Travelling when you are the only one who knows their routine
If you are the only person who knows exactly how your animals are fed, walked, medicated, settled and handled, the problem is not that their routine is complicated. The problem is that the routine exists only in your head. Before travelling, turn one normal day into instructions another person can follow without repeatedly calling you.
Key takeaways
- Write the routine as actions, not descriptions.
- Separate instructions for each animal.
- Record exact food amounts and times.
- Write veterinarian-provided medication instructions exactly.
- Include normal behaviors that could look worrying to somebody new.
- Give the caregiver a veterinarian and a backup decision-maker.
- Test the instructions before the trip.
- Make the plan usable even when your phone is unavailable.
“She knows her routine” is not an instruction
You know what happens at 7 a.m.
Your cat appears in the kitchen.
You open the cupboard.
She gets the smaller bowl.
Half a pouch goes in first.
The other cat eats somewhere else because otherwise he steals it.
Later, one gets medication.
You know which one.
You know where it is.
You know the trick that makes her take it.
None of this feels like information.
It feels like Tuesday.
That is why routines are easy to underestimate.
The owner does not experience them as a checklist.
A new caregiver does.
Write one ordinary day from waking up to bedtime
Do not begin with an emergency document.
Begin with tomorrow.
Morning
Who gets fed first?
How much?
Where?
Who goes outside?
Who needs medication?
What does the veterinarian's instruction actually say?
Middle of the day
Does the dog need another walk?
Does somebody normally check the water?
Does the cat expect food?
Is there anything the caregiver needs to clean?
Evening
Dinner.
Walks.
Medication.
Litter.
Doors.
Sleeping routine.
Overnight
Does the dog normally wake to go outside?
Does a cat need access to a particular room?
Is there behavior that looks strange but is normal for them?
Once you have one day, you have the skeleton of the handoff.
Replace owner-language with caregiver-language
Owner-language sounds like this:
“Give Max his normal breakfast.”
Caregiver-language sounds like:
“At about 7:30 a.m., give Max 1 cup of the dry food in the blue container. Use the metal measuring cup stored inside.”
Owner-language:
“Luna gets her tablet at night.”
Caregiver-language:
“Follow the veterinarian's current instructions on the medication label. The medication is stored in the kitchen cabinet marked PET. If a dose is refused, vomited or missed, do not guess what to do next — contact the veterinary clinic.”
Owner-language:
“He needs a decent walk.”
Caregiver-language:
“Morning walk is normally about 20 minutes. Use the black harness and leash by the front door.”
Specific instructions remove decisions.
That is what makes them useful.
Separate each animal
Multi-pet households create easy mistakes.
One dog eats more.
One cat needs different food.
One animal gets medication.
One is allowed outside.
Another is not.
Do not write one blended paragraph called Pets.
Create:
Max
then his routine.
Luna
then hers.
AKC recommends clearly communicating feeding times and quantities, medications, walks, potty breaks and behavioral information when leaving a dog with a sitter. citeturn0search0turn0search1
The more similar two animals look, the more important clear identification becomes.
Use names and current photos where helpful.
Write the things that look wrong but are normal
A sitter does not have your baseline.
You know your cat disappears under the bed when somebody unfamiliar arrives.
The sitter may think she is missing.
You know your dog sometimes skips breakfast after an early walk.
The sitter may think he is ill.
You know one animal drinks noisily, sleeps in an odd position or refuses to use a particular bowl.
Record useful normal behavior.
Then separately explain what should trigger a call to you, your backup contact or the veterinarian according to the plan you have established.
Do not ask the sitter to diagnose.
Give them a baseline and a contact route.
ASPCA recommends giving sitters information about daily routine, health issues, medications, diet and emergency contacts, including details such as common hiding places for cats. citeturn0search7
Medication instructions cannot depend on memory
Do not write medication directions from memory if you have current veterinarian-provided instructions available.
Use the label and the veterinarian's directions.
Record:
the correct animal;
medication name;
current veterinarian-provided amount;
time;
how the veterinarian instructed it to be given;
where it is stored;
the veterinary contact.
Then remove the temptation to improvise.
If something unusual happens — a refused dose, vomiting, a possible duplicate dose — the caregiver should contact the veterinarian rather than inventing a solution.
Before travelling, make sure there is enough medication for the planned trip plus whatever buffer your veterinarian or pharmacy arrangements make appropriate.
Give the caregiver permission to function without you
Instructions are only half the handoff.
What if the sitter needs the veterinarian and you are on a flight?
