Why a checklist changes the sitting
Pet sitting goes wrong when the information stays in the owner’s head. The sitter discovers in the evening that kibble is missing, that the medicine is “in the kitchen” with no detail, or that the weekend vet is not the weekday one. A written checklist, sent with the booking request, avoids those calls.
The list is the same for boarding, day care or a home visit. Only the place changes: at the sitter’s home, or at yours with the keys. Booking is done with an owner account.
Health and the vet
Write the name, address and phone of the usual vet, and whether the weekend clinic is the same. In Brussels or Liège, it often is not. Add the vaccination record if the sitter hosts other animals.
Medication travels in its box, with the dose and the time, not loose in a bag. Describe what is normal for this animal: a cat that brings up a hairball, a dog that is stiff on waking, a rabbit that eats little on the first day. Without that, the sitter cannot tell habit from an emergency.
Food, walks, litter
Pack kibble or wet food for the whole stay, plus one day. Give the measure, not “about that much”, and the meal times. For a dog: length of the walk, streets to avoid, dogs to keep away from, reaction to bikes. For a cat: litter brand, where the tray is, and whether they go outside. An indoor cat should not discover the garden while you are away.
The usual treats, the familiar toy and a cloth that smells like home help more than a new toy bought for the occasion. Change as little as possible during the sitting. The sitter follows your routine and does not invent another one.
Contacts and a vet ceiling
Leave two numbers: yours, and someone who can come over if you cannot be reached. Say whether an emergency vet is allowed, with a maximum amount. Put it in the booking message. A verbal agreement disappears on Saturday night.
Add what the sitter may decide alone: going out in the rain or not, having a visitor, giving a bath. The more precise the checklist, the closer the pet sitting stays to what you would have done yourself.