By Alexandria Brown
San Francisco’s Exotic Pet Professional, House of Guineas LLC

Your trip is just around the corner–next week to be exact, and you’ve been anticipating this break for months. You’ve put in your PTO, booked your flight, and almost religiously checked the weather for your destination. Most importantly, you’ve done your due diligence to find a reliable caretaker for your pets (yay!), and you’re running through the final check-list to make sure your companions, and your peace of mind, are settled when you’re away.

*Puppy Dog “patiently” waiting for his salad*

Step 1: Gather the Food

Every bunny owner knows that their bunnies LIVE to eat (and even guilt-trip you into giving more food). As such, it is important to make sure your bunny’s food and meals are good to-go. To avoid anxiously awaiting deliveries to your home because you forgot to buy timothy hay, make sure you have enough hay set aside for your trip.

Let your pet-sitter know where to access your bunny’s hay, pellets, and treats (for being so good while you’re away!) and how to refill their water bowl or bottle (does Snowflake prefer tap or filtered water?). Laying out your pet’s food supplies in an easy to see area will help your pet sitter and your bunny by minimizing time searching for their food. Some like to place these near their bunny’s housing, on a desk, or dining table. For those with free-roam bunnies, make sure those treats and pellets are in an enclosed container, out of reach, or your sitter may open the door to a messy surprise!

For your pet’s veggies, inform your sitter of which foods are off-limits, and those that your pet prefers. Fridges can be very daunting to navigate especially if it’s an unfamiliar home, so make sure you’ve reviewed your bunny’s favorite foods and place them in an obvious location in the fridge before you leave.

Pro-tip: This may not be the best time to try new foods when you’re away; your bunny may not only develop GI upset from the new foods, they may even reject it entirely! So please give your bunny food they are accustomed to, and leave the experimentation for when you return.

Setting up supplies and a cleaning station to make finding supplies easy for the pet sitter.

Step 2: Prepare the Bedding and Cleaning Supplies

Now that your pet’s meals are labeled, prepped, and laid out for your sitter, it is time to prepare the bedding. Make sure you have your bunny’s blanket ready for your sitter's first visit. Even if you have a shorter trip, it is important to have a couple of extra bedding washed and ready if the current one needs to be replaced (I’m looking at you, Johnny).

The same applies for your bunny’s litter. Make sure your bunny’s litter is lined with pellets to absorb moisture when they have to go, and your sitter has access to extra litter pellets. But what happens when Buttercup misses the litter? That’s where your cleaning supplies come in.

Make sure your sitter is aware of and has access to the appropriate cleaning supplies if (and most likely when) there’s a mess to clean. I highly recommend using pet-safe supplies free of harsh chemicals, as they are detrimental to your pet’s health. A popular choice is to simply mix a spray bottle with half water and white vinegar, a perfect solution for most messes.

For cleanup such as sweeping hay and droppings, leave the broom and dust pan by the front door or closet, and let your sitter know where to toss any waste. It would be unfortunate to not have any paper towels for cleaning Fluffy’s accident, so make sure to have a couple of extra rolls ready (you’d be surprised how many times I had to improvise cleanup when a home didn’t have any paper towels)!

Step 3: Provide Home Access

I know this may be obvious, but in the midst of autoshipping hay boxes and driving to stores to pick-up cleaning supplies, you may forget to give your sitter access instructions for your home! If you are using keys, please make sure to check that your keys work prior to handing them off, and discuss whether the sitter should keep or drop-off the keys on the last visit. No one wants any broken windows and a repair because your sitter couldn’t feed your baby.

If you use keyless entry methods or digital codes, make sure to also check that the codes work in advance of your trip. The same goes for any alarms. Make sure your sitter knows how to disarm any security alarms if they go off, or if you’re comfortable and would like to do so, simply disarm your home until your return.

Step 4: Review Care with Your Pet Sitter

Awesome, most of the items are checked off, and now it’s time to review everything with your pet sitter. If this is the first time your pet sitter is caring for your bunny, make sure to have an in-person meet and greet, or at least a video call to review your home and your pet’s care.

This would be a great time to show your sitter how Oreo likes his leafy greens at room temperature–not cold, any medications he may need and the appropriate dosages, and where to find the dust-pan and broom. While we may not like to think about it and it likely will not happen, please review procedures for emergencies with your sitter.

Have your pet’s travel carrier near their housing or by the doorway, and a prepared list of local veterinary clinics and hospitals ready for your sitter. Let your pet’s primary vet know that your sitter will be present while you are away. You may not be reachable if an emergency happens and your pet needs immediate care. If you have a friend in the area when you’re away, this would be a great time to discuss exchanging their and your sitter’s contact information.

Step 5: Communicate with Your Emergency Contacts

As I’ve alluded to in the previous paragraph, please have a list of emergency contacts prepared for your bunny’s caretaker. Yourself and your family may not have access to service if your sitter tries to contact you, so the next line of defense would be your emergency contacts. This could be a nearby family member (your cousin across the bridge is a lot closer to your home than you are hundreds of miles away), a friend, or a trusted neighbor. Make sure your sitter has their names and contact information, and vice versa. While an emergency may not happen, it's best to have these necessary conversations and preparations ready if it does.

Step 6: Have a Great Trip!

Alright, I think you’re ready for your trip. You have plenty of hay set aside for your bunny, a few spare blankets are laid out on the sofa, and your keys are handed-off to your sitter. They have a list of your pet’s quirks and favorite activities, as well as a couple of emergency contacts. Congratulations, both you and your pet sitter are prepped for your trip!

Did you read through this guide and forgot to schedule an actual pet sitter? Don’t worry–follow these links to local pet sitters and boarders.

How to Prepare your Home for Pet Sitters