How to Get Pets on The Sims 4: Ultimate Guide & 6 Proven Methods (2025)

Okay, let's talk about how to get pets in The Sims 4. Seriously, who doesn't want a furry (or scaly, or feathery) roommate causing chaos? I remember the first time I tried figuring this out – spent ages clicking random menus thinking I'd missed something obvious. Turns out, it is pretty straightforward once you know where to look, but there are a few different ways depending on what kind of furry friend you're after and what packs you own.

What You Absolutely Need to Know First

Before we dive into the 'how to get pets on the sims 4' step-by-step, let's clear up some basics. You need The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs expansion pack. That's non-negotiable for cats and dogs. Don't be like me back in 2017, frantically Googling why I couldn't adopt anything when I only had the base game. Miniature animals like rodents and birds come with My First Pet Stuff (which requires Cats & Dogs), or other expansions like Cottage Living (chickens, cows, llamas) and Cats & Dogs itself adds foxes.

Right, so now you know what you need pack-wise. Let's get down to the actual methods for how to get pets on the sims 4.

Method 1: Adopting a Cat or Dog (The Standard Way)

This is the classic route most players take. It feels realistic and kinda fun.

Step One: Get a Phone or Computer

Your Sim needs either a smartphone (they all have one) or a computer/laptop in their house. Click on either device.

Step Two: Navigate the Menu

• On the phone: Select 'Household' > 'Adopt...' > 'Adopt a Cat or Dog'.
• On the computer: Select 'Household' > 'Adopt' > 'Adopt a Cat or Dog'.

I always use the phone. It's quicker. What's weird is I swear sometimes the 'Adopt' option feels like it hides on the computer menu.

Step Three: Browse the Gallery & Pay Up

A window pops up showing adoptable pets. You usually see 4-6 options.

• Cost: Adoption costs §200 Simoleons. That's pretty cheap considering real life vet bills! Honestly, a bargain.
• Details: You'll see the pet's name, age (Puppy/Kitten, Adult, Elder), breed, and traits (like Friendly, Skittish, Aggressive). You CANNOT change these later without cheats or specific treats (like the Potent Pet Treat).
• Pick Your Pal: Click on the pet you want and hit 'Adopt for §200'. Boom!

A notification tells you your new pet is on its way. They usually appear near the mailbox or front door within a few Sim minutes. Sometimes they wander straight into the house looking for food. Classic.

Method 2: Creating Your Dream Pet in Create-A-Pet (CAS)

Want complete control over looks, breed, gender, traits, and even what they sound like? CAS is your best friend. This is how you craft that perfect golden retriever or grumpy Persian cat.

Accessing Create-A-Pet

You have two main points where you can do this:

1. Before Moving In: When you start a new household or edit one in Manage Worlds, click 'Create a Sim'. In the bottom left corner, click the '+' icon above your Sims and choose 'Create a Cat' or 'Create a Dog'.
2. During Gameplay: Open the cheat console (Ctrl+Shift+C on PC/Mac, all triggers on console), type testingcheats on and press Enter. Then Shift+Click on your Sim. Select 'Edit in Create a Sim'. Once in CAS, use the '+' icon again to add a cat or dog.

Crafting Your Companion

CAS for pets is surprisingly detailed:

• Species & Breed: Pick Cat or Dog, then choose from tons of breeds (from Huskies to Siamese). Customize the fur color and pattern down to tiny spots.
• Age: Choose Puppy/Kitten (super cute, less trainable), Adult (full size), or Elder (slower, needs more care).
• Traits: Pick two (e.g., Friendly, Curious, Clingy, Aggressive, Genius). These drastically affect their behavior. A 'Skittish' dog barks at everything, trust me.
• Appearance: Tail shape, ear shape, eye color, body size/thinness. You can make a ridiculously fluffy cat or a tiny chihuahua. It gets addictive.
• Voice & Walk Style: Yep, customize their bark/meow pitch and how they strut. The 'Sassy' walk for cats is hilarious.

Once you're done, just save and exit CAS as usual. Your brand new custom pet will be part of the household instantly. This is honestly the easiest way to get *exactly* the pet you want for your Sims 4 household.

