Dear Pet sitters
I am a HO and my first pet sitting has been confirmed for Christmas.
I would like to prepare a good welcome guide with my sitter, so would like to hear from your which information are absolutely necessary, which one are nice to have and which one are useless.
Also I was planning to ask the sitter on her habits for meal so that I can get dinner for the evening when she arrives and maybe stock up a bit the fridge for her (I live in Switzerland and things can be pretty expensive here).
Thanks a lot for your tips. I would like to get it right!
It’s very kind of you to ask those questions and it shows you are a thoughtful host and chances are the sit is going to go smoothly.
Regarding the Welcome guide, there are different opinions on What is useless or unnecessary but I think there’s general consensus that everything related to pet care and house and plants maintenance should be clearly stated. Things like: feeding and walking times, what they eat and what they shouldn’t eat, where everything is kept, (including carriers in case they are needed) how appliances work if it’s not evident. It’s very important to specify sleeping habits, time and place. If the sitter is required to sleep with the pets this should have been disclosed in the listing and the chat but it’s also good to include it in the Guide.
It’s also important to write where the water main tap is and the electricity main switches so that if there’s an emergency sitters can react promptly
Speaking of emergencies, you should include emergency contacts: people you trust who can make a call in case of emergency with the house or pets and have keys to the house (or where a spare key is kept) The veterinary contact, including 24/7 services and a means of payment (best option a registered credit card or account)
Regarding the first meal and food supplies there’s a bigger range of opinions on the forum. I love to share a meal with the hosts and to have a good chat while I get familiar with the house and pets, some people prefer not to, so be prepared for that, too. There’s no obligation at all to leave any food supplies but it’s somewhat common to leave something to get started like having breakfast before having to rush into the store or, if the store is not easily accessible, some owners offer to take the sitter there so they can buy their own supplies. It’s a good idea to ask and clarify that in advance.
Include what you would like the sitter to do with bedding/towels - just strip bed or launder them? (Bear in mind what time the sitter will be leaving your property)
Your Address !! ( THS don’t give this to the sitter )
Arrangements for getting into your property key codes / alarm codes / gate codes etc -( or if you are handing over in person have this written down somewhere for sitter on arrival )
All the fine details about the Pet feeding timings / quantities and medications.
Any pet behaviour , illnesses.
Vet contact details and arrangements for paying any emergency bills .
Your Emergency contact details .
Where a spare key is kept
Wi-fi code ( or have this written somewhere for sitter on arrival )
passwords for accessing streaming services ( or have this written somewhere for sitter on arrival )
Recycling and rubbish/ trash collection schedule and information.
information about all the external cameras and confirmation that all internal ones will be disabled .
if there are things that you don’t want sitter to use -( Great Aunt’s heirloom China tea set for example ) or things that can’t be put in the dishwasher - put this in the welcome guide
Your guest policy - No third parties permitted or whatever your preference is .
Your smoking policy
Information about any third parties- eg cleaner and gardener - what days / times they come . These should have already been discussed and agreed prior to confirming the sit . Restate this in writing in the welcome guide .
Additional helpful information is
local grocery stores and attractions , local public transport options , weekly markets etc .
Preparing a thorough WG takes time , but is well worth the effort for clear communication and a smooth sit . Once prepared you can edit it or update it for future sits .
I suggest also including locations for gas and water emergency shutoffs, as well as instructions for the septic tank, if any.
Imagine if you’re unreachable and there’s a sudden disaster. You want your sitter equipped to help keep your house from flooding (further), etc., causing potentially expensive damage.
If there’s anything not obvious, maybe include video instructions. And if the turnoffs require a tool or such, keep those near the shutoffs. Sometimes some have crusted or rusted over, so you might want to make sure they can be easily turned off.
And if you have a trusted plumber, electrician, etc., share that info as well. That’s because many vendors aren’t trustworthy and ones new to your home won’t know the ins and outs or have records of what was done before.
How to use the appliances, mainly the dishwasher and washing machine, including the best settings for the local water supply, and especially because the machines might be labeled in the language of the country in which they’re sold, in my case, Greece.
@Superlu79, +1 for fabulous response by @Silversitters.
To that we’d add context.
Is your housesit for a few days, few weeks or few months?
