreshed. Ten-minute garden visit, then settled on the kitchen mat. I could not find the spare waste bags; please confirm their location.”
Agree on the frequency and content of routine updates, and on how urgent concerns should be communicated. On your return, ask what was unclear and revise the sheet while the details are fresh. Save a dated version for the next visit instead of assuming an old care plan is still current.
Your ready-to-use worksheet
Download text worksheet Or use your browser's Print command for a paper copy. Fill in your own copy privately.
PETDOING — PRIVATE PET SITTER HANDOVER Prepared / checked on: _________________________________ Pet identification: ____________________________________ DAILY ROUTINE (use the animal's existing care plan) Food, amount, measuring tool, times: ____________________ _______________________________________________________ Water / cleaning / toilet routine: ______________________ _______________________________________________________ Exercise, enrichment and rest: __________________________ _______________________________________________________ Supplies and carrier location: __________________________ Safety boundaries / doors / other animals: ______________ _______________________________________________________ PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTIONS Current veterinary instructions stored at: ______________ Tasks the sitter has confirmed they can do: ______________ _______________________________________________________ CONTACT PLAN — COMPLETE AND KEEP PRIVATELY Owner / preferred method: _______________________________ Backup contact: ________________________________________ Regular clinic / number: ________________________________ Emergency clinic / number: ______________________________ Transport and care authorization arrangements: __________ _______________________________________________________ If the first contact does not answer: ___________________ _______________________________________________________ HANDOVER CHECK [ ] Walked through supplies and routine together [ ] Confirmed current professional care instructions [ ] Agreed on updates and urgent contact method [ ] Confirmed access and return of keys privately [ ] Sitter's unanswered questions resolved Do not post a completed handover sheet publicly.
PetDoing · https://petdoing.com/guides/pet-sitter-handover/