After every visit, or at the agreed time during a stay, send a brief update using a consistent structure and one or two useful photos. It’s clearer than “all good” and easier to read than a minute-by-minute account. Report anything unusual right away, as agreed, without waiting for the routine update.
What to include in every update
Use this checklist so you don’t forget the essentials:
- Arrival and departure: Give the actual times, not just the planned visit duration.
- Food and water: Say how much of the portion set by the owner the pet ate, and whether you refreshed or topped up the water.
- Toileting or litter box: Describe what you observed and what you cleaned, without inferring anything you didn’t see.
- Mood and behavior: Describe how the pet interacted with you and its surroundings.
- Activities: Summarize playtime, a walk, or brushing, if planned and completed.
- Anything new: Say what was different from usual, or that you didn’t notice anything new.
- Next visit: Confirm the agreed day and time window.
Compare what you observe with the habits the owner described at the start of the booking. Prefer “left half of their food” or “stayed under the bed for the first ten minutes” to interpretations such as “being difficult” or medical guesses.
Sample message
Adapt this template for an evening visit with a cat to match what you observed and the arrangements with the client:
Photos and videos: a few, useful, and respectful
One or two carefully chosen images are enough to show the pet and, when useful, the food bowl or litter box. There’s no need to document every move: choose shots that add information, without waking the pet or luring it out of a hiding place for a photo.
A short video is useful only if it makes something clearer than words can, such as a moment of play. Always check what’s in the frame: avoid showing the address or house number, keys and locks, documents, or the client’s private rooms.
Ask permission before posting photos of clients’ pets on social media: a private update and promoting your business are two different uses.
When and where to send it
At the first meeting, agree on one channel, how often to send updates, and a time window: after every home visit or once a day during stays. Also agree on expected response times on both sides, without assuming either party will always be available.
If the update is delayed, let the client know rather than leaving them waiting. Set aside time in your schedule to write the message and choose photos too: that’s part of the booking, not something to do only if you have time left.
With an active business profile, in PawsPet Business you can keep messages related to a booking in the order’s “Chat” tab under “Orders” if the client booked through PawsPet and the order has a linked conversation. In the client’s pet profile, under “Clients,” you can record each visit as an “Activity” or “Note,” with a date, notes, and a photo, creating a dated history; client and pet profiles must not be archived. These records don’t replace the update you send to the owner.
Routine updates and unexpected events: two different messages
Don’t leave an unusual event until the end-of-visit report: the pet isn’t eating, vomits, limps, gets injured or runs away, or something in the home is damaged. Report these situations right away, by calling or messaging according to the agreed rules.
If the situation may be medically urgent, contact the veterinarian named by the owner first. Report what you observed, when it happened, and what you did, without making a diagnosis or offering reassurance such as “it’s nothing.”
After a phone call, send a brief written summary of what happened and what was decided, distinguishing the guidance you received from your own observations.
Write your update template today and use it for all your clients this week.
