Pre-trip checklist

Pet sitter instructions checklist. What to leave before you leave.

Three things matter most: feeding schedule, vet contact, and key handover. The rest of the list closes every other gap that comes up at 9pm on day three of your trip.

A practical pre-trip checklist for US owners. Print it, fill it in, walk the sitter through it at the meet-and-greet. The Petme app keeps the official record; paper covers the moment phones die.

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The short version

Write it down, do it once, store it in two places.

The most reliable handoff is a one-page printed note on the fridge that mirrors the booking notes in the Petme app. Both update once per trip. The sitter never has to remember which version is current.

The four essentials

What every pet sitter needs to know.

If you only had time for four items, these are them. Cover them and most short trips run without incident.

Feeding schedule

Brand of food, exact portion, times of day. Where the food lives, where the bowls live, where treats are kept, what is off-limits. If your pet is on a rotation diet, write it out for the full week.

Medication and supplements

Name of medication, dosage, time of day, how it is administered (in food, on skin, by mouth). Show the sitter the routine in person at the meet-and-greet. Note any side effects to watch for.

Walks and bathroom routine

Walk times, walk length, leash habits, route preferences, dogs to avoid in the neighborhood. Where the leash and harness live. For cats, litter location and how often to scoop.

Vet contact and medical history

Vet name, clinic phone number, after-hours emergency vet. Any allergies, chronic conditions, recent surgeries. Authorization to seek emergency care if the situation calls for it.

House access and safety

Four pieces of access logistics.

A sitter who cannot get in or arm the alarm cannot do the visit. Cover these at the meet-and-greet, not in a panicked text from the gate at the airport.

Key handover and door codes

How the sitter gets in: physical key, lockbox, smart-lock code. Where the key returns after the trip. Backup if the primary fails. Test it during the meet-and-greet, not on the day you fly out.

Alarm codes and Wi-Fi

Disarm/arm codes for the security system. Wi-Fi password for any in-home tech (cameras, smart feeders). Two-factor recovery plan if the alarm panel locks out.

House quirks

The door that sticks. The neighbor who barks. The trash day. The route from the front door to where the litter box hides. Anything that would surprise a stranger walking in cold.

Emergency contacts

Your number, your travel partner number, a local friend or family member, a neighbor with a key. Petme support is reachable in-app. The sitter should never be stranded for a non-pet emergency either.

What to actually write down

Three physical artifacts that hold the routine together.

Verbal walkthroughs evaporate. These three artifacts persist across the trip and across sitter turnover.

A one-page printed welcome note

Even with the Petme app, paper helps when phones die. One page with feeding, meds, vet, key, alarm. Pinned to the fridge. Updated before every long trip.

A pre-portioned food bin

Separating a week of food into labeled containers removes one source of mistakes. If your pet is on a rotation diet or specific portioning, this is a five-minute setup that saves hours of explaining.

Meds set out in a pill organizer

For older pets or pets on multiple meds. The sitter sees the day, the dose, and the time at a glance. No confusion, no double-dosing.

Common questions

Practical questions owners ask before the first trip.

Specific scenarios that come up in real households.

What is the most important thing to leave for a pet sitter?
Three pieces of information, in this order: feeding schedule with brand and portion, vet phone number with after-hours backup, and the key/entry plan. With those three, a good sitter can handle nearly any normal stay. Everything else is helpful but not foundational.
Should I leave printed instructions or use the Petme app?
Both. The Petme app keeps the official record (booking notes, messages, photo updates). Printed one-page instructions on the fridge cover the moment a phone dies, the app glitches, or the sitter is mid-walk and needs to glance at something. Belt and suspenders.
How early should I meet the sitter for the walkthrough?
Two to four weeks before the trip is the sweet spot. Earlier for first-time sitters and overnight bookings. The meet-and-greet should cover the welcome note, a feeding demo, a med demo if needed, and a tour of the home including where things live. See the meet-and-greet question script.
Do I need to leave money for emergencies?
Not for vet bills if you book on Petme. You get up to $22,000 through the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs that activates if your pet needs urgent care during the stay. You may want to leave a small petty cash envelope for non-vet incidentals (extra walks, a missed gate at the boarder, anything else that crops up). Most owners leave $50 to $100. See what the Protection Plan covers.
Should I share my flight itinerary?
Yes, but light. Outbound and inbound flight numbers, departure and arrival airports, and the time you expect to be back at the house. The sitter does not need your seat assignment or hotel name; they need the rough window when you reappear.
Where should I leave the key for the sitter?
Best option is a meet-and-greet hand-off before the trip, with the sitter returning the key on the last visit. Second-best is a lockbox with a code that you change after the trip. Avoid leaving a key under the mat, in a fake rock, or with a neighbor who is not expecting it.
What if my dog has a routine I have not written down?
Write it during the meet-and-greet. The act of walking the sitter through "this is how mornings go" surfaces every detail you take for granted. A sitter who can take notes during the walkthrough is a sitter who will remember on day three.
How much detail is too much detail?
There is no such thing for a first-time sitter. The note can be condensed for a repeat sitter who already knows the household. By the third or fourth booking with the same sitter, a short refresh card is enough. The first time, write more than you think you need to.
Get started

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