AKC recommends leaving the veterinarian's details, an emergency veterinary contact and a trusted person who can make decisions if the owner cannot be reached. It also suggests informing the veterinary office that a sitter will be caring for the dog. citeturn0search0turn0search1
Ask your own clinic what it needs.
Policies vary.
You may need to arrange authorization or discuss payment limits in advance.
The goal is simple:
Your pet should not be waiting for you to land before the caregiver can make the phone call the plan already anticipated.
Home knowledge matters too
The animal routine sits inside a house routine.
Where is the carrier?
Where are spare litter bags?
Which door must stay closed?
Where is the circuit breaker?
What happens if the automatic feeder stops?
Who else has a key?
Is the alarm going to activate?
AKC's sitter checklist specifically recommends leaving relevant home directions such as alarm information, utilities and details of other people who may enter during the owner's absence. citeturn0search1
Keep sensitive access information private and give it only to people who need it.
Do not put home-entry instructions on a public pet card.
Now remove yourself from the test
This is the useful part.
Give the instructions to the person who will actually care for the animals.
Do not explain them.
Ask them to find:
the food;
the measuring cup;
the medication;
the leash;
the carrier;
the litter;
the veterinarian;
the backup contact.
Then ask:
“What would you do tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.?”
If the answer is correct without your help, the instructions work.
If the answer is:
“I'd text you,”
there is still a gap.
Your travel itinerary is part of the pet plan
ASPCA recommends giving a sitter your itinerary, contact information and emergency contacts. citeturn0search7
The caregiver should know:
when you leave;
when you expect to return;
when you may be unreachable;
where to contact you;
who acts if you cannot respond;
what happens if your return is delayed.
A two-day delay should not require rebuilding the plan.
Write the continuation.
Keep the routine current
A perfect instruction sheet from last year can be worse than a short current one.
Food changes.
Medication changes.
Dogs slow down.
Cats develop new habits.
Veterinary clinics move.
Caregivers change.
Before each trip, scan the routine.
Do not rewrite everything.
Ask:
What is different since the last time somebody else cared for them?
Update that.
Doggy keeps the animal information ready for the unplanned absence
For a planned trip, give your sitter the instructions directly.
Do not wait for an app to tell them you are away.
Doggy is useful for the day you did not plan to be absent.
You can record feeding information, veterinarian details and veterinarian-prescribed medication information for your animals.
Your chosen guardian can open the information through a link without installing Doggy or creating a password.
You also choose one daily check-in time.
If you miss it, Doggy waits — one hour by default — then calls you. If the missed check-in remains unresolved, your chosen contact receives an email for free. The text message is free too. Premium adds the phone call, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Doggy does not become the caregiver.
It does not decide what your animal needs.
It helps move the routine out of one person's head and gives your chosen person a signal when the normal day unexpectedly stops.
The one-page handoff test
Before travelling, make sure another person can answer all ten.
1. Who are the animals?
2. What does each one eat?
3. When do they eat?
4. What is the walk, toilet or litter routine?
5. What veterinarian-prescribed medication does each animal receive?
6. Where are the supplies?
7. What behavior is normal for them?
8. Which veterinarian should be contacted?
9. Who makes decisions if you cannot be reached?
10. What happens if you return a day late?
If the caregiver can answer without you, you have transferred the routine.
That is the goal.
Frequently asked questions
What instructions should I leave for a pet sitter?
Include each animal's feeding, walks or litter routine, veterinarian-provided medication instructions, normal behavior, veterinarian details, emergency contacts, home information needed for care and what happens if you return late.
How detailed should pet sitter instructions be?
Detailed enough that the caregiver does not have to interpret phrases such as “normal amount,” “usual walk” or “her tablet.” Use quantities, times, locations and clear actions.
Should I leave my veterinarian's information with a pet sitter?
Yes. ASPCA and AKC both recommend leaving veterinary and emergency contact information. Ask your clinic in advance what authorization it needs if somebody else brings your pet in.
What if I cannot answer my phone while travelling?
Give the caregiver a trusted backup decision-maker and clear instructions for situations where you cannot be reached.
Should I write separate instructions for each pet?
Yes. Separate sections reduce feeding, medication and routine mistakes, especially when animals have different needs.
How do I know whether my instructions are good enough?
Test them. Give them to the caregiver and see whether that person can locate supplies and explain the next day's routine without additional coaching from you.
The bottom line
The routine in your head feels obvious because you perform it every day.
To somebody else, it is invisible.
Write one normal day.
Replace vague phrases with actions.
Separate each animal.
Add the veterinarian and backup person.
Then test the handoff without helping.
Travel is easier when caring for your animals no longer requires access to your memory.
*Doggy is not a medical device and does not replace emergency services. If someone is in danger, call 911.*