🖨️ Free Printable Pet Checklists
Free, no-sign-up printables to help families, classrooms, and shelters choose and care for a pet the right way. Print them, stick them on the fridge, and share them however you like.
📋 The New-Pet Care Checklist (PDF)
A friendly 3-page pack you can print at home:
- "Are we ready for a pet?" — a family readiness checklist to work through together before you decide.
- "Before you bring your pet home" — a setup checklist so day one is calm and prepared.
- "Everyday care routine" — daily, weekly, and now-and-then care to stick on the fridge.
⬇️ Download the free checklist (PDF)
🐾 Care sheets for our five most-asked-about pets
Twenty one-page sheets — four for each pet. Print only the ones you need; every sheet fits on a single sheet of paper and is designed to go easy on printer ink.
Dog
☀️
Dog — Daily care checklist
Morning, daytime and evening jobs, with a box to tick for every day — one sheet lasts a week.
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Dog — New-pet supply checklist
Everything to have ready before day one, plus a settling-in plan for the first hour and the first night.
🗓️
Dog — Weekly & monthly care
The care jobs that get forgotten, with four weeks of tick boxes and a weight-and-notes log.
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Dog — Healthy signs & vet signs
What healthy looks like, the signs that mean call the vet, and the ones that mean go now.
Cat
☀️
Cat — Daily care checklist
Morning, daytime and evening jobs, with a box to tick for every day — one sheet lasts a week.
🛒
Cat — New-pet supply checklist
Everything to have ready before day one, plus a settling-in plan for the first hour and the first night.
🗓️
Cat — Weekly & monthly care
The care jobs that get forgotten, with four weeks of tick boxes and a weight-and-notes log.
🩺
Cat — Healthy signs & vet signs
What healthy looks like, the signs that mean call the vet, and the ones that mean go now.
Guinea Pig
☀️
Guinea Pig — Daily care checklist
Morning, daytime and evening jobs, with a box to tick for every day — one sheet lasts a week.
🛒
Guinea Pig — New-pet supply checklist
Everything to have ready before day one, plus a settling-in plan for the first hour and the first night.
🗓️
Guinea Pig — Weekly & monthly care
The care jobs that get forgotten, with four weeks of tick boxes and a weight-and-notes log.
🩺
Guinea Pig — Healthy signs & vet signs
What healthy looks like, the signs that mean call the vet, and the ones that mean go now.
Hamster
☀️
Hamster — Daily care checklist
Morning, daytime and evening jobs, with a box to tick for every day — one sheet lasts a week.
🛒
Hamster — New-pet supply checklist
Everything to have ready before day one, plus a settling-in plan for the first hour and the first night.
🗓️
Hamster — Weekly & monthly care
The care jobs that get forgotten, with four weeks of tick boxes and a weight-and-notes log.
🩺
Hamster — Healthy signs & vet signs
What healthy looks like, the signs that mean call the vet, and the ones that mean go now.
Leopard Gecko
☀️
Leopard Gecko — Daily care checklist
Morning, daytime and evening jobs, with a box to tick for every day — one sheet lasts a week.
🛒
Leopard Gecko — New-pet supply checklist
Everything to have ready before day one, plus a settling-in plan for the first hour and the first night.
🗓️
Leopard Gecko — Weekly & monthly care
The care jobs that get forgotten, with four weeks of tick boxes and a weight-and-notes log.
🩺
Leopard Gecko — Healthy signs & vet signs
What healthy looks like, the signs that mean call the vet, and the ones that mean go now.
A note on the health sheets: they are built to help a child notice and tell a grown-up — they are not a diagnosis. Every line is checked against veterinary and animal-welfare guidance, and each sheet lists its sources at the bottom. When in doubt, call your vet.
Per-pet care sheets
Every one of our 50 pet care guides has a 🖨️ Print care sheet button at the top — open any pet's guide to print a one-page care summary for that exact animal.
Teaching? Grab our free Classroom Pet Toolkit — a care kit, weekend & holiday plan, and a student job chart.
Teachers, librarians & shelters: these printables are free to use and share with families. If they're helpful, a link back to WhatPetShouldIGet.com helps other families find them. 💛
Trusted sources
Our readiness and care guidance draws on established animal-welfare and public-health advice: