Create a pet sitting instructions page that shares feeding times, meds, vet contacts, and key locations in your home using one simple link for sitters.
Pet care details tend to end up everywhere: a text thread about dinner, a sticky note on the counter, a photo of the food bag, and a quick mention about the spare key that nobody remembers later. When information is scattered, your sitter has to guess what’s current, and you end up answering the same questions again.
A single pet sitting instructions page keeps everything in one place so your sitter can act without waiting for a reply. That helps on normal days (less back-and-forth) and on stressful ones (a delayed flight, a sudden medication change, or a pet acting “off”). One clear page is faster than digging through messages while standing in the kitchen.
It also sets expectations. You can spell out what “normal” looks like for your pet, what’s optional, and what’s non-negotiable. Your sitter can follow your routine with confidence and message you only when something really needs your attention.
Most “quick questions” are predictable: which food is correct, how much to feed and when, where the leash or carrier is, who to call in an emergency, and what to do if you’re unreachable. Put the answers on one page.
Keep it phone-friendly. Many sitters read this at the door or next to the bowls. Short sections, clear labels, and simple wording beat long paragraphs. If it takes more than a minute to find the feeding schedule or vet info, it’s too hard to use when it counts.
A sitter shouldn’t have to guess, search, or text you ten times for basics. Put the most important details in one place, in plain words, so someone can follow your routine the first time.
Start with a quick profile for each pet: name, age, breed (or best guess), and a couple of “this is normal” notes. Examples: “Whiskers hides under the bed when new people arrive, but comes out after treats,” or “Milo gets nervous around men in hats.” Those small quirks stop a sitter from assuming something is wrong.
Next, capture the daily rhythm. Pets do better when the day feels familiar, so write your usual timing for wake-up, walks, play, meals, and bedtime. If parts are flexible, say so. If they aren’t, be direct.
Most sitters scan for the same categories:
Keep instructions specific. “Feed Bella dinner” is easy to misread. “Feed Bella at 6:30 pm, one level cup, blue scoop, in the kitchen, then pick up the bowl after 15 minutes” is hard to mess up.
A feeding plan only works if it’s impossible to misunderstand. Write it the way you’d write directions for a sleepy friend: exact time, exact amount, and exactly how to measure it.
Use plain lines like “7:30 AM: 1/2 cup kibble (use the blue scoop, level it)” instead of “morning: some food.” If your pet eats wet food, name the brand and the portion (for example, “1/3 of a 5.5 oz can”). If you mix foods, spell out the ratio.
Remove guesswork by adding where food is stored and what tool to use. A sitter shouldn’t have to open every cabinet to find the measuring cup. If you have backups (extra bag, extra cans), say where they are.
A simple format that stays readable on a phone:
Water deserves the same clarity: bowl or fountain location, how often to refill, and any habits that matter (for example, “top up fountain every evening or it runs dry overnight”). If you have multiple bowls, say which ones to use and which ones to ignore.
Treat rules prevent accidental overfeeding. Name the allowed treats, set a daily max, and list no-go foods in one short line.
Add a calm “if they won’t eat” plan. Example: “Wait 20 minutes, pick up the bowl, try again at 12 PM. If two meals are skipped or vomiting happens, text me and then call the vet.” It gives your sitter a next step instead of panic.
If your pet takes medication, write this as if the sitter has never seen it before. The goal is simple: no guessing, no “I think this is the right pill,” and no missed doses because instructions were buried in a long message.
Use one consistent format for each medication so it’s easy to scan:
Add exactly where the meds are stored and how they’re labeled. “Top shelf of the pantry in a labeled bin” is better than “in the kitchen.” If there are look-alike bottles, say so.
Special care needs should be short and concrete. If your pet needs injections, eye drops, topical meds, or a cone, describe the routine and what “normal” looks like afterward. Example: “Eye drops: one drop per eye, hold the head still, then offer a treat. Mild squinting for a minute is normal.”
List warning signs using observable signals: refusing food, panting at rest, swollen face, bloody stool, repeated vomiting, hiding and yelping when touched. If you have a clear threshold, write it: “If she vomits twice in a day, call me right away.”
For missed doses, keep it conservative and safe:
If something feels off, your sitter shouldn’t have to search through texts. Put vet and emergency details in one clear spot, written so it can be used in under a minute.
Start with your primary vet: clinic name (as it appears on their sign), phone number, full address, and hours for the days you’re away. Add a quick note about parking or the right entrance if it’s confusing.
Then add an after-hours plan: an emergency vet or animal hospital with phone, address, and one practical route note (for example, “use the side entrance after 10 pm”).
Emergencies come with stress and costs. Remove the guesswork by writing your preferences:
If your pet has insurance, add the provider name, policy number, and the first step (for example, “save itemized receipts”). If there’s a friend or neighbor who can help, list them as a backup contact with a phone number and what they can do.
Use bold labels and keep lines short. A sitter skimming at 2 am should still find what they need.
If you prefer this as a clean, shareable page instead of a messy note, tools like Koder.ai (koder.ai) can help you draft a simple page quickly, then reuse the same structure the next time you travel.
Your sitter can handle surprises, but not scavenger hunts. Add a plain “where things are” section. Think about what they’ll need in the first 5 minutes, and what they’ll need at 2 a.m. if something goes wrong.
Be specific enough that a friend who has never visited could find things without opening every closet: “Leash on the hook by the back door” beats “leash in the hallway.”
Cover the basics: walking gear, carrier, litter and cleanup supplies, food setup (bowls, scoop, treats, backups), and comfort items (toys, bedding, brush).
