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Guide · Pet sittersWhat to include in a pet visit report
A visit report is the note you leave or send after every drop-in, walk or overnight. It takes two minutes to fill in, and it's the single best way to show owners their pet was cared for, and to protect yourself if something goes wrong.
Why bother with a written report?
Owners can't see what happened while they were away. A short, consistent record answers the questions they'd otherwise text you about. It also gives you a dated trail if a pet gets sick, a door is found unlocked, or a payment is disputed. Texting a photo is nice; a structured report is better because it's the same every time and nothing gets forgotten.
The 10 things every report should record
- Date and time in / time out. This proves the visit length you're billing for.
- Pet name(s) and who visited. This matters if you have a backup sitter or staff.
- Food: fed, how much, and whether they ate all of it. Appetite changes are often the first sign of illness.
- Water: bowl refreshed.
- Medication: what was given and when. If a dose was missed or refused, say so plainly.
- Potty: pee and poop, plus anything unusual (diarrhea, blood, straining). For cats, note that the litter was scooped.
- Exercise and play: walk length or play time.
- Mood and behavior: happy, calm, anxious, hiding, lethargic. Quick tick boxes keep this consistent.
- Home checks: doors and windows locked, alarm set, lights as agreed, mail or packages brought in.
- Notes for the owner: anything you noticed, plus a friendly line. This is where trust gets built.
An example, filled in
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Visit | Drop-in, Tue 5:30–6:00 pm |
| Pets | Biscuit (dog), Mango (cat) |
| Fed / water / meds | ✓ / ✓ / Mango's thyroid pill in a treat, eaten |
| Potty | Biscuit pee + poop on walk (normal); litter scooped |
| Play | 20-min walk, fetch in yard |
| Mood | Biscuit playful; Mango hid at first, came out for food |
| Home | Back door locked, porch light on, package brought inside |
| Notes | Biscuit left a little dinner; I'll watch it tomorrow. |
When to stop writing and call the owner
A report is a record, not an emergency channel. Call the owner (and their vet if you can't reach them) right away for things like repeated vomiting, not eating for more than one visit in a row, breathing trouble, limping, bloody stool, or a pet you can't find. Then write down what happened and what you did.
Tips that make reports work
- Use the same format every visit so owners know where to look.
- Fill it in before you leave, not from memory later.
- Leave the paper copy and text a photo. That way you both have it.
- Keep it factual. "Ate half her food" is more useful than "seemed off".
- Keep copies for at least as long as you keep the client's file.
Printable visit report cards
Drop-in, dog walk, overnight and cat visit versions, 2 per page. They cover every field above.
Get it free on Gumroad Enter $0 at checkout.Going further
Once you're logging visits, it's a short step to tracking bookings and payments. The Pet Sitter Business Tracker totals revenue, unpaid balances and mileage automatically. The Client Onboarding Pack collects vet, access and care details before the first visit. Booking up for the holidays? The Holiday Booking Planner & Waitlist handles peak-date pricing, deposits and cancel-by dates.
Disclosure: the templates linked here are made and sold by this site's shop.