How To Prepare Your Home For Your Pet Sitter Before Vacation

If you have a pet, then taking a vacation is always a bit of a challenge. Sometimes you can take the animal along, but usually you have to leave your furry companion behind. While there are places you can board your pet, most people prefer to have a pet sitter who will take care of their pet and watch the house while they’re away. Before you pack your bags and leave your precious animal, however, you first must get your home ready for the pet sitter.

To prepare for the arrival of a pet sitter, you must clean and secure your home. Leave lists that detail the feeding schedule and correct amount of food, set out medications with instructions, and stock up on treats. Leave the leash and poop bags in an obvious location. Toss all perishable food in your fridge and stock it with snacks. Lock up valuables and rooms that are off limits, and prepare the guest room with clean sheets and thoughtful touches.

Leaving your pet while you take a trip away from home can be sad and stressful. One way to ease this pain is to ensure the pet sitter has all the tools and information to take care of your pet to the best of his or her ability. You also want to ensure your pet sitter is comfortable and set up for success. If you are hiring a pet sitter to watch your pet soon, ensure you read the complete list below of all the ways you should prepare your home before you leave.

14 Ways To Help Prepare Your Home For A Pet Sitter 

1. Leave A List With Your Pet’s Routine And Unique Habits 

Since you live with your pet, you know all of its quirks and habits. A pet sitter watching this animal won’t have the same knowledge. Before you leave, take the time to write down your pet’s typical daily routine from wake-up time to the time it usually goes to sleep, and everything in between.

If your pet makes weird noises or has any alarming or strange behaviors from time to time, make a note of them. This will keep your pet sitter at ease if he or she witnesses one of these behaviors. You don’t want to alarm the pet sitter unnecessarily. 

2. Provide Feeding Instructions And Correct Portions

One of the most important roles of any pet sitter is to keep your pet properly fed. This means you should buy more than enough pet food for the time you are gone. After all, you may have a flight delay or cancellation, so have extra just in case.

In addition to providing food, you must provide instructions on feeding times and any special additional instructions. Provide an easy-to-use measuring cup so the pet sitter can easily portion out the correct amount of food for your animal.

3. Stock Up On Treats And Label Them

If you give your pet treats — and who doesn’t — then ensure you have treats. Some treats are given as a reward after using the bathroom, and others are used for training and health purposes.

Label the treats with any details, like when to use them. If they are treats for any time, label them “any time treats,” and so on.

4. Have A Designated Location For Leash And Bathroom Essentials

The other most important role of any pet sitter is to walk your pet or clean its litter box. To ensure this unglamorous task is as smooth and painless as possible, you should provide all the tools for this job.

If you have a dog, then keep a leash and poop bags in an obvious location by the door. If you have a cat, ensure there is ample kitty litter for the litter box. Give instructions as to where to put the poop as well if you have a special location for it.

5. Secure The Home

In addition to watching your pet, a pet sitter is often in charge of keeping your home safe. To help make this task seamless, you should do all you can to secure your home before leaving on vacation.

Close and lock all windows, and provide any alarm codes. You should also coach the pet sitter on how to lock and unlock the home, as well as whether or not it is permitted to leave windows open.

6. Thoroughly Clean And Organize The Home

Since you will have someone coming into your home regularly while you are away, you should take the time to organize and clean your home before you leave. Ensure the floors are swept and mopped. Get rid of any clutter as well, so the home is functional and minimalistic.

Leave cleaning products like spray cleaners, disinfecting wipes, and paper towels for the sitter. This will make it easy for them to clean up any spills or messes your pet makes.

7. Set Out Any Medications And Label With Instructions

If your pet is on any medications, ensure there are detailed instructions. Ensure your pet sitter is comfortable administering these medicines and knows how to correctly dose them. This is something you can also go over in a meet-and-greet, but it should also be written down as a reference.

8. Lock Up Valuables And ‘Off Limits’ Locations

As much as you may trust your pet sitter, it's always a good idea to keep your private and valuable items out of sight and locked up. This can help put you at ease, and it also limits the risk of valuables getting lost or damaged while you’re gone.

9. Set Up The Pet Sitter’s Room With Welcoming Touches

It’s nice to make your pet sitter feel welcome. One great way to do this is by making the guest room feel welcoming. Slippers or a robe, lotion, and bath products are all nice touches that any pet and house sitter will appreciate.

10. Stock The Fridge With Snacks For Your Guest

Before you leave for vacation, you should get rid of anything perishable in your fridge. Additionally, you might want to stock up on a few staple items like eggs, milk, bread, and fruit for your pet sitter. If you are friends with the sitter, then add a few of his or her favorite snacks as well.

11. Remove Any Potential Hazards From The Home

If there are hazards in your home that you are constantly keeping your pet away from, like a plant or a fragile vase on a table, get rid of them while you're away. Leave any toxic plants with friends, and pack away anything breakable. 

12. Give Instructions On How To Use Wi-fi, Remotes, And TV

Electronics aren’t always easy to figure out, especially certain remote controls. Make sure you leave a list of passwords and how-to instructions for all your electronic devices. This includes your wi-fi password, remote instructions, heating and air conditioning information, and anything else technologically difficult in your home.

13. Leave Contact Information And Emergency Numbers

Your pet sitter should have your contact information, and there are a few other numbers he or she should have. If you have a landlord or are friendly with your next-door neighbor, leave those numbers.

Find a friend who lives nearby to appoint as an emergency contact, and give that person a key just in case the pet sitter is locked out. Also, leave emergency numbers, including your veterinarian and local emergency services numbers.

14. Schedule A Meet-and-Greet Before You Leave

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, schedule a time to invite the pet sitter over before you leave. This will give the pet sitter and the pet a chance to become familiar with one another. It also gives you a chance to go over any details.

You will leave lists and instructions, but some people are more visual and hands-on learners. The meet-and-greet is also a great way to show the pet sitter the quirks of your home that you might forget to list.

Wrapping Up How To Prepare Your Home For A Pet Sitter

If you hired a pet sitter to watch your animal in your home, then there are certain ways you should prepare to ensure the pet sitter is set up for success. Buy plenty of food and leave instructions and measurement tools with the food. Keep a leash and poop bags in an obvious place, and ensure there is plenty of kitty litter if there’s a litter box. 

Clean and organize the home, and remove any valuables and private items from sight. Stock up on cleaning supplies, and help make your pet sitter feel comfortable by stocking the fridge with essentials and adding a few special touches in the guest room. 

Related Guides:

• Home Cleaning Checklist For Pet Owners
• 10 Things To Consider Before Getting A Pet
• What To Do With Your Aquarium When You Go On Vacation