A vacation with pets goes wrong in predictable ways: the sitter didn't know about the medication, the food ran out on day four, nobody could reach the vet's records. Every one of those is a checklist item, not bad luck. Here's the full pre-trip checklist, ordered by when to do it.
Two weeks out: lock the care plan
- Book the carer and confirm the dates in writing — whether it's your usual sitter, a neighbor, or family. A verbal "yes" three weeks ago is not a booking
- Do a trial run if the carer is new — one visit or one overnight while you're reachable, so the first solo shift isn't during your trip
- Check medication quantities — order refills now, not the night before
- Tell your veterinarian the travel dates and who's authorized to make decisions
One week out: the instruction sheet
Write it once, update it every trip. The essentials:
- Feeding amounts, times, and where food lives
- Medication list: name, dose, time, how given
- Walk and potty routine
- Vet + nearest emergency vet + a local backup contact
- Your itinerary and phone number
- Behavioral notes: fears, escape artists, hiding spots
The ASPCA's pet sitter checklist is the canonical version of this list — including the one number most people forget: the ASPCA Animal Poison Control line (888-426-4435).
If you want a clean printable version, our free pet care card generator turns your pet's profile into a one-page instruction card in about two minutes.
The meet and greet
If the carer doesn't know your pet yet, introduce them before packing day — not the morning you leave. Let the pet meet them on neutral or home turf, walk them through the routine, and show them where everything lives. AKC's guidance on planning your dog's care when you leave town is blunt about this: meet in advance, leave written instructions, and leave vet and emergency contacts.
For the full walkthrough, see how to introduce your pet to a new carer.
Three days out: supplies
- Food for the full trip plus three days of buffer
- Medications counted, in original containers, with written instructions
- Litter/pee pads/poop bags stocked past the return date
- ID tags on — and check the microchip registration is current
- A written feeding and walk schedule on the counter, not in a text thread
The night before
- Portions counted or pre-bagged, labeled by pet and time
- Keys, codes, and alarm procedure handed over
- Emergency authorization signed (who decides, up to what amount)
- Vet and emergency contacts posted on the fridge
- Itinerary and phone number shared
- A current photo of each pet sent to the sitter
While you're away: the update loop
Agree on the update cadence before you leave — a photo after each visit is usually enough, and knowing when to expect it matters as much as getting it. If you're coordinating through a group chat, the updates and the logistics end up in the same scroll-back-everything thread; that's the exact problem PetAmigo was built for — visit logs, photos, and schedules land in one place your whole care circle can see, and everyone invited in uses it free.
Coming home
Text the carer that you're back (the most-forgotten step in pet care), settle up anything owed, and — while it's fresh — update the instruction sheet with anything the trip revealed: the new medication, the hiding spot you didn't know about, the sitter who's now your default. Future-you, packing for the next trip, will have the document ready in five minutes instead of an hour.