Method 3: Finding (and Keeping) a Stray

Brindleton Bay (the world that comes with Cats & Dogs) is crawling with stray cats and dogs. They wander neighborhoods, hang out near fishing spots, or nap near houses. Finding one adds a nice spontaneous touch.

Here's how turning a stray into your pet works:

1. Spot Them: Keep an eye out for pets wandering with a grey plumbob over their head labeled 'Stray Cat' or 'Stray Dog'. They look a bit dirty.
2. Interact, Interact, Interact: Your Sim needs to befriend them. Start with 'Offer Treat' (buy treats from the pet store on computer/phone or vending machines). 'Play' works well too. Avoid scary interactions like 'Scold'.
3. Build Friendship: Get that friendship bar at least halfway up (into the green). It takes a few interactions. Be patient.
4. Ask to Move In: Once friendly enough, click on the stray. The 'Purchase a Small Animal'. A menu pops up showing the types available for that cage.
5. Choose Your Critter: Pick the animal you want (e.g., Sunburst Spiky Hedgehog, Common Canary). Each costs §50 Simoleons. Click buy.

Poof! The animal appears in the cage. They require feeding, cleaning their cage, and occasional social interactions. Less demanding than cats/dogs, but still cute. Good for smaller homes or kids' rooms.

Method 5: Getting Farm Animals (Cottage Living)

If you have Cottage Living, chickens, cows, and llamas open up a whole new world. Here's the scoop:

Chickens

• Buy at Stall: Visit the Market Square in Henford-on-Bagley. Find Agnes Crumplebottom's stall. Click on her or the stall and select 'Bring to Coop' once friendship is high enough. Free!

You need a Chicken Coop on your lot before buying or bringing chickens home.

Cows & Llamas

1. Build an Animal Shed: Go to Buy Mode. Find the 'Purchase Animal'. Choose between Cow or Llama. You can pick breed/variety. Costs §800 for a Cow, §1000 for a Llama. Ouch. Big investment.

They need space to graze, brushing, milking/shearing, and feeding. Hard work, but rewarding with eggs, milk, and wool!

Method 6: Instant Pets (Using Cheats)

Sometimes you just need a pet NOW. Maybe for storytelling, or an empty lot feels too quiet. Cheats are the ultimate shortcut for how to get pets on the sims 4 quickly.

Important: Enable cheats first! Press Ctrl+Shift+C (PC/Mac) or all shoulder buttons (consoles) to open the cheat console. Type testingcheats on and press Enter.

Cheat Method 1: Add to Family Instantly

1. Shift+Click anywhere on the ground on your lot.
2. Select 'Create a Cat' or 'Adopt' as per Method 3. Costs §200.

Finding the exact breed IDs is the hardest part. Sometimes it's easier to just use the first cheat method.

Why Won't My Game Let Me Get a Pet? Troubleshooting

Okay, let me tell you about the time I nearly threw my laptop because the 'Adopt' option vanished. Common issues when figuring out how to get pets on the sims 4:

• Missing Cats & Dogs Pack: Triple-check you actually own and have it installed. Base game = no cats/dogs.
• Household Full: You can have up to 8 Sims/pets combined in a household. If you have 8 Sims already, you can't adopt unless you move someone out or use cheats (testingcheats on then cas.fulleditmode to edit family structure).
• Not Enough Money: Adoption costs §200. Small pets cost §50 + cage cost. Farm animals cost way more. Check your funds! Money [Amount] cheat can help.
• Lot Restrictions: Some lot types (like apartments in certain worlds with specific traits) might prevent pets. Try from a residential home lot.
• Buggy Menu: Sometimes the phone/computer menu glitches. Save your game, exit to Manage Worlds, then reload the household. Usually fixes it. Worst case, repair the game via Origin/EA App/Steam.
• Can't Find Strays: Make sure you're in Brindleton Bay (for cats/dogs) or Henford (for chickens). Strays spawn more frequently in those worlds. Try visiting community lots or parks.
• Critter Cage Not Working: Is the cage placed? Is it empty? Can't buy a critter if the cage already has one! Also, ensure My First Pet Stuff is installed.

