The Feeding Note Your Pet Sitter Will Actually Use

On the first evening you are away, your sitter will probably arrive carrying keys and a phone, with a pet already waiting at the door. A long message in a group chat can be surprisingly hard to consult when both hands are busy. A useful feeding handover works from where the sitter stands. Put a short current copy in plain view at the feeding station and send the same copy to their phone. The sheet should let them complete a meal without recalling something you said while looking for your coat.

Send an update that replaces the previous copy

If plans change while you are away, send the revised instruction as a complete sentence rather than "do the same as yesterday except earlier." Name the pet, meal and date that the change applies to. Ask the sitter to confirm which instruction they now have. When other people can see the feeding log, put the change there too, so the person who opens the cupboard next can make the same decision. If the change is temporary, include the date or meal after which the previous schedule resumes.

A printed note can still work when a phone runs out of power or the building has no reception. Leave the paper where it is easy for the sitter to read and out of reach of pets. If there is an essential last-minute revision, ask them to cross out the old line and write the agreed replacement beside it. You should be able to return home and reconstruct what was served without piecing together three separate message threads.

Put the meal first

Write the first instruction as if somebody were about to pick up the bowl. Say which pet, which time, which exact product and how much. Use the product name on the package, followed by an ordinary description of where it lives. "Fern, evening meal at seven, use the opened blue bag labelled Adult Turkey on the lower pantry shelf" gets the reader to the right point in the room. Add the established quantity and unit on the next line. With two feeds, distinguish the quantities even if they are equal. This leaves less room for somebody to divide an amount you meant to give at each meal.

Avoid instructions that rely on a family nickname for equipment. "Half of the usual cup" means little when a mug, a plastic scoop and a kitchen measure are all in the drawer. If you use a scale, explain where it is, which unit it should show, and how to zero it with the empty bowl on top. If the established serving uses a marked measure, point to the line or show a clear photo. A short picture of the correct object can do more work than an extra paragraph.

A meal can have more than one component. Lay out each part on a separate line in the order it is added, specifying the product and measure each time. A wet portion already in the fridge should have a visible opening date and a label showing whose it is. Explain where to put and how to handle leftovers according to the package directions. Where someone might mistake a supplement, topper or treat for the meal itself, keep the packaging in view and label its role in the note.

Describe what a normal visit looks like

A sitter needs context for the little things that make a familiar routine feel unfamiliar. A pet may normally approach after people step away, or it may eat in another room with the door closed. Say so in terms a new person can observe. For instance, "Leave the bowl in the study and wait in the hall. Fern usually approaches when the room is quiet." If two animals eat separately, give each a named spot and say when the separation ends. A sitter can follow one clear physical instruction more easily than a general request to watch them.

Clarify whether the schedule has a small ordinary range that you already use. If seven is approximate, explain how much flexibility is typical for your household. If timing is strict for reasons specific to your pet, put that on the first page and make sure the sitter can cover it. Give a backup number and say what to do if an agreed visit will be late. This is an arrangement to confirm before a trip, while you still have time to find a replacement.

Explain when to check water and where a spare clean bowl is. Include whether the bowls go in the dishwasher or are washed by hand, using instructions that fit the items you own. If a dry bowl is needed before the next use, leave enough clean bowls for the schedule you have asked the sitter to keep. Providing the spare in advance is more helpful than writing a note about a cupboard that is hard to find.

Name the decisions you want to keep

Most questions come from a change. The shop has no more of the usual food. One pet finishes the other pet's dish. A feeder appears to have jammed. Decide how you want those situations reported and give the sitter a contact route. Where the plan calls for one particular product, show where the unopened reserve is and say whom to call before substituting something else. When a pet has instructions from the veterinary team, keep those instructions available and explain how to reach the practice. Leave the sitter's contact details with the practice if that is part of the arrangement you have agreed.

Do the same for an uncertain meal. "If you are unsure whether breakfast happened, message me and check with the morning visitor before giving more" is more useful than asking somebody to use their judgment with very little information. In a household with multiple helpers, ask them to put the meal time and their initials in one shared place as soon as it is served. A mark made while the bowl is still on the counter is easier to trust than a message sent late that night from memory.

Describe what you want the sitter to report about eating. The useful details are what was offered, roughly how much remained, when they checked, and what else they noticed. A message that says "left most of the wet food at seven and came out for water ten minutes later" gives you more to work with than "seemed picky." If the pet appears unwell or there is a sudden change, have the sitter contact the veterinary practice using the information you left. Make sure that number is available in the house and on their phone.

Make a place for the unusual case

Some households need a second page, particularly if the visit involves a timed feeder, multiple pets or written veterinary directions. Label the section by the problem the sitter will be trying to solve. "If the feeder has no food in the tray" is easier to find than "Other notes." Show the normal display in a photo and put the feeder manual beside it or include a link. Use the manufacturer's instructions for any recovery steps. If it is better to use a prepared manual meal when the machine fails, state when and how to contact you and where the matching food is stored.

If the feeding station changes when you are out of town, rehearse in the actual layout. Move the chair that will block access, put the spare key where agreed and confirm that a cabinet child lock can be opened by the person feeding. A note may be perfectly clear and still fail when the bowls are trapped behind a laundry hamper. For a sitter working with a housemate, decide which people are allowed to give treats or refill food and show them the same arrangement.

One thing that often belongs off the main note is the full history of the pet's diet. Keep anything needed for the visit close to the action it affects. A sentence such as "Use this package only and text me if it runs out" can fit next to the serving instruction. Save a longer explanation for the conversation before you leave. People are more likely to recall what matters if the physical note confirms exactly what they need to do today.

Do a practice handover

Ask the sitter to prepare one meal while you are at home. Let them consult the sheet without interruption. If they hesitate, write down which thing they could not find or which wording sent them to the wrong place. Fix the spot that produced the question. You may discover that a package turned sideways hides the label, or a scale starts in ounces because somebody used it for baking. The smallest revision that removes the ambiguity is often the best one.

Read the note aloud once more after the practice. Check that the amounts match your established routine and that the name of each pet appears wherever there is a risk of a swap. Verify the working phone numbers. Date the copy and take down the one left from your last trip. When you get back, ask which details the sitter actually needed and whether any food was left over. Keep that information with the note for the next visit. After one or two revisions, the handover should feel like a clear meal plan somebody can follow with an impatient animal waiting at their feet.