Pet Care Meet and Greet: Checklist + What to Ask (2026)

The pet sitting meet and greet is where trust gets built or lost. It is the first real interaction between you, the client, and their pet. And it is also your best chance to figure out whether this client is someone you actually want to work with.

Most pet sitters treat the meet and greet like an informal hangout. They show up, pet the dog, chat for a bit, and hope it all works out. That approach works fine when you have five clients. It falls apart when you are running a business.

This guide breaks down how to run a pet sitting meet and greet like an actual business process. You will get a step-by-step walkthrough, a checklist you can reuse for every new client, the exact questions to ask during the visit, and honest guidance on the stuff nobody else talks about, like when to charge for meet and greets and how to say no to a client who is not a good fit.

Whether you are a solo sitter, managing a growing team, or getting started on a platform like Rover, this is the playbook.

Before the Meet and Greet

A good meet and greet starts before you ever walk through the door. The preparation you do ahead of time determines whether the meeting runs smoothly or turns into 45 minutes of scrambling for basic information.

Pre-Screen Before You Commit

Not every inquiry deserves a meet and greet. Before you block time on your calendar, have a quick phone call or message exchange to cover the basics.

Ask about:

• Type and number of pets

• Service needed (drop-ins, overnights, daily walks)

• Dates and frequency

• Location (is it within your service area?)

• Any behavioral concerns or special needs

This takes five minutes and saves you from driving 30 minutes to a home only to discover the client has four untrained dogs and expects you to stay overnight for $30.

If something does not line up, it is completely fine to say: "Thanks for reaching out. Based on what you have described, I do not think I would be the best fit, but I hope you find someone great."

Send Intake Forms Ahead of Time

One of the biggest time-wasters during a meet and greet is collecting basic information you could have gathered beforehand. Send your intake forms to the client before the visit so they can fill in pet details, emergency contacts, vet information, and care instructions in advance.

This way, the actual meeting can focus on the stuff that matters: meeting the pets, walking through the home, and having a real conversation about expectations.

If you use digital intake forms, this information goes straight into your client records without any copy-pasting or lost paperwork.

Schedule Enough Time

Plan for 30 to 45 minutes per meet and greet. That gives you time to cover everything without rushing, but keeps things focused enough that you are not spending your entire afternoon on a single consultation.

If the client has multiple pets, special needs animals, or a complex home setup (think: alarm systems, pool access, medication schedules), lean toward 45 minutes. For a single dog with straightforward needs, 30 minutes is usually plenty.

What to Bring to a Pet Sitting Meet and Greet

Show up prepared. It sounds obvious, but walking in with the right materials signals professionalism and keeps the meeting on track.

Your meet and greet kit:

• Client and pet info you have already collected (on your phone or printed)

• Service agreement or contract ready for review and signing

• Business cards or a printed booking link to leave behind

• Key tags or lockbox labels if the client is handing over access

• Treats (always ask about allergies and dietary restrictions first)

• A way to take notes so you do not forget details after the visit

If you handle contracts digitally, even better. You can walk through your service agreement on your phone or tablet and collect a signature right there, so nothing gets forgotten after you leave.

The Meet and Greet: Step by Step

Here is what a well-run pet sitting meet and greet actually looks like, from the moment you arrive to the moment you follow up.

1. Arrive On Time and Make a Good First Impression

This one is non-negotiable. Being late to a meet and greet tells the client that you might also be late to their pet's feeding time. Arrive a few minutes early, dress neatly (you do not need a uniform, just look put-together), and greet the client warmly.

Let the pet come to you. Resist the urge to immediately reach for the dog or scoop up the cat. Give them space and let them approach on their own terms. The client is watching how you interact with their animal, and patience goes a long way.

2. Meet the Pets

This is the most important part of the visit. Observe the pet's behavior, energy level, and temperament. A dog that hides behind the couch when you arrive is telling you something. A cat that immediately rubs against your legs is telling you something different.

Ask the client:

• How does the pet typically react to new people?

• Any fears or triggers (loud noises, other animals, being left alone)?

• What does the pet enjoy? What do they not like?

• Any health issues, medications, or mobility concerns?

