Pet sitter instructions template: free printable checklist
A pet sitter instructions template puts everything your sitter needs on paper: how to reach you and the vet, what and when your pet eats, which medications to give, the daily routine and the house rules. Fill it in once, print it and leave it on the fridge, then update it before each trip. Download the free pet sitter instructions template below: contacts, a page for each pet and a daily checklist.
| Where the instructions live | Everything about the pet in one place | Vet documents ready to share | Reminders on your phone | Up to date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagzy (coming soon) | Yes, for each pet | Yes, as files | Yes | Yes, as you log care |
| Printable template below | Yes, on paper | Copies only | No | Until something changes |
| Notes and messages | Scattered across chats | Photos | No | If you remember |
| Telling the sitter at the door | No | No | No | Easy to forget |
What to put in pet sitter instructions
Any pet care instructions template covers the same ground. Write as if the sitter has never met your pet, because the person who steps in at the last minute may not have.
Contacts and dates
The dates you are away, where you will be, your phone and a second owner’s or partner’s, and a backup contact who lives nearby and has a key. If your phone may be off on a flight or a hike, say so and name who decides instead.
Vet and emergencies
Your vet clinic with the phone and address, the nearest 24-hour emergency vet, and your pet insurance with the policy number. A clinic may need your consent to treat your pet when you can’t be reached: a signed note naming the sitter, with a spending limit, plus a call to your clinic before you leave, avoids a delay. The template has a line for it.
Food and water
The food and brand, the amount per meal and the meal times, which treats are allowed and how many, and the foods to keep away. Leave enough food for the whole trip and a few extra days.
Medications
For each medication: the name, when to give it and how — with food, in a treat, as drops — exactly as your vet prescribed. Leave the medication in its original package, and ask your vet in advance what the sitter should do if a dose is missed or refused.
Walks, play and litter
Walk times, the leash or harness, the usual route and anything the sitter should avoid, such as other dogs or a busy road. For a cat: where the litter box is and how often to clean it. Add favorite toys and games: they help a nervous pet settle with a new person.
Habits
What your pet likes, what scares it, where it hides, what is not allowed — the sofa, the bed, the garden — and the signs that mean the sitter should call you right away.
Home
The address, keys and door code, the alarm, the Wi-Fi, and where things are: food, leash, litter, medications, cleaning supplies. House rules go here too.
Daily checklist and notes
A grid of daily tasks — meals, water, walks or litter, medications — with a box for each day, and a line per day for the sitter’s notes to you: what your pet ate, how it behaved and anything unusual. The last page of the template is exactly that: print one for each pet, and give each medication dose its own row.
Dog sitter instructions vs cat sitter instructions
The template covers both; the details differ.
- Dog sitter instructions are mostly about the routine: walk times and length, the leash or harness, how your dog reacts to other dogs, people and bikes, the crate, and toilet habits.
- Cat sitter instructions are mostly about checking in: where your cat hides with strangers, so the sitter can see it at every visit; the litter box; whether the cat may go outside; and doors and windows to keep closed.
With several pets, fill in one “About your pet” page for each. Feeding and medications get mixed up most easily when two pets eat in the same room.
Checklist for the pet sitter, before you leave
- Fill in the template and walk through it with the sitter, ideally during a visit while you are still at home.
- Leave food, litter and medications for the whole trip, plus a few days’ extra.
- If the sitter will take your dog to a park, daycare or kennel, check that its vaccines are current and leave a copy of the dog vaccination record.
- Tell your vet who the sitter is and leave the signed treatment note.
- Check the ID tag and that the microchip registration has your current phone number.
- Agree how and when the sitter sends you updates.
For a full picture of your pet’s health — vaccines, medications, visits and weight — keep a pet health record and leave a copy with the sitter.
Paper, Google Docs or an app?
- A printable PDF, like the template above, is fastest: print it, fill it in by hand and stick it on the fridge. Prefer typing? Open the PDF in a reader that lets you add text, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader with Fill & Sign or Preview on a Mac, and print the result.
- Google Docs or Word suits instructions you rewrite often. Copy the sections from this template into a document and share it with your sitter.
- Canva is another option if you want to change the layout before printing.
Whatever you use, the information has to come from somewhere current. Wagzy will keep it for each pet — food and portions, medications as your vet prescribed them, vet visits and the clinic’s contacts — and keep your pet’s documents ready to share, so filling in the sheet before a trip takes minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What should I leave for a pet sitter?
The filled-in instructions, food and medications for the whole trip, keys, your vet’s and the emergency vet’s numbers, a signed note allowing treatment, and a copy of your pet’s vaccination record and insurance.
What is a pet sitter information sheet?
A pet information sheet template is a one-page profile of a pet for the sitter: name, breed, age, microchip number, food, medications, habits and contacts. In this template it is the “About your pet” page; print one for each pet.
Should I leave a vet authorization for my pet sitter?
It is worth doing. Without it, a clinic may wait to reach you before treating your pet. Write who may bring your pet in and up to what amount you agree to pay, sign it, and let your clinic know.
Is there a Google Docs version of this pet sitter instructions template?
This page has a printable PDF. To use Google Docs or Word, create a document with the sections above and share it with your sitter. You can also type into the PDF in a reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print it.
Is this pet sitter instructions template free?
Yes. The PDF is free for personal use, with no sign-up: download it for US Letter or A4 paper and print as many copies as you need.