Then remove friction around access. Write how they enter, where the key lives, and the exact steps for any security system. If you use a lockbox, include the code and how to relock it. If there’s an alarm, write the steps in order (enter, disarm within 30 seconds, lock the door behind you).
Add one sentence on where to park, which entrance to use, and any quirks like “front door sticks, pull up while turning the key.”
Finally, make accident cleanup clear: what to do with bagged waste, where the trash goes, and what not to flush. If you have a preferred cleaner, name it and say where it’s stored.
Build a single page that answers questions in the order your sitter will need the answers. Keep it short, use bold labels, and assume they’re reading it on a phone while holding a leash.
If you want it to look like a simple mini web page, you can build the instructions page in Koder.ai and share that single URL. The tool matters less than the result: one reliable place to look.
Before you go, do a quick test run. Ask the sitter where the food is, which door to use, and who they call in an emergency. If they can answer using the page in under 30 seconds, you’re set.
Maya is leaving for a long weekend. She has a dog (Buddy) and a cat (Luna), and a neighbor, Chris, is pet sitting. Instead of a chain of texts, Maya shares one pet sitting instructions page that stays the same all weekend.
On day 1, Chris uses the page like a setup guide: Buddy’s food bin location, where the measuring cup lives, and Luna’s wet food stash. Feeding times are written in plain language, plus where to refill water.
By day 3, the page becomes a quick reference. A glance confirms the evening walk time, which leash to use, and where the carrier is kept.
A small issue happens on Saturday: Buddy sniffs his bowl and skips breakfast. The page has a short “If something is off” note: wait 20 minutes, offer fresh water, don’t add treats to “fix” it, and try again at the next meal. It also sets the threshold: “If Buddy refuses two meals in a row or seems tired, text me and be ready to call the vet.”
That night, Luna vomits and hides. The page makes the next step obvious: call the 24/7 emergency clinic first, then Maya. It lists the clinic info and Luna’s details so Chris isn’t hunting for basics while stressed.
For updates, the page asks for one message after each visit with a couple of useful photos: one of each pet (to show mood and posture) and one of the bowls or litter area (to confirm the routine happened).
The result is simple: fewer questions, faster decisions when something goes wrong, and pets that stick to their normal routine.
Most pet sitting problems aren’t about a sitter being careless. They happen when instructions are unclear, missing, or hard to find in the moment.
A few repeat offenders:
Example: you wrote “give Luna her anxiety chew before walks,” but forgot to mention she no longer takes it. The sitter gives it anyway, then calls you mid-meeting because she seems sleepy. One line like “No longer using anxiety chews (stopped in November)” prevents the whole spiral.
Before you share the page, read it once like you’re a stranger standing in your kitchen. Could you find the food, the leash, and the emergency plan in under 30 seconds? If not, shorten, label, and move the most time-critical details higher.
Do one last pass with fresh eyes. A pet sitting instructions page only helps if your sitter can act on it in seconds, even when they’re tired or in a rush.
Make sure you’ve covered:
Aim for a one-screen summary the sitter can screenshot: pet names, feeding times, med times, vet phone, your address, and the top “if this happens, do this” instructions.
Keep privacy simple. Share only what they need to do the job safely. Avoid sending sensitive personal details or full travel itineraries. If you use door codes, consider changing them after the booking (or using a temporary code if you can).
Update the page anytime something changes that would affect care: a new bag of food (different scoop size), a new medication, a new vet, a change in walking route, or a new behavior to watch for.
If you want this to be easy for every future trip, set up a reusable template and copy it each time. Keep one master version with your standard sections, duplicate it per trip, and share it as a single page so you’re not rewriting the same details from scratch.
Put everything your sitter needs in one place so they don’t have to guess or dig through old messages. It reduces quick questions, keeps routines consistent, and helps the sitter act fast if something feels wrong.
Start with a short profile for each pet, then the daily routine, feeding and water details, medications and special care, vet and emergency info, and home access plus key locations. If it doesn’t help them complete the first visit smoothly, it’s not essential.
Write it like directions for someone who has never been in your home: exact times, exact amounts, and exact locations. Replace vague phrases like “a scoop” with measurements and the tool to use, and add a “last updated” date so it’s clear what’s current.
Give a simple schedule with times and portions, plus how to measure them. Add where the food is stored, where the scoop or measuring cup is, and any treat limits so your sitter doesn’t accidentally overfeed.
For each medication, include the name, what it looks like, the dose, the exact times, and how to give it. Also write where it’s stored and what to do if a dose is late, with the safe default of never doubling doses unless your vet has said so.
List your primary vet and an after-hours emergency clinic with phone numbers, addresses, and hours. Add clear rules for when to go in immediately versus when to call you first, and include what the sitter is allowed to approve if you can’t be reached.
Write step-by-step entry and exit instructions, including where the key or lockbox is and how to use any alarm. Add exact locations for the leash, carrier, food, cleaning supplies, and trash so they aren’t searching during a stressful moment.
At minimum, include how often you want updates, your preferred contact method, and when it’s okay to call. If you want photos, say what’s useful, such as a quick pet photo plus a simple proof-of-care shot like bowls or litter area.
Share only what they need to care for your pet and access your home safely. Avoid sending sensitive travel details, and consider using temporary door codes or changing codes after the booking if that’s an option for you.
Update it any time something changes that affects care, like a new food bag, new scoop size, medication changes, or a different vet. Keep a version number and date at the top so your sitter can confirm they’re using the latest instructions.