Take notes. You will not remember all of this when you are sitting in your car afterward, especially if you have multiple meet and greets in a week.

3. Walk Through the Home

Do not skip this. Even if the client says "everything is pretty straightforward," walk through the home together and see it for yourself.

Cover these areas:

• Entry and exit points. How do you get in? Keys, lockbox code, garage code? Test the key or code while you are there. Nothing is worse than showing up for day one and not being able to get in.

• Feeding station. Where is the food stored? How much, how often, and in which bowl?

• Supplies. Leashes, waste bags, toys, grooming tools, cleaning supplies.

• Off-limits areas. Rooms the pet should not access, areas with hazards, baby gates.

• Outdoor access. Yard, doggy door, fenced area, pool (and whether the pet has pool access or not).

• Where the pet sleeps. Especially important for overnights.

• Alarm system and smart home devices. Get codes and instructions. Nothing creates panic like accidentally triggering an alarm at 6 a.m.

4. Review Care Instructions

Go through the pet's daily routine step by step. Morning feeding, afternoon walk, evening medication, bedtime routine. The more specific, the better.

For pets with medical needs, get detailed instructions. Which medication, what dose, what time, how to administer it. If the pet takes pills wrapped in cheese, that is good to know now rather than when you are chasing a dog around the kitchen with a syringe.

Collect emergency contacts: the client's phone number, a backup contact, and the vet's name and number.

5. Discuss Your Services and Policies

This is where you set expectations. Walk through what is included in your service and what is not.

Cover:

• Cancellation policy and late booking fees

• Holiday and weekend surcharges if you have them

• Payment terms (when invoices go out, when payment is due, accepted methods)

• How you communicate during service. Do you send pet report cards with photos and notes? Do you text updates? Let the client know what to expect.

Being upfront about policies now prevents awkward conversations later. If a client cancels last minute and you never mentioned your cancellation policy, you have no leg to stand on.

6. Handle the Paperwork

Before you leave, get your service agreement signed. This includes your contract, liability terms, and any policies the client needs to acknowledge.

If the client is ready to book, confirm the dates, service type, and payment method. If they need time to decide, that is fine too. Just make sure the agreement is signed either way, so you are protected when they do book.

7. Close the Meeting and Set Next Steps

End the meet and greet by confirming what happens next.

• When does service start?

• How should they book going forward? (Share your online booking link if you have one.)

• When will you follow up?

Leave a business card or a leave-behind with your booking information. Thank them for their time, give the pet one last scratch behind the ears, and head out.

Meet and Greet Checklist for Pet Sitters

Use this checklist for every new client. Print it, save it to your phone, or build it into your intake process.

Before the visit:

• Pre-screen the client (phone or message)

• Send intake forms and collect basic pet and client info

• Confirm the meeting date, time, and address

• Prepare your meet and greet kit (contract, business cards, key tags, treats)

During the visit:

• Arrive on time, dressed professionally

• Meet and observe the pet's behavior and temperament

• Walk through the entire home (entry, feeding, supplies, off-limits areas)

• Review daily routine and care instructions

• Discuss medications, allergies, and health concerns

• Collect emergency contacts and vet information

• Review your services, policies, and pricing

• Walk through and sign the service agreement

• Test keys, lockbox codes, or alarm systems

• Confirm booking details or next steps

After the visit:

• Send a thank-you message within 24 hours

• Update client and pet records in your system

• File the signed agreement

• Follow up within a week if they have not booked yet

Questions to Ask During a Pet Sitting Meet and Greet

Having a standard set of questions keeps the conversation on track and makes sure you do not forget anything important. Here are the ones that matter most.

About the Pet

• What is their daily routine (feeding, walks, bathroom, naps)?

• Any medical conditions, medications, or dietary restrictions?

• How do they react to strangers or new people in the home?

• Any behavioral issues like separation anxiety, reactivity, or resource guarding?

• Are vaccinations up to date? (Ask for records if your policy requires it.)

• Do they get along with other animals?

• What are their favorite activities, toys, or comfort items?

About the Home

• How do I access the home? (Keys, lockbox, code, garage opener?)

