7 Things You Should Always Remind Your Pet-Sitter

Author bio: This post was submitted by Cyd Ross, a founding member of an organization dedicated to rescuing livestock and pets from evacuation zones. Ranch life has given her experience with most animals, but her focus is on training horses and dogs. Cyd loves competing in endurance events of 50-100 miles with her Arabians.

We know you would take your fur babies with you everywhere you went if you could. Just picture your cat vibing on the lounge chair next to you on South Beach or your pup chillin’ at the office with you while you take calls. Alas, the sad reality is we gotta leave them behind sometimes. Fortunately, our four-legged children are so cute and loveable that dedicated pet sitters are lining up around the block to care for them while you’re away. Here are some friendly reminders you can give your pet sitter to make sure they have everything they need to care for your animals next time you’re away.

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1. Your Itinerary & Contact Info

Prep an itinerary with all your contact information so your sitter knows when, where, and exactly how to reach you should they need to ask you any important questions. For instance, does your Yorkie nibble at his poop often, or is this an isolated incident?

2. Home Info

Make sure your pet sitter knows the security code to get in, how to work the thermostat, and the Wi-Fi password so they can scroll through social media while your cat obliterates the freshly cleaned litter box.

Leave a detailed list of where everything is that they might need like food supplies, medicine, cleaning supplies, leashes, toys, litter, pee-pee pads, brushes, first aid kits, etc. 

Make sure you let them know when to expect subscription box deliveries or visitors like gardeners, pool cleaners, or housekeepers. You don’t want them to accidentally report your plant-lady to the police because you failed to mention that Doris comes over to water your fiddle-leaf figs on Fridays.

3. Food & Medicine Schedule

Keep a detailed schedule somewhere accessible like the fridge or counter that shows what time your pets usually eat. Be sure to include any meds or supplements, as well as the dosage and how they need to be administered. If you know that your cat tends to get a little extra feisty when receiving her meds, leave a warning so your sitter can take extra purr-caution.

4. Walking & Play-Time Schedule

When does your pup take his daily walks? Are there any routes your pet sitter should avoid? When does your kitty like to sit by the window and fantasize about murdering all the birds? These are important things that should be relayed to their servant, I mean pet sitter.

5. The Little Things

Don’t forget to make your sitter aware of any unusual or quirky little habits your fur babies might have that would be helpful to know. Do they have a favorite goodie or treat that they especially love? Does your cat like to take cotton balls out of the closet one by one and hide them under your bed? Does your dog jump up to French-kiss you whenever you walk into the room? Making your pet sitter aware of these little idiosyncrasies could prove to be useful (and just plain polite) later.

6. Anything Off-Limits

Things like making sure the bathroom door is closed so your dog doesn’t drink from the toilet bowl or keeping your cat out of the office so she doesn’t turn the papers on your desk into party streamers are rules that should be relayed to your pet sitter. If there are any areas in the home that are off-limits, make sure you let your sitter know.

7. Vet Info & Emergency Contact Person

Emergencies happen, especially when Benny, the food-obsessed chihuahua, inhales anything and everything that falls on the floor faster than you can pick it up. For those reasons, always provide your pet’s veterinary details, as well as the contact information for a friend or neighbor should any emergencies arise.

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At the end of the day, you want your fur babies to receive the best, possible care when you aren’t around. You may not be able to fly them to Vegas with you for your bestie’s bachelorette party or bring them to your midweek meetings at work, but you can have peace of mind by making sure you leave your pet sitter with all the information they could possibly need to look after your four-legged babies.