This is the scenario sitters worry about most and owners rarely plan for. Having a written plan turns a panic into a procedure, and the first hour matters more than anything that follows.
The first hour
- Search the immediate area first. Frightened animals often stay close and hide rather than run. Check under the house, in sheds, behind furniture, in cupboards and under beds before assuming the animal has left.
- Leave a door open and put familiar things outside: bedding, a litter tray, food. Many cats return on their own within hours.
- Call the owner. Immediately, not after you have searched for three hours. They know the animal's habits and they would far rather be told at once.
- Alert the neighbours and ask them to check their garages and sheds. This finds a great many animals.
- Contact the local council, the nearest pound and nearby vet clinics. Report the animal missing and give the microchip number.
- Post to local community pages and lost pet groups with a clear photo, the suburb and a contact number.
- Keep searching at quiet times. Early morning and late evening are more productive than the middle of the day.
Call the owner first, not last
Sitters delay this call out of guilt, and it is the most damaging thing they can do. The owner has information that materially improves the chances of finding the animal, and every hour of delay narrows the search area they could have advised on.
What owners should prepare in advance
- The microchip number, and which registry the animal is on, written down and left with the sitter.
- Confirmation that the registry details are current, including a phone number someone will answer while you are away.
- Several clear, recent photographs, including any distinctive markings.
- The animal's habits: where it goes, whether it is friendly with strangers, whether it will come to food, whether it hides or bolts.
- The council area and the nearest pound.
- A local emergency contact who can help search.
Australia has several microchip registries rather than one, which is why the number alone is not enough. PetAddress lets you enter a chip number and find which registry holds the record, and it is worth checking before you travel that your details are current.
Prevention, which is mostly about the handover
Most escapes happen in the first day or two, before an animal has accepted the sitter, and most involve a door or gate. Tell the sitter which gate does not latch properly, which door the cat bolts through, whether the dog rushes deliveries, and what your rules are about the animal being outside unsupervised.
For dogs, be explicit about off-lead. If your dog's recall is unreliable with a stranger, say the dog must stay on lead for the whole sit. Most escapes involving dogs happen because a sitter assumed recall would work for them as it does for you.
What a platform can and cannot do
Sitterly is not a party to the arrangement and cannot search for a lost animal or coordinate a recovery. The written plan you leave with your sitter is what does the work here.
Add these details to your handover notes. Our preparation guide covers the full handover.
