Pet Sitter Handoff Checklist: Meals, Medicine, and Daily Care

Write down the repeatable routine

For each pet, note meal times, food names, portions, where supplies are kept, and any instructions that affect the routine. Add scheduled medicine only from the instructions you and your veterinarian have already established. Include the exact label or written directions the sitter should follow.

Add ordinary care that is easy to forget: walks, water checks, litter box care, grooming, or another custom action. Meal Time supports scheduled meals and medicine plus custom care actions, so the list can match what actually happens in your home.

Include the exception plan

A good handoff says what to do if a pet refuses food, a dose appears to have been missed, or a supply runs out. Put your contact information, veterinary contact, and emergency instructions where the sitter can find them. An app can organize the routine, but it should not replace your veterinary advice or emergency plan.

If a pet’s appetite changes, record the outcome and a short note. Meal Time can distinguish a completed feeding from eating some, refusing, or skipping a meal. That detail gives you and the next caregiver a clearer picture than a single check mark.

Make the handoff a shared record

Walk through the schedule with the sitter before you leave. Ask them to check the current status before each task and log care as soon as it happens. That small step helps prevent a second person from repeating a meal or medicine task.

Meal Time’s premium family sharing can include invited caretakers in a group. The app also offers a PDF care summary for a vet or sitter. Confirm the sitter can access the information they need before the first visit, and keep a backup of critical instructions outside the app.

Common questions