Pet Sitter Handover Checklist

Before you write the checklist

Arrange a handover while you are still available to answer questions. Let the sitter meet the pet, see the home setup and practise the routine with you. For cats who prefer their familiar environment, RSPCA Australia notes that a trusted person or pet sitter staying at or visiting the home can reduce unnecessary environmental change.

The checklist should describe your pet’s existing care. It is not a substitute for a professional agreement, veterinary instructions, insurance terms or emergency consent.

1. People, veterinary and emergency contacts

Contact sheet

Owner name, mobile number, travel dates and reliable way to reach you
Backup decision-maker if you cannot be reached
Regular veterinary clinic, address and phone number
After-hours or emergency veterinary service
Microchip details and pet insurance information, if relevant
Written agreement about who may authorise veterinary care and any practical limits
A nearby person with a spare key or knowledge of the home

2. The pet at a glance

Pet profile

Name
Species / breed
Age
Photo: Current clear image
Microchip
Usual temperament
Handling preferences
Known triggers
Safe retreat

Use observable descriptions rather than labels. “Hides under the bed when the doorbell rings” is more useful than “nervous.” Explain gates, indoor-only requirements, lead rules and how the pet behaves around unfamiliar people or animals.

3. The ordinary routine

Daily care

Meal names, actual instructions, measured amount and where food is stored
Fresh water routine and location of bowls
Walk, play, training or enrichment routine
Harness, lead, carrier and waste-supply locations
Sleep, crate, litter and toilet routine
Rooms, furniture, garden areas or doors that are off-limits
What counts as a normal daily update

Write what normally happens, not an idealised holiday version. If there are optional extras, label them as optional so the sitter can distinguish them from essential care.

4. Medication and health-related instructions

Keep each medicine in its original labelled container. Give the sitter the written veterinary instructions and clinic contact. Your handover should include the exact medicine name, amount and unit, route, schedule, storage, start/end dates, and the veterinarian’s instructions for a missed dose or possible reaction.

Use the pet medication record guide to prepare this section. Do not ask a sitter or an app to improvise a dose.

Make the escalation plan explicit

List what the sitter should do when concerned: contact you, the backup person, the regular clinic or the emergency veterinary service. A checklist can hold those instructions; it cannot assess urgency. If an animal may be unwell or in danger, seek veterinary help promptly.

5. Home access and practical safety

House handover

Key, alarm, building access and lock-up instructions
Where the pet must be while doors, gates or garages are open
Heating, cooling, storm or hot-weather setup already used by the household
Location of cleaning supplies and safe disposal instructions
Plants, foods, rooms or objects the pet cannot access
Wi-Fi only if needed for agreed care tasks
Household contacts for a leak, outage or access problem

6. Supplies and records

RSPCA Australia recommends leaving enough food, medication and care supplies, plus veterinary records and contact details, when another person cares for the pet. Put essentials together and label backups.

Ready before departure

Enough regular food, litter, waste bags and other consumables—with a buffer
Medication in original labelled containers and the written schedule
Harnesses, leads, carrier, bedding and familiar comfort items
Current veterinary and vaccination records when relevant
A single place to log meals, walks, medication and notable changes
A current photo of the pet and up-to-date identification details

7. Agree on updates before you leave

Decide what the sitter records after each visit and how often you want a message. A useful update might include:

Visit update

Arrived / left
Food and water
Walk / play / litter
Medication
State / behaviour
Photo or note: Only if useful or agreed

If several people are helping, use one shared record. A completed entry should show the actual time and caregiver, not only that a reminder was scheduled.

8. Do a final run-through

Ask the sitter to walk through one normal visit in their own words.
Test the key, gate, alarm and any building access.
Confirm every contact number from the sitter’s phone.
Check medicine labels against the written record.
Leave the checklist in one obvious place and share a digital copy.

Give the sitter one shared pet record

Velpo Plus includes Circle roles for co-owners and pet sitters, plus Holiday Mode and a shareable care sheet. Everyone sees the same current care, while the owner stays in control of access.

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Sources and editorial note

Prepared by Velpo Editorial from the sources above and product experience. This checklist is general organisational information, not veterinary, legal, insurance or professional pet-sitting advice, and has not been reviewed by a veterinarian.