Pet sitting animal supplies checklist

Vacation booked ✅ Pet sitting services booked ✅ Pet sitter updated? Check-list!

The easiest and clearest way to give your new sitter the intel they need is to put together a pet sitter checklist. A good checklist makes sure that your pet is happy, your sitter feels in control, and you can relax on vacation.

We’ll take you through the main supplies you need to prepare for your sitter, along with the key bits of information to share.

Essential items for a pet sitter checklist

The easiest way to do this is to follow our clear Welcome Guide, which takes you through all the steps you need. You complete the details on the form, share it with your sitter, then they have all the key information to hand, from essential documents, emergency details, and details about food, toys, and habits. Then, gather all the supplies needed for pet sitting, and keep them in one place.

Let’s run through the key items for your Welcome Guide and handover.

Important Documents

Put together a folder of all those essential records. You can also photograph them and send them to your sitter, so they have digital versions handy on their phone. The must-have documents are:

• Immunization records
• Any other medical records
• Microchip information and contact details
• Insurance card
• An up-to-date photo of your pet, clearly showing what they look like
• Your contact details and back-up contact details in case you can’t be reached

As well as these essential documents, a pet sitter checklist should also include a few key need-to-know points. You’ll have probably discussed these in conversation with your sitter, but it’s worth writing down a few bullet points about your pet’s everyday needs. A daily routine can be super-important for many pets’ wellbeing.

Emergency Plan

Hopefully, this won’t be necessary, but any pet sitter checklist needs to include emergency details. Information to include can be:

• Your vet’s details
• Emergency vet details (just in case the vet’s needed on the weekend or at night)
• Insurance information and/or insurance card
• Where your animal carrier is located (along with any tips to settle your pet in this…)
• Contact details of a trusted neighbor
• Another copy of the microchip information, along with that clear photo of your pet 

As part of your emergency plan, it’s a good idea to speak with your vet first. Explain that you are using pet sitting services, and could they please authorize your sitter to collect your pet’s meds on your behalf. That means that if your pet needs any additional medication when you’re away, it’s much more straightforward to get hold of. It’s also a good plan to leave payment details with your vet, so your sitter doesn’t have to pay anything upfront.

Also (and we don’t like to think of this), tell your vet your wishes should the worst happen while you’re away.

As you’ll see, the emergency pack also includes what to do if your pet goes missing. Most times, a pet isn’t missing and is just temporarily awol. Include a list of their favorite hidey holes and places to visit, both in and out of your property. Cat owners especially may like to include a map. (“X is the neighbor’s garage roof where our kitties like to sleep”...)

Pet Supplies

Gather everything together that your pet sitter will need while you’re away. Have a dedicated cupboard or some boxes, so the sitter doesn’t need to hunt around for items.

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

• Food (more about this in a moment)
• Treats, and plenty of them (wait, is the pet writing this?!)
• Toileting items, from spare litter to poop bags for walkies
• Medicine 
• Bed and bedding
• Grooming equipment
• Favorite toys and comforters
• Cleaning products (for pet and any accidents around the home)
• Items for outdoor adventures, from car harnesses to leads to favorite throwing toys
• Pet carriers (although if you’re caring for a cat, many become skittish if the carrier is on view. Best to keep it in its usual hidden spot and leave a note about its location)

We’ll cover most of these in detail further on.

Pet's Medicine

Pet sitting services will administer any meds necessary while you’re away, but you’ll need to make sure they know exactly what they’re doing. Your medical checklist is simply a clear list of what, when, how much, and any tips (“wear stout gloves and expect to bribe heavily”):

• What the medicine is called and what it treats
• What the dose is
• When it needs to be administered
• Useful tips or routines (“Buddy always has a cuddle afterwards”)
• How to get hold of any more should you need it

Our members also have access to TrustedHousesitters' 24/7 Vet Advice Line while on a sit. Your sitter will be able to get expert advice, whenever it’s needed.

