Write down the routine your pet already knows
Start with an ordinary day. A sitter needs the practical rhythm: feeding, fresh water, exercise or play, toilet or litter care, sleep and any regular check-ins.
Use amounts, locations and time windows that you actually follow. If the routine can flex, say how much. Clear ranges are more useful than false precision.
- Usual food, amount, feeding times and where supplies are kept
- Fresh-water routine and bowl or fountain locations
- Walks, play, toilet breaks, litter care and rest
- Where your pet sleeps and which rooms or furniture are allowed
- What is essential, what is optional and what should not change
Leave a simple contact and emergency plan
Include the best way to reach you, one reliable backup contact, your veterinary practice and its out-of-hours details. Agree when the sitter should call you, the backup contact or the vet.
Keep high-risk secrets such as alarm codes and passwords out of the handover. Arrange access separately through a channel you trust.
- Owner contact and likely availability
- Backup person who has agreed to help
- Usual vet and out-of-hours service
- Carrier, lead or other safe-transport location
- A clear instruction to seek urgent professional help when needed
Set out enough familiar supplies
Leave more than enough of the usual food, litter and everyday supplies for the whole sit, plus a small buffer for delays. Label similar containers so the sitter does not have to guess.
If your pet has prescribed medication, leave the original labelled supply and the exact instructions already provided by you or your veterinary professional. Confirm that the sitter is comfortable following them. Never ask a sitter to invent, alter or estimate a dose.
- Food, treats, bowls and measuring scoop
- Litter, waste bags and cleaning supplies
- Lead, harness, coat, towel and familiar bedding
- Favourite safe toys and enrichment
- Owner-provided medication instructions, where applicable
Explain behaviour, boundaries and escape risks
Small details can prevent stressful moments. Tell the sitter how your pet reacts to visitors, other animals, handling, noises and changes in routine.
Point out gates, doors or windows that need extra care. Describe hiding places and calming routines without asking the sitter to force contact.
- Known triggers and early signs that your pet needs space
- Lead, off-lead and garden rules
- Indoor or outdoor rules and reliable recall limits
- Safe hiding or rest places
- Anything the sitter must never do
A useful handover is specific without becoming a novel
The example below is fictional. It shows the level of detail a sitter can act on quickly; it is not a care recommendation for another animal.
- Breakfast: 7:30–8:30am, one labelled scoop from the green container.
- Routine: ten-minute garden break after breakfast; keep the side gate latched.
- Behaviour: Pippin may hide when the doorbell rings. Give her space and let her come out in her own time.
- Help: call Alex first; if unavailable, call Morgan. Vet and out-of-hours details are in the contacts section.
Do one calm handover before you leave
Walk through the routine, show the sitter where essentials are kept and test the agreed access arrangement. Ask them to repeat back anything safety-critical and invite questions.
Keep a copied or printed version available in case a device or connection is unavailable, and update the handover whenever the routine changes.
One-page preparation sheet
Pet-sitter preparation checklist
Tick each item as you prepare the handover. Add the exact care details to your SitSorted brief rather than writing private access codes on this sheet.
Feeding and water
- Usual food, measured amounts and time windows are written down.
- Bowls or fountains, fresh-water routine and supply locations are clear.
Walks, toilet and litter
- Walk, play, toilet-break or litter routines match an ordinary day.
- Lead, outdoor, garden and waste-disposal rules are explicit.
Medication instructions
- Any current owner- or vet-provided instructions are copied exactly.
- Original labelled supplies are ready and the sitter is comfortable.
Behaviour and escape safety
- Triggers, handling preferences, hiding places and calming cues are noted.
- Door, window, gate, recall and indoor or outdoor rules are unambiguous.
Everyday supplies
- Enough familiar food, litter and essentials are available, with a buffer.
- Lead, carrier, bedding, cleaning items and safe toys are easy to find.
Emergency contacts
- Owner, agreed backup person, usual vet and out-of-hours details are current.
- The sitter knows who to contact first and when to seek urgent help.
Home boundaries
- Allowed rooms, furniture, visitors and household responsibilities are clear.
- Keys or access are tested and sensitive codes are arranged separately.
Return tasks
- Final feeding, cleaning, bins, deliveries or plant tasks are agreed.
- Key return, last update and any post-sit checks have a clear plan.
Before leaving, walk through safety-critical details, invite questions and keep a copied or printed brief available.
SitSorted · sitsorted.com
Sources and review
How this guide was prepared
SitSorted editorial uses UK-first, authoritative sources and reviews the page when its practical guidance changes. This guide organises a handover; it does not replace advice from your vet or another qualified professional.
- Published
- 24 July 2026
- Last reviewed
- 24 July 2026
- Reviewed by
- SitSorted editorial