• Is there an alarm system? What are the codes and instructions?

• Where are pet supplies stored (food, leashes, medication, cleaning supplies)?

• Are there rooms that are off-limits or areas with hazards?

• Is the yard fenced? Does the pet have free outdoor access?

• Where should I park?

About Expectations

• How would you like me to communicate during visits? (Text, photos, report cards?)

• Are there specific things you want me to do or avoid?

• What does a perfect visit look like from your perspective?

• Is there anything about your pet or home that I should know but might not think to ask?

That last question is a good one. It opens the door for information the client might not volunteer on their own, like the fact that their dog opens the pantry door or their cat likes to hide in the dryer.

Should You Charge for Meet and Greets?

This is one of the most debated topics in the pet sitting world. There is no single right answer, but here is how to think about it.

The case for free meet and greets:

• Removes friction for new clients who are still deciding

• Standard practice in the industry (most sitters offer them free)

• Builds trust and goodwill before the relationship starts

• Works well when your booking rate after meet and greets is high

The case for charging:

• Values your time, especially if you are driving to the client's home

• Filters out people who are not serious about booking

• Common among experienced, busy providers who cannot afford to give away hours

• Typical fee is $15 to $30 per visit

The hybrid model: Offer the meet and greet free if the client books within a certain window (say, 7 days). Or charge a consultation fee that credits toward the first booking. This protects your time while still removing barriers for clients who are genuinely interested.

If you are newer and still building your client base, free meet and greets usually make more sense. If you are booked solid and meet and greets are eating into your service time, charging a small fee is reasonable.

Running Meet and Greets With a Team

When your business grows beyond just you, meet and greets get more complicated. Who should go? How do you keep the experience consistent? How does information get from the person who did the meet and greet to the person who actually does the job?

Who should attend?

There are a few common approaches:

• The owner handles all meet and greets. This keeps the experience consistent and gives the client a personal connection to the business. It works well for small teams but does not scale.

• The assigned sitter attends. The client meets the exact person who will be caring for their pet. This builds direct trust but means you need every team member trained on how to run a meet and greet.

• A hybrid approach. The owner does the meet and greet for high-value or complex clients. The assigned sitter handles straightforward ones. This balances consistency with scalability.

Training your team:

If staff members are running meet and greets, they need a standard process to follow. That means a shared checklist, a set of required questions, and clear expectations for how the meeting should go. The checklist in this article is a good starting point.

The handoff problem:

The biggest risk with team meet and greets is information loss. The person who did the meet and greet knows the pet's quirks, the alarm code, and where the medication is stored. The person who shows up for day one might not.

Make sure notes from every meet and greet get recorded in your client and pet records right after the visit. If details live in someone's head or in a text thread, they will get lost. A shared system where the whole team can access client and pet profiles keeps everyone on the same page.

Use your scheduling tools to assign the right staff member to each job and make sure they have access to the relevant client info before they arrive.

Virtual and Phone Meet and Greets

Not every meet and greet needs to be in person. There are situations where a phone call or video chat makes more sense.

When virtual works:

• The client is a returning client with a new pet

• The service is straightforward (quick daily check-ins, for example)

• The client lives far from your usual service area and you want to pre-screen before committing to a drive

• You are doing an initial consultation and plan to do a brief in-person visit closer to the start date

When in-person is necessary:

• First-time client with overnight or extended care

• Complex home setup (alarm systems, multiple entry points, pool)

• Pets with behavioral issues or medical needs

• Anytime you need to test keys or access codes

A good middle ground is to do a phone screen first, then a shorter in-person visit. The phone call covers the basics and confirms the client is a good fit. The in-person visit focuses on the home, the pet, and the logistics.

Meet and Greets on Rover

If you are getting bookings through Rover, the meet and greet process works a little differently. Rover encourages sitters and owners to meet before confirming a booking, and for good reason. But there are a few things worth knowing about how the Rover meet and greet fits into your workflow.

How the Rover Meet and Greet Works

When a client requests a booking on Rover, you can suggest a meet and greet before accepting. Rover does not charge for this, and the platform treats it as a standard part of the booking flow. The client and sitter coordinate a time through Rover's messaging system, meet in person (usually at the client's home), and then the sitter either accepts or declines the booking.

