Between packing, flights, and last-minute errands, prepping for a pet sitter is easy to leave until the night before. A little prep goes a long way toward a trip you don’t spend worrying. Here’s the real checklist.
1. Choose a Sitter You Actually Trust
Look for someone insured, bonded, and backed by a real team, not a solo gig-app stranger who might cancel the morning of your flight. Ask what happens if your usual sitter gets sick. If the answer is “we’ll figure it out,” keep looking.
2. Write Down the Routine, Even the Small Stuff
Feeding times, exact portions, medication schedules, and any quirks (the dog who won’t eat unless you talk to her first, the cat who hides under the bed for an hour after anyone new arrives) all matter more than people expect. A sitter who knows the details gives your pet a calmer, more normal few days.
3. Do a Real Meet and Greet
This is where trust actually gets built, not just at booking. Walk your sitter through your home, introduce your pets on their own turf, and watch how your pet responds. A good sitter reads the room and adjusts.
4. Set Up Access That Doesn’t Depend on You Being Reachable
Lockboxes, smart locks, or a trusted key holder are all better than “I’ll leave it under the mat.” Make sure your sitter has at least two ways in, since phones die and plans change.
5. Leave Real Emergency Info, Not Just a Vet’s Name
Your vet’s number, the nearest emergency animal hospital, and a backup contact who can make a decision if you’re unreachable mid-flight. It’s the kind of thing you hope never gets used and are glad you had anyway.
Bottom line: the pets who handle a trip best are the ones whose routine barely changed. A sitter with the right details (and a real backup plan behind them) is what makes that possible.
Pawfect’s team-based backup coverage means your pets are never left without a plan, even if your usual sitter has an emergency of their own.
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