How many timezones away is your intended trip? (further away = more difficult comms = great WG content)
Is the housesitter local, domestic or international? (local attractions, temperature norms)
Does your geography have atypical features? (e.g. snow, rain, hot/cold)
Does your property or community have atypical aspects (e.g. any appliances not working, communal facilities, private neighbours)
Do your pets have atypical behaviour or medical matters?
Taking a pre-mortem mindset, what could credibly go wrong during housesit? (whatever the topic, mention in WG)
Housesitters are hopefully just trying to make best efforts to care for your pets, property and let you enjoy a great break.
How exciting — your first sit confirmed for Christmas! You’re absolutely right to think ahead about your Welcome Guide — it really does make a world of difference.
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
Must-haves (the essentials)
These help your sitter care for your pets and home with confidence:
• Pet routines — feeding, walks, playtime, vet details, any quirks or triggers
• Home info — Wi-Fi, rubbish/recycling, heating, post, and cleaning basics
• Emergency contacts — you, a neighbour, and your vet
• Handover notes — keys, parking, alarms, and how you like to leave things
Not so useful
• Long personal backstories or formal rule lists
• Info about things the sitter won’t touch (appliance manuals, garden systems, etc.)
The best guides feel clear, kind, and personal — less like a rulebook, more like you’re welcoming a friend into your home.
I don’t sit but, if I did, I’d want to know if the pets are indoor only, indoor/outdoor or outdoor only. If indoor/outdoor, what patterns do the pets exhibit?
For instance, with cats, do they ever stay out all day or night? Is there a pet door allowing them to come and go? If they are supposed to be indoors at night, what does the host do if the cat does not come home? (A new person in a cat’s space can easily change normal behavior so an answer to that last question would be important).
For dogs that can be left unattended outdoors, how long can they be left outside alone? Do they have shelter available outside?
In the case of chickens, I’d definitely want to know up front if they are indoor-only. Especially if indoor means in the house.
Is allowing chickens to hang out inside the house a thing?
The wife’ is into chickens but they’re in or around their coop in the backyard. If she said she wanted them to be inside the house, I’d draw the line.
We’ve done 2 sits where the chickens were allowed into the house. On one sit, a lovely pair of chooks would regularly come to the front door and then make their way through the house to the back door, pecking at the cat’s food en route. On another, Polly - a rather fabulous Polish chicken - would tap at the kitchen patio doors to be allowed in. She would also jump into our arms, sit on our shoulders and liked to be carried around. Clearly not all chickens are created equal.
As crazy and tongue-in-cheek as I intended a mention of house chickens, I just KNEW someone on THS was going to pop up having had that experience. How great. The kids from that household will forever be able to answer the old “what, were you raised in a barn” dig with a “well, as a matter of fact, …” #EverythingUnderTheSun
Including the maps for the walking trails that your dogs take is a good idea & some ideas for seeing the area & local hikes is always nice. Let your sitter know if your dog likes to go in the car & if there is a car seat protector to lend them during their stay. I take my dog everywhere & just assume others like to do the same, but it’s not always the case.
This can be a bit tricky. I would ask first or “offer” to include this if they are interested. Although many sitters enjoy taking the dogs everywhere in the car, others don’t and many rental cars don’t allow them. Some people like the freedom of exploring the area and going to places of their choice rather than repeating the same walking route every day. If the routes are not a requirement, just a suggestion, this should be clear, otherwise it could be taken as micromanagement.
We have created a google map with tags on important places: grocery stores, drugstores, public transportation stops/stations, local walking trails, movie theaters, farmers markets (in season), location of vet’s office (and hospital for humans), post office, restaurants etc. We’ve created a QR code that we leave in the guide so the sitter can scan it and see the map easily.
I have a problem on the emergency contact.
Unfortunately I am an expat and all the people I know will be gone for Christmas to visit their families.
I have informed the Vet - who is also expat - and he told me I can share his number for emergencies and I also have referenced the local animal hospital in the WG and give them my credit card details with instructions that during xmas someone might bring my cat and I will pay.
For the apartment, usually the building managing company leaves a contact detail for emergency so this is the only thing I can provide.
My neighbors also go away for xmas
You’re absolutely right to think ahead about your Welcome Guide — it really does make a world of difference.
Nice-to-haves (the thoughtful touches)
Not so useful
