What to tell visitors before they arrive

For a short visit

Tell visitors how to get in, which door and leash your pet uses, any feeding they are responsible for, which areas are off-limits, when you will be back and who to contact. A short visit calls for a quick text or note covering entry, feeding, and exits. Keep it to the essentials your visitor needs in the next hour or two, not a full care manual.

Start with how they get in and where to park or leave a car if that matters to your building or street. Note which door your pet uses for potty breaks, and whether a leash hangs by that door or lives somewhere else.

If the visitor will handle a meal, include its actual time, amount, supplies and how to confirm it was given. If they are simply visiting, tell them who handles feeding and whether treats are allowed. Do not assign care by implication.

Flag anything unusual for that day, like a closed door, a gate left open on purpose, or a room that’s off-limits. A short list keeps this scannable:

• Entry arrangements, shared privately with the intended visitor
• Potty door and leash location
• Feeding time, if applicable
• Any off-limits areas or open gates
• Your return time or check-in window

Give your contact and a backup, and say who the visitor should contact about an unexpected concern. If they are caring for the pet while you are out, include the veterinary contact details they need.

Choose details by the responsibility you have agreed, not just the visit length. Even a short visit needs the full instructions for any assigned care. Keep unrelated background out of the arrival message.

For an overnight guest

An overnight guest needs a message that covers a full day and night, not just a single window of time. Build it around your pet’s actual schedule rather than a generic routine.

List meal times in order, along with where food is stored and how much goes in the bowl. If your pet gets a treat or a special routine before bed, say so directly: “Gets a treat after the last potty break, kept in the jar by the door.”

Cover sleeping arrangements. Does your pet sleep in a crate, on a bed, or wherever they land? Mention whether doors stay open or closed overnight and if your pet has access to more than one room.

Address the overnight potty routine, if the guest will handle it:

• Last outdoor break time
• Signal your pet gives when they need to go out (if there is one)
• Door or yard used at night
• Any nighttime noise or restlessness to expect

Give a plan for the morning, including wake time and the first feeding or walk. If your pet takes any daily medication, list the dose and time in plain terms, copying the prescribing veterinarian’s instructions. Refer dosing questions to the prescriber.

Include a local contact for anything unexpected: a neighbor, a family member, or your veterinarian’s number. End with your return time so your guest can plan their own morning around it.

An overnight message works best as a single note sent before arrival, with a quick verbal walkthrough once they’re in the house.

For someone helping with care

Someone helping with ongoing care needs a written reference they can return to, not just a one-time message.

Organize it by task so it’s easy to scan mid-visit:

• Feeding: amounts, times, and where supplies are kept
• Medication: name, dose, and time, with a note to confirm anything unclear with your veterinarian
• Exercise: walk length, favorite routes, and leash or harness location
• Behavior notes: known triggers, reactions to other animals, or anxious moments
• Household rules: furniture access, closed doors, off-limit rooms

Include your veterinarian’s contact information and the address of the nearest emergency clinic, along with your own number and a backup contact. If your pet has a carrier or travel bag prepared, note where it lives so a helper isn’t searching for it during a stressful moment.

Update this document when routines change. A feeding amount from six months ago or a medication that’s since stopped won’t help anyone and could cause confusion.

Keep a printed copy somewhere visible, like the kitchen counter or refrigerator, in addition to a digital version. Helpers coming in during an emergency or on short notice benefit from finding it without searching a phone.

How much detail does each visitor need?

The care your pet receives should stay the same regardless of who’s watching them; only the way you communicate it needs to shift. A short visit gets a brief note. An overnight stay gets a fuller schedule.

Ongoing care gets a living document. Think of it as one underlying plan with three different formats. The feeding amounts, medication times, and household rules don’t change based on who’s reading the message.

What changes is how much detail that person needs at once and how it’s delivered.

A quick way to decide which format fits:

Visitor type	Message length	Format
Short visit	A few sentences	Text or sticky note
Overnight guest	Half a page	Text sent ahead, plus verbal walkthrough
Ongoing helper	Full reference sheet	Printed and digital document

Keep a master version of the full routine, then select the relevant instructions for each visitor. Check the shortened note against that person’s assigned tasks. For any blank completion entry, verify with the prior caregiver before repeating care.

Review the master document occasionally, especially after a change in feeding, medication, or routine.

Send the agreed note before arrival. Ask the visitor to confirm the tasks they will handle and flag anything they cannot find or understand.