What should a pet sitting report card include

The essentials every report should confirm

Owners judge a sitter largely by the update they receive, because it is the only part of the visit they see. Humane World for Animals, in its advice on choosing a pet sitter, tells owners to ask the sitter to leave notes about each visit or share photos by text or email, and it lists failure to provide detailed reports of a pet's behaviour among the red flags to watch for. A report card is the sitter's answer to that check.

Time To Pet, whose training material for pet care businesses covers post-visit updates, sets out a minimum that most sitters will recognise. A short note summarising the visit, with details specific to that visit. Whether the pet used the bathroom, and for dogs whether it was number one, number two or both. Anything unusual about the pet's behaviour, or anything that seemed off in the home. Confirmation that the pet was fed or medicated if that was part of the visit. Any extras, such as a treat or a game. And photos.

Put those in the same order every time. A fixed layout lets an owner find the line they care about in a few seconds, and it makes it obvious when something is missing, both to them and to you.

How to record food, water and toileting so it is useful

Write amounts, not adjectives. "Ate half of the 1 cup" tells an owner far more than "ate well", and it is the kind of detail that matters if the pet stops eating on day three of a trip. Do the same with water: refilled, and roughly how much was gone.

Stool is easier to describe with a shared scale. Purina's fecal scoring chart runs from 1 to 7. A score of 1 is very hard and dry and passed as pellets; 7 is watery with no texture. In a healthy animal Purina describes the ideal as a 2: firm but not hard, pliable, segmented, and easy to pick up. Noting "poo, about a 3" is quicker than a paragraph and can be compared from one visit to the next. Describe what you saw and leave conclusions to the owner and their vet.

Some of these details have formal weight elsewhere. The GOV.UK statutory guidance for licensed dog home boarders in England says the owner must be told if a dog is drinking too much or not enough, and that veterinary advice must be sought if a dog refuses to eat for longer than 24 hours. Those rules apply to licensed boarders, not to drop-in sitters, but they show which observations professionals are expected to notice and pass on.

Medication: write what you gave and when

If a visit includes medication, the report should say what was given and at what time, in the owner's words or as it appears on the label. Note how it went down: in a piece of cheese, crushed into food, or by hand. Time To Pet's guidance is simply to confirm in the update that you have done it, which is the line an anxious owner reads first.

If a dose was refused, dropped or vomited back up, say so plainly and ask the owner what they want you to do. The same GOV.UK guidance tells licensed boarders to use prescribed medicines according to the vet's instructions, and other medicines only with the owner's consent after a discussion with a vet. That is a sound rule for any sitter. The report is a record, not a decision about treatment.

Humane World for Animals suggests owners ask sitter candidates whether they are comfortable giving medication. A clear medication line on every report is the easiest way to show that you are.

Photos, wording and tone

Time To Pet calls photos and videos one of the most vital parts of an update, and notes that several photos can reassure a client even when the written report is short. One clear photo of the pet doing something ordinary, such as sniffing a tree or asleep in its bed, is worth more than a blurry action shot.

Be detailed without writing a novel. Time To Pet gives the example of a litter box that smells off: mention it, and say how strong the smell was. A vague "we had a great walk" sent visit after visit can make an owner think the sitter does not care. Small specifics, like a long stop at one tree or the dog shaking off rain at the door, show attention.

Keep it professional and calm. If a pet vomited once and is otherwise acting normally, report it without adding worry. If something needs a conversation, such as a concern about the pet's care at home, Time To Pet suggests telling the owner there is something you would like to discuss rather than raising it in passing in a visit note.

Common report card mistakes

Sending the same message every day. Time To Pet singles this out: the same update verbatim, day after day, reads as a lack of care, especially without photos.

Rounding the visit times. Time To Pet warns against fudging arrival and departure times and notes that GPS route tracking, home cameras or a security system can show the truth. Humane World for Animals tells owners to use doorbell cameras to check that sitters arrive at the agreed times. Report the times as they were.

Leaving out the boring lines. Water refilled and both pee and poo done are the lines owners look for first. If they are missing, the owner assumes they did not happen.

Keeping no copy. A report sent and forgotten is no help when an owner asks next month whether the stool was soft before. SitterLog is built around this card: you tick water, food, pee and poo, medication and walk minutes, add photos and a note, and it makes one report card to share as an image or PDF, while the visit record stays on your phone.

This guide is about record-keeping and communication with owners. It is not veterinary advice. If a pet seems unwell, contact the owner and, where they ask you to, their vet.

Frequently asked questions