Pet-Sitting Questions to Ask Homeowners Before Accepting a Sit

A gentle, thorough guide for new (and seasoned) sitters who want to show up fully, communicate clearly, and leave no stone unturned.

Introduction

Pet sitting is a beautiful exchange: trust, care, and the quiet comfort of being welcomed into someone’s home. But clarity is everything. Asking the right questions — before you ever step through the door — protects you, the pets, and the homeowners. It prevents misunderstandings, eases expectations, and ensures you’re walking into a sit aligned with your energy and abilities.

For new sitters especially, thorough communication is your soft armor. It ensures you always appear in the light, even if an owner becomes difficult, vague, reactive, or tries to rewrite the timeline later. When you are detailed, calm, and consistent, you create a trail of clear evidence, professionalism, and care that speaks louder than any accusation.

One of the most powerful (and often overlooked) tools is sending daily recaps — short, gentle summaries covering the pet’s stool/drinking/potty habits, appetite, moods, behavior changes, any packages delivered, or anything that happened in the home that day. Even if “nothing happened,” that in itself is reassuring.
This creates a snail trail of protection and professionalism:

• No one can claim the dog had diarrhea the whole trip if you have five days of “solid stool” updates and photos.

• No one can accuse you of misplacing a package if you photographed where you placed it and sent it immediately.

• No one can say the cat “seemed off when we got home” if you documented consistent behavior each day.

Thoroughness is quiet, simple, and powerful. It keeps you safe — and makes your care undeniable.

Below are the key questions every sitter should ask before confirming a sit.

1. Pet Basics

These questions ensure you understand the animal’s rhythm, needs, and history.

• What is their daily routine? (Feeding, walking, meds, playtime, bedtime.)

• How do they communicate? (Whining when they need water? Pawing when anxious?)

• Any medical needs? Allergies? Past injuries?

• What is their stool normally like?

• Any behavioral quirks? Reactivity, resource guarding, escape attempts, biting history.

• How do they handle being left alone? Separation anxiety? Maximum comfortable hours?

• Favorite calming techniques?

• Off-limits areas? Furniture, bedrooms, backyard zones.

Why this protects you:
Knowing “normal” makes it easy to track changes. When you send daily recaps, you have a documented timeline owners can’t dispute later.

2. Home Expectations & Boundaries

This prevents misunderstandings with homeowners who micromanage, change rules later, or communicate poorly.

Ask gently but clearly:

• Are there any home routines I should follow? (Plants, trash days, lights, gates.)

• Areas of the home I should avoid or keep closed?

• Is anyone else expected to enter the house? (Cleaners, gardeners, maintenance.)

• How clean do you expect the home to be upon return?

• Are guests allowed? If not, clarify it.

• Do you have cameras indoors or outdoors? Where?

• Where should delivered packages be placed?

Why this protects you:
If someone enters the home unexpectedly, you already asked.

If a package goes missing, you have photo proof and daily recap logs.

If a homeowner tries to shift expectations last-minute, you have the original agreement saved.

3. Emergencies & Contacts

Always have this information written and accessible:

• Primary vet name, number, address

• 24/7 emergency vet

• Preferred emergency decisions (especially for seniors or chronically ill pets)

• A neighbor or friend you can contact

• Home systems instructions: breaker box, water shutoff, AC quirks

• WiFi info + backup plan

Why this protects you:
You’re never put in a position where you’re accused of making a “wrong call.”

4. Schedule & Time Expectations

This is crucial when owners expect more coverage than they communicated.

• How long can the pet comfortably be left alone?

• How long do you expect me to be in the home each day?

• Do you require overnights, early mornings, or late nights?

• Will you need daily updates?
  (You will send them anyway — but it’s good to know their preference.)

Karen-owner translation:
“What time will you wake up?”
“How often will you walk the dog?”
“How do I know you’re doing everything?”

You avoid these questions by being proactive, clear, and detailed from day one.

5. Behavior History & Safety Concerns

Never assume a pet is “easy” because the owner says so.

Ask:

• Have they ever bitten or snapped at anyone?

• Any reactivity toward dogs, men, bikes, kids, or visitors?

• Any escape artist tendencies?

• Any food aggression or guarding?

• How do they handle storms, fireworks, or loud noises?

Why this protects you:
If something happens, you asked beforehand — and documented it.

6. Red Flags to Listen For

These are common issues new sitters encounter:

• Owners who avoid answering direct questions

• Owners who get defensive when you ask about safety or behavior

• “Oh, he’s never done that before!” (but you see clear signs)

• “We don’t have time to leave instructions, but it’s easy!”

• Homes that are messy, unsafe, or disorganized

• Owners who say previous sitters “did everything wrong”

If you encounter these, you kindly step away. Your peace is worth more than a sit.

7. Confirm Everything in Writing

After asking your questions, send a simple confirmation message summarizing everything agreed upon:

• Pet routines

• Med schedules

• Time expectations

• Home rules

• Camera locations

• Emergency plans

• Entry/exit logistics

• Dates & times

• Package/photo protocol

• Indoor/outdoor boundaries

This message becomes your safety net.

8. Daily Recaps: The Sitter’s Secret Power

In addition to asking strong questions upfront, your daily updates are your reputation lifeline.

Here’s what to include in every recap:

• Stool check: consistency, color, any changes

• Potty notes: normal? urgent? accidents?

• Appetite: did they eat all, most, or none of their food?

• Water intake: normal or unusual

• Mood + behavior: playful, clingy, sleepy, alert, anxious

• Walk notes: duration, behavior, triggers

• Any home events: cleaners came, AC acted odd, neighbor stopped by

• Any packages:

  • notify immediately

  • take a photo

  • tell them where you placed it

• Photos of pets (1–5 depending on preference)

Even if nothing changed, saying
“Everything is normal today — same routine, same solid stool, same calm energy”
is still documentation.

This trail protects you from:

• false accusations

• memory rewriting

• owners who return stressed and looking for someone to blame

• claims about pet illness

• claims about missing items or packages

Your recaps are your shield and your signature of care.

Final Thoughts

Thoughtful questions and daily updates aren’t about being paranoid — they’re about being a trustworthy, grounded sitter with a gentle but firm standard. They help you show up fully, prevent conflict, and give homeowners a sense of peace while you create your own.

With clarity, consistency, and kindness, you’ll always be on the good side of things — because you left no stone unturned.