Cleaning Supplies

Make things easier for your sitter by gathering together everything they need to keep your pet (and your home) clean. 

For your pet:

• Shampoo (or a dry shampoo for dogs)
• Special towels
• Grooming brushes
• Any dental equipment

Obviously, this will differ greatly between pets: think of the grooming needs of a horse and a hamster!

For your home:

• Mop and bucket
• Wipes and disinfectant spray
• Carpet and fabric cleaner
• Paper towels

Any sitters reading this will know how much they care about their owners’ homes. Be kind to your sitter, and put away anything that you really don’t want soiling or broken (a quality area rug, a vase on a coffee table, and so on). Then everyone can relax...

Details About Pet’s Meal Plan

Each pet is different when it comes to mealtimes, so even the most experienced sitter needs a menu and instructions:

• What is their main food?
• How many times a day do they have it?
• What quantity do they have per serving?
• Where do they like their water bowl to be?
• What treats are they allowed and when do they get them?
• Are they allowed any human food at all?
• Do they have any allergies? Which foods must they never, ever eat?

It can also help to add little details about your pet’s eating habits. For example, you know that if your cat chows down too fast on their kibbles, they’ll bring them up (dramatically) five minutes later. If you make a note of this for your pet sitter, not only will they not panic when Puss vomits, but they’ll know to slow down the pace of feeding.

Tips for Playtime

From your dog’s favorite squeaky toy to your cat’s special purr points, it’s good to let your sitter know what your animals love. Playing with the best-loved toys is a great way for pet and person to bond, and your furry friend will feel far more at home with a human who knows how best to engage with them.

It’s these individual touches that separate pet sitting from boarding kennels. Your pet will be more than fed and kept safe: they’ll be played with, loved, and entertained.

Potty Instructions

Trust us, the clearer the instructions with regards to poop, the less stressed everyone will be! So, make sure your pet sitter knows how often your pup or dog needs to go for a walk or a run in the yard. If your cat has a litter box, let your sitter know any specific instructions.

Keep everything that’s needed for toileting in one place. This includes your pooper scooper, bags, spare kitty litter, bin liners, disinfectant, and air freshener.

Preparing your animals

If possible, invite your new pet sitter around to spend time with you and your animal(s) before you leave on vacation. Hopefully you’ll have time to take the dog for a walk (this leads naturally to great informative Q&A sessions) or at least have a coffee in your kitchen while your cat or pooch checks out this interesting new human.

There are a few other things you can do to prepare your furry friend for their visitor:

• If the schedule allows, save the sitter the tasks or worming and de-fleaing by doing these before you go
• Likewise any grooming appointments, claw trims, dematting, and routine bathing
• Make sure everything is up to date (vaccinations, microchip details on the system)
• Leave them something that smells of you to snuggle up with. A sock or your pajamas are popular choices

Preparing your home

Pet sitting services really appreciate it when homes are left in a pet-friendly state. As well as the documents, handover and essential supplies, be sure to:

• Clean your home thoroughly and take out any trash or perishable food items
• Free up some wardrobe and bathroom space so your sitter can unpack and get settled
• Securely lock away anything that’s potentially dangerous, from yard chemicals to chocolate
• Shut the doors to any rooms the pets can’t go in (and leave a note)
• Block up any awkward hidey holes or escape routes (attic, basement, gaps in the fence…)
• Make sure the gates are secure
• If you have a pet flap, is it working and set correctly?
• Put the handover notes and boxes of animal supplies in an obvious place, along with any spare keys

And relax… Your pet is in the best possible hands, and you’re all going to have a ball.

If you forget anything, don’t worry. It’s easy to keep in touch with our pet sitting app, and you can update your sitter at any time.

Find your purrfect pet sitter

Your pet will feel happy and chilled with one of our trusted pet sitters, especially now you’ve updated your sitter with all your pets needs, likes, and dislikes. Find out more about our pet sitting services, or...