Pet Sitter Instructions Template: Free Copy for Apple Notes, Google Docs or Print
A good pet sitter instructions template puts medication timing first, then food, contacts, home access, daily care and behavior. Copy the free template below into Apple Notes or Google Docs, add the dog or cat extras and print one copy.
Start with one living Apple Note
Create a note named Pet sitter instructions: [pet's name] and pin it. Use that note as the current source for every trip.
Do not create a dated duplicate each time. Multiple copies make it difficult to know which dose, phone number or access instruction is current. Before a trip, update the pinned note; afterward, keep it ready for the next handoff. You should be editing known information, not reconstructing the household while packing.
Copy this pet sitter instructions template
Keep every line short enough to scan.
Medication
- Medication name.
- Exact dose from the current veterinary instructions.
- Specific time or meal associated with each dose.
- Storage location.
- What to do after a missed dose, using your veterinarian's instructions.
- Source of the current direction.
Contacts
- Your phone number.
- Backup contact.
- Regular veterinarian and phone number.
- Emergency veterinarian and phone number.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, open 24/7. The ASPCA charges a one-time consultation fee.
Food
- Food name.
- Exact amount for each meal.
- Meal times.
- Treat rules.
- Location of food and bowls.
Home access
- Arrival and departure times.
- Key location or entry instructions.
- Required alarm instructions.
- Wi-Fi details, if needed.
- Doors, gates or rooms that must remain closed.
Daily care
- Walk or litter routine.
- Location of the leash, waste bags and litter supplies.
- Trash and recycling instructions.
- Sleeping routine.
- Approved toys or puzzle feeders.
Behavior
- Normal habits that could look unusual.
- Known triggers.
- Signs that should prompt a message or call.
- A recent photo of each pet.
The sitter should be able to locate the medication schedule or emergency number without reading a long story.
Extra lines for dog sitters and cat sitters
Add a few lines that only matter for your kind of pet. The core template stays the same.
Dog sitter instructions
- Walk times, how long each walk lasts and the usual route.
- Harness or collar, and whether the dog pulls or reacts to other dogs.
- Where the dog may go off leash, if anywhere.
- Yard rules: gate to check, things the dog digs up or eats.
- Crate or bed routine and the cue you use at night.
- What the dog does when someone knocks.
Cat sitter instructions
- How often to scoop the litter box and where the spare litter is.
- Wet and dry food amounts, and which bowl belongs to which cat.
- Usual hiding spots, so the sitter knows where to look before worrying.
- Doors and windows that must stay shut if your cat is indoors only.
- How much attention the cat wants, and the signs it has had enough.
Pet sitter instructions template for Google Docs, Word or print
Paste the template into the tool your sitter can open, then share one clean copy. The template works the same in Apple Notes, Google Docs or Word.
Google Docs: paste the headings and lines into a new document. To share it, enter the sitter's email and choose Viewer, as Google's sharing guide describes. Avoid "Anyone with the link" for a document that includes your door code or alarm instructions. For a printable copy, use File then Download and pick a file type, as Google's download guide shows; the menu lists PDF and Microsoft Word.
Apple Notes: open the note, tap the Share button and export it as a PDF or print it, following Apple's guide to exporting and printing notes.
Printed copy: leave one page on the fridge or next to the food. A sitter with a flat phone battery can still find the vet's number.
Put medication timing near the top
Food, leashes and litter supplies are visible in the home. Medication timing is easier to lose because the current direction may live in a discharge paper, email or text conversation.
Write the complete timing. Avoid vague labels such as morning when the instruction is tied to breakfast or another specific routine. Copy only the current direction provided for your pet.
Add a source line beneath it:
Source: latest discharge paper photo in Photos, received after the February appointment.
That gives you somewhere to verify the fact and prevents an old dose from surviving because nobody remembers its origin. If the vet records themselves are spread across clinics and apps, see our comparison of apps for pet medical records.
Gather facts from other apps once
Your pet information may be scattered across Apple Notes, Gmail, Photos and old messages. When you first build the pinned note:
- Search Gmail for the veterinarian's name, medication name and your pet's name.
- Check Photos for readable discharge papers and prescription labels.
- Review recent messages for changes that never reached the main note.
- Place the confirmed current fact in the pinned note and identify its source.
The original document can remain where it is. The source line tells you how to verify it later. This is the same retrieval problem found in camera-roll recipe collections: the information exists, but the answer is divided across artifacts.
Replace context-dependent wording
During the pre-trip review:
- Replace the usual amount with the exact measurement.
- Replace give it later with a time or meal.
- Replace call the vet with a name and phone number.
Add temporary details only when they matter for this trip. Put a new injury or behavior close to the daily routine, then remove it when it no longer applies.
Send only the current instructions
Your working note may include source reminders or private household details the sitter does not need. Copy the current instructions into a fresh message, email or document. Preserve the functional headings and short lines, and confirm that the sitter can open the format before you leave.
If something changes during the trip, send the corrected section directly and update the pinned note at the same time. Otherwise, the next handoff may restore the outdated instruction.
Know when Apple Notes has reached its limit
Apple Notes works well when one current note contains the complete handoff. It becomes harder when the answer depends on several vet emails, photos and conversations, or when you remember a fact's meaning but not its original wording.
See how to search notes by meaning rather than keyword and how external references can become a bookmark graveyard.
At that point, move the handoff into a shared document or use a saved-item tool such as dEssence to retrieve related material before preparing the clean instructions. dEssence accepts saves through its Chrome extension, Telegram bot and web app at dessence.ai. It is not a substitute for checking the latest veterinary direction.
Keep Apple Notes if the pinned note remains easy to verify and update. The best setup gives your sitter one clear, current set of directions.
FAQ
What should I include in pet sitter instructions?
Medication with exact dose and timing, food amounts and meal times, your number, a backup contact, your regular and emergency vets, home access details, the daily routine and any behavior the sitter should know about. Add a recent photo of each pet.
Is there a free pet sitter instructions template for Google Docs?
Yes. Copy the template on this page into a new Google Doc. It is plain headings and short lines, so it stays readable on a phone and short enough to print.
How do I share pet sitter instructions safely?
Share the document only with the sitter's email as a Viewer, or send a PDF. Keep alarm codes and key locations out of public links.
Do cat sitters need different instructions from dog sitters?
The core is the same. Cats need litter, hiding spots and door rules; dogs need walk times, leash habits and yard rules.