Okay, I Have a Pet... Now What? Essential Care & Interactions

Getting the pet is step one. Keeping them happy (and not running away) is step two! Here's the lowdown:

• Hunger:
  • Cats/Dogs: Buy a pet bowl (§600) - worth it! You can also drag human food onto the floor for them (messy!).
  • Critters: Drag food (like seeds or veggies) from your Sim's inventory onto the cage.
  • Farm Animals: Use the feed trough near their shed/coop and fill it with appropriate feed.
• Hygiene:
  • Cats/Dogs: Buy a pet bath (Give Bath'. Cats especially might hate this! Brush them regularly too - buy a brush.
  • Critters: Clean the cage! Click on cage > 'Brush' (needs brush). Also clean shed/coop occasionally.
• Social/Fun:
  • Cats/Dogs: Pet, Play, Cuddle, Train (dogs), Scratch Furniture (cats...), Talk To.
  • Critters: Watch, Talk To.
  • Farm Animals: Chat, Brush, Milk (cows), Shear (llamas), Collect Eggs (chickens), Snuggle (if high friendship).
• Health: Sick pets need a vet! Build a vet clinic (requires Get to Work) or take them to the premade one in Brindleton Bay. Costs §100-§500+ per visit. Preventative care (good food, brushing, love) helps.

Pet Stuff You'll Actually Need (And What It Costs)

Don't be unprepared! Here's a shopping list based on pet type:

Your Sims 4 Pet Questions Answered

Here are those burning questions people always ask when learning how to get pets on the sims 4:

Q: Can I have horses in The Sims 4?
A: Nope. Not currently. There's no expansion pack that adds horses. Rumors pop up, but until EA announces it, horses aren't an option. Cottage Living has cows and llamas, but no horses.

Q: Why can't I see the 'Adopt' option on my phone/computer?
A: Check the basics first: Do you have Cats & Dogs installed? Is your household full (8 members total)? Do you have enough money? If yes to all, try saving, going to Manage Worlds, and reloading the lot. If still missing, try repairing your game.

Q: Can my Sim have a pet without moving in together?
A: Not really. Pets belong to a household. You can befriend strays and invite them over often, but they don't become "yours" forever until you adopt them into the household.

Q: Do pets ever die?
A: Yes, unfortunately. Like Sims, pets have lifespans. Elder pets will eventually pass away. You can see their age info in the pet panel. To prevent death, enable pet aging in Game Options > Gameplay, or set their lifespan to 'Long' or turn aging off altogether. Ghost pets can appear if they pass!

Q: Can pets have jobs?
A: Not careers like Sims. Cats can hunt for collectibles or Dig for Treasure. Dogs can Hunt for Collectibles or Dig for Treasure. With the Pets EP, you can train dogs with the 'Working Dog' trait to 'Find Frogs' or 'Find Geo Crystals' which is kinda like a job! Farm animals "work" by producing milk, wool, and eggs.

Q: How many pets can one household have?
A: It's part of the total household limit. You can have up to 8 Sims/pets combined per household. So you could have 1 Sim and 7 pets, or 4 Sims and 4 pets, etc. Critters (in cages) don't count towards this limit! Neither do chickens/cows/llamas kept in coops/sheds.

Q: Can cats and dogs live together peacefully?
A: Usually, yes! Their traits matter more than species. An Aggressive dog might pick fights with a Skittish cat. Friendly pets generally get along fine. They can autonomously play together. You can also force interactions like 'Play' or 'Sniff'.

Q: Can I control pets directly?
A: No. Unlike Sims, you click *on* the pet to queue interactions, but you can't select them and directly control their movement or actions like "Go Here" or "Eat Now". You manage them through interactions with Sims or by clicking on objects (like sending them to their bed).

Final Thoughts: Making the Most of Your Sims 4 Pets

Figuring out how to get pets on the sims 4 is just the start. They add a whole new layer of chaos, cuteness, and sometimes frustration to your game. Honestly, my biggest tip? Start simple. Maybe adopt one cat or dog first before diving into a farm full of llamas and chickens. The vet bills alone can bankrupt a Sim! And keep an eye on those traits – a 'Destructive' dog will chew your expensive furniture, while a 'Lazy' cat will ignore training entirely. It's frustrating sometimes, but feels real.

My favorite moments are usually the unexpected ones: watching a cat chase a laser pointer autonomously, seeing a dog greet my Sim at the door after work, or finding out the stray I adopted is actually a genius who learns tricks super fast. They're unpredictable, just like real pets. Enjoy the mess!