Pet Sitter Client Intake Checklist

Client Intake Checklist for Pet Sitters: What to Ask Before the First Visit

Pet-sitting intake has one job: make sure the sitter can complete the visit safely without guessing.

That sounds simple until the first real visit. The cat hides in a room nobody mentioned. The dog needs medication after food, not before. The key works only if you lift the door handle. The owner forgot to say the alarm auto-arms at night. The emergency contact is on holiday too.

A good intake process catches those details before the sitter is standing in the hallway. This checklist is written for solo pet sitters and small teams that need practical questions, not a bloated form.

For the broader software decision, pair this with software for pet sitters.

1. Owner Details

Collect:

• Owner full name
• Mobile phone
• Email
• Home address
• Preferred contact method
• Best contact time while away
• Travel dates if the owner is out of town
• Backup contact

Add one specific question:

"If we cannot reach you during a visit, who can make a decision for your pet?"

That is more useful than a generic emergency-contact field. It clarifies authority, not only contact information.

2. Pet Profiles

Create a separate section for each pet.

Ask:

• Pet name
• Species
• Breed or type
• Age
• Sex and neuter/spay status where relevant
• Weight range
• Microchip status if the owner wants it recorded
• Identifying marks
• Where the pet is usually found in the home
• Whether the pet is allowed outside
• Whether the pet can be handled or picked up

For multi-pet households, avoid one combined "pet notes" box. It becomes impossible to know which instruction belongs to which animal.

3. Feeding And Water

Ask:

• Food type and brand
• Amount per meal
• Feeding times
• Where food is stored
• Bowl location
• Treat rules
• Food allergies or restrictions
• Whether pets must be fed separately
• Water bowl location and refill instructions
• What to do if the pet refuses food

For cats, ask about wet food disposal and litter routine. For small animals, birds, reptiles, or fish, ask for species-specific feeding detail and whether the sitter is comfortable providing that care.

4. Medication And Health Notes

Medication fields should be precise.

Ask:

• Medication name
• Dose
• Timing
• How it is given
• Where it is stored
• What to do if the pet refuses it
• Vet contact
• Health conditions relevant to the visit
• Signs that require urgent contact

Do not collect more medical detail than the service requires. But when medication is part of the visit, vague notes are risky.

If health-related data is part of your workflow, keep it out of SMS and casual notes. The same principle discussed in the GDPR-aware massage booking guide applies here: collect only what you need and control who sees it.

5. Behavior And Safety

Ask direct questions:

• Has the pet ever bitten or scratched a sitter, visitor, or another animal?
• Does the pet hide from strangers?
• Does the pet guard food, toys, beds, crates, or doorways?
• Is the pet reactive to other animals?
• Can doors or windows be opened safely?
• Does the pet try to escape?
• Are there rooms the pet must not enter?
• Are there household hazards to avoid?

Then ask:

"What should a new sitter know before entering the home?"

Owners often reveal the real issue there: "He barks but is fine after treats," "She hides under the bed," or "Do not open the back door unless the kitchen door is closed."

6. Access Instructions

Access instructions need careful handling because they protect the client's home.

Collect:

• Entry method
• Key or lockbox location
• Alarm instructions
• Parking notes
• Building entry process
• Concierge or neighbor instructions
• Rooms not to enter
• Where pet supplies are kept
• What to do if access fails

Set an internal rule: access codes and alarm instructions do not go in normal SMS reminders. They should live in the controlled client record or another secure workflow.

7. Visit Scope

Define what is included.

Ask:

• Drop-in visit, walk, feeding, medication, overnight, or house-sitting
• Visit length
• Expected tasks
• What is not included
• Plants, mail, bins, lights, or home checks
• Photo or update expectation
• Whether additional pets are included
• What requires an extra fee

This prevents scope creep. If plant watering, mail collection, and litter cleaning are included, say so. If they are add-ons, say so before the first visit.

8. Emergency And Vet Instructions

Ask:

• Vet name
• Vet phone
• Vet address
• Preferred emergency clinic
• Permission to seek urgent care
• Spending limit if the owner cannot be reached
• Insurance details if relevant
• Transport permission

Do not copy legal wording from a random template. If your intake includes veterinary authorization or liability language, get insurance or legal guidance for your jurisdiction.

9. Updates And Photos

Ask:

• Should the owner receive a visit-complete message?
• Do they want photos?
• Should updates go by SMS or email?
• Can pet photos be used in marketing?
• What should trigger a phone call?
• What should wait for the normal update?

Separate operational updates from marketing permission. "Send me a photo after the visit" is not the same as "use my pet's photo publicly."

The pet-sitter reminder templates include examples for visit reminders, access checks, and completion updates.

10. Billing And Policy Agreement

Before the first visit, confirm:

• Service price
• Package or recurring plan details
• Invoice timing
• Payment method
• Cancellation window
• Holiday pricing
• Late-access policy
• Key handling policy
• Refund or credit rule

This is where intake should connect to the operating workflow. A sitter should be able to see the visit, the client, the relevant pet instructions, the billing expectation, and any policy exception without hunting through email threads.

For Tregovia, evaluate the workflow with real pet-sitting examples:

• A first-time client with two pets and different feeding rules
• A recurring client with a package or session-based plan
• A visit where access instructions changed
• A medication visit that should not expose details in SMS
• A cancellation or late-access fee that needs staff review

Use Tregovia pricing only after you know which intake and package workflows are actually needed. If GPS proof-of-visit, route tracking, or pet-care-specific visit logs are mandatory, verify those requirements separately before switching.

Pet-Sitting Intake Questions

Should pet-sitting intake be completed before the meet-and-greet?

Yes. The form should screen service fit and prepare the meeting. The meet-and-greet then verifies access, behavior, supplies, and owner expectations.

What should be mandatory?

Owner contact, emergency contact, address, pet names, feeding instructions, access method, vet contact, behavior risks, and cancellation policy acknowledgement should normally be required.

Should I ask for medication details?

Only when medication is part of the service or relevant to safety. If you collect it, make the fields specific and restrict casual sharing.

Can one form cover dogs, cats, and small animals?

Use shared owner fields, then conditional pet-specific sections. A single free-text box for all species creates unclear instructions.

Intake Quality Check

Before using the form with clients, check:

• Owner details are separate from pet-specific instructions.
• Each pet has its own feeding, medication, behavior, and emergency notes.
• Access details and alarm instructions are not treated like normal reminders.
• Billing, cancellation, key, and late-access policies are acknowledged before the first visit.
• The form is short enough to complete but specific enough to prevent avoidable visit problems.

The goal is not a longer form. The goal is a safer first visit with fewer assumptions.