The same principles from this guide apply: show up on time, meet the pet, walk through the home, ask the right questions, and make sure you are comfortable with the job before committing.

What Is Different on Rover

A few things change when you are working through a marketplace:

• You do not control the intake process. Rover collects basic pet info from the owner, but it is often incomplete. You may need to ask more questions during the meet and greet than you would with your own intake forms.

• Contracts and policies are Rover's, not yours. You are operating under Rover's terms of service and their Rover Guarantee, not your own service agreement. This limits how much you can customize your policies.

• You cannot easily follow up outside the platform. Rover's messaging system is the primary communication channel. If you want to send a thank-you message or share a booking link, it stays within Rover.

• The client may be comparing you to other sitters. Rover makes it easy for owners to request meet and greets with multiple providers. Your professionalism during the visit matters even more because you are being directly compared.

Using Meet and Greets to Build Beyond Rover

Many pet sitters start on Rover and eventually transition to running their own independent business. The meet and greet is actually a great place to start building that foundation, even while you are still on the platform.

Focus on delivering an experience that feels more professional than what other Rover sitters offer. Bring a checklist. Ask thorough questions. Follow up promptly. When a client sees that level of care, they remember you, and when they are ready to book directly, you are the first person they think of.

Once you are ready to move off Rover and manage your own clients, the meet and greet process you have built becomes the backbone of your independent business. You will already have the checklist, the questions, and the follow-up habits in place. The only difference is that now you are using your own intake forms, your own service agreements, and your own booking system instead of relying on a marketplace.

Red Flags: When to Say No After a Meet and Greet

Not every client is a good client. Saying no to a bad fit protects your business, your safety, and your reputation. Here are some red flags to watch for during the meet and greet.

• The client downplays aggressive behavior. If a dog lunges, snaps, or shows signs of aggression and the owner brushes it off with "oh, he is just playing," trust what you see, not what they say.

• Unrealistic expectations. A client who expects five visits a day for the price of one, or who has a long list of demands that do not match the service they booked, is likely to be a difficult client long-term.

• The home is unsafe. Exposed wires, toxic substances within pet reach, broken fences, or unsanitary conditions put both you and the animal at risk.

• Refusal to provide information. If a client will not share vet information, sign a service agreement, or answer basic questions about their pet, that is a sign of trouble.

• Disrespectful communication. How a client treats you during the meet and greet is a preview of how they will treat you during service.

If you decide to decline, keep it professional:

"Thank you for meeting with me. After reviewing everything, I do not think I am the right fit for your needs, but I would be happy to recommend another provider in the area."

You do not owe a detailed explanation. A polite, firm response is enough.

Following Up After the Meet and Greet

The meeting is over, but the job is not done. What you do in the 24 hours after the meet and greet can be the difference between landing the client and losing them.

Within 24 hours:

• Send a thank-you message. Keep it short and warm. Mention something specific about their pet to show you were paying attention.

• Include your booking link or instructions for next steps.

• If the agreement was not signed during the visit, send it now for digital signature.

Update your records:

• Add or update the client and pet profiles in your CRM with notes from the visit.

• File the signed agreement.

• Log any special instructions, access codes, or care details.

If they do not book right away:

• Follow up once more after about a week. A simple "Just checking in to see if you had any questions" is enough.

• After two follow-ups with no response, move on. Not every meet and greet converts, and that is okay.

Wrapping Up

The pet sitting meet and greet is more than a casual introduction. It is your screening process, your first impression, and the foundation for the entire client relationship. The providers who treat it as a repeatable business system, with a checklist, a set of questions, and a clear follow-up process, are the ones who land better clients, avoid bad fits, and build businesses that run smoothly.

Whether you are running meet and greets solo or training a team to handle them, having a consistent process in place makes all the difference. Take the checklist from this article, adjust it for your business, and use it for every new client from here on out.

If you want to streamline how you handle intake forms, contracts, and bookings after the meet and greet, Scritches brings all of that into one place so nothing slips through the cracks.