To unlock the Companions pet system in Where Winds Meet, start the Whiskered Trouble pet quest, follow the cat route, choose a cat, and clear the short chase trial to tame it and open the Companion menu.
The Companions system in Where Winds Meet is the game’s animal-pet feature, and getting into it is less about flipping a menu switch and more about clearing one short cat-themed quest. Once you tame your first cat, the full Companion menu opens up with photos, growth tracking, appearances and more. Below is exactly where the quest starts, how the chase plays out, and what to do once pets are live — plus the places where details still differ between players.
- How the Companions unlock actually works
- Where the Whiskered Trouble quest begins
- How to clear Whiskered Trouble and tame your first cat in Where Winds Meet
- What the Companion system gives you after taming
- Getting more pets beyond your first cat
- Mistakes that stall the pet unlock
- Frequently Asked Questions
How the Companions unlock actually works
Where the Whiskered Trouble quest begins
| Unlock detail | What to look for | Evidence strength |
|---|---|---|
| Quest name | Whiskered Trouble, the first-exploration cat quest | Video-confirmed |
| Menu start point | Escape > Companion > Whiskered Trouble | Video-confirmed |
| World location | Thousand-Buddha Boundary Stone / Cat’s Shrine, north of the central region | Web-only |
| Linked ability | “Mind Communication with All Beasts” from a movement trial | Web-only, contested |
There are two ways players reach this quest, and which one you see seems to depend on your build, server and progress. In-game it appears straight from the menu: press Esc, open Companion, and pick the Whiskered Trouble first-exploration quest. Others reports place the quest out in the world, near the Thousand-Buddha Boundary Stone and Cat’s Shrine in the northern part of the central region, where you accept it from a nearby quest icon. If the menu prompt isn’t there for you, head to that area; if you’re not near it, the menu entry is the faster start.
How to clear Whiskered Trouble and tame your first cat in Where Winds Meet
STEP 1/14
Open the Companion menu
Press Esc and select Companion to find the Whiskered Trouble first-exploration quest.
STEP 2/14
Accept Whiskered Trouble
Start the quest from the Companion prompt to begin the cat-route trial.
STEP 3/14
Find the wandering cats
Reach the quest area where several cats appear, then approach them to trigger the chase.
STEP 4/14
Follow the cats uphill
The marker points you up the route; players report glowing blue flames acting as navigation markers toward the Cat’s Shrine.
STEP 5/14
Watch for the Claw Step prompt
The on-screen cue to use Claw Step to catch up appears as the cats sprint ahead.
STEP 6/14
Press G to keep pace
Hit G to trigger Claw Step and stay with the cats along the climb.
STEP 7/14
Finishing the first chase
The route segment completes once you keep up to the end of the run.
STEP 8/14
Mediate the cat dispute
A standoff plays out between the cats and you step in to settle their argument.
STEP 9/14
Read the cat language
Use the secret manual that lets you understand the cats during the cutscene.
STEP 10/14
Choose your cat
Pick one cat as your first companion; early players report roughly four cats to choose from.
STEP 11/14
Start the taming challenge
Touch the sword hill and use the prompted skill to catch the cat in what’s described as a roughly 60-second chase.
STEP 12/14
Clear the climb to the cat
Hold Space to scale the hill and close the gap.
STEP 13/14
Confirm Cat Tamed
The Cat Tamed message confirms the cat is now yours and the system is live.
STEP 14/14
Open the Companion menu
Reach the Companion menu and press O to take a photo with your new cat.
Don’t just hunt for a menu toggle — clear the Whiskered Trouble chase and watch for the Claw Step prompt (press G), since missing that cue is the most common reason players stall on the route.
Video help
What the Companion system gives you after taming
| Feature | What it does | How it unlocks or refreshes |
|---|---|---|
| Companion menu | Manage your pet, photos and details | Opens after Cat Tamed (press O for photos) |
| Growth Story | Tracks your companion’s progress | From the Companion page |
| Cat Chronicles | Cat-themed quest content | From the Companion page |
| Appearances | Cosmetic looks for your pet | Applied in the Companion menu |
| Bond XP | Levels your companion bond | Reportedly converts from Leisure Vibes at 1:1 |
| Leisure Vibes | Daily resource feeding Bond XP | Around 300 restore daily (reported) |
| Windtrails | Fuel for companion journeys | Refill every 10 min, capped at 1000 (reported) |
Once the cat is tamed, the Companion menu becomes your hub for the pet. From there you can take photos with your companion, check its Growth Story, browse Cat Chronicles (the cat-themed quest content), and apply appearances to change how your pet looks. The system isn’t cats-only either — geese show up as another companion type you can work toward.
Beyond the menu shown in-game, players describe a deeper care loop: companions gain Bond XP, and several resource systems feed it. Those numbers come from community reports rather than confirmed in-game readouts, so treat the exact values as provisional.
Getting more pets beyond your first cat
| Method | Requirement or cost | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| First quest pet | Complete Whiskered Trouble | Your free first cat companion |
| Deed of Fellowship | 250 Fluffballs at the Companion Shop | Adding more companions to your roster |
| Summoning Scroll | Treasure > Companion Summon (blue diamonds / rewards) | Pulling extra companions where available |
| Goose quest | Honking Havoc prerequisite | Unlocking goose companions later |
Unlocking the system doesn’t hand you a full menagerie. Your first cat is free from Whiskered Trouble, but additional companions take currency, scrolls or further quests, and the exact path differs by version and server. The most commonly described route is buying a Deed of Fellowship from the Companion Shop for 250 Fluffballs, then returning to the Companion interface to bond with the new pet.
Where it’s supported, you can also pull companions with a Summoning Scroll at Treasure > Companion Summon, using blue diamonds or in-game rewards — though scroll pricing, bundles and drop rates aren’t consistently documented yet. More animals tend to come gated behind their own prerequisite quests, with cats tied to Whiskered Trouble and geese to Honking Havoc.
Mistakes that stall the pet unlock
It also helps to know what these companions are not. Animal pets are separate from the combat companions and assist summons — the battle NPCs some guides discuss aren’t part of the pet system, so don’t confuse the two. And don’t assume every pet unlocks at once: each animal generally needs its own trial or prerequisite quest before it joins you, so plan for the first cat now and the rest over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Whiskered Trouble required to unlock the whole pet system, or just the first cat?
This isn’t fully settled. In-game, completing Whiskered Trouble both tames your first cat and opens the Companion menu, so for many players it functions as the unlock. Some reports instead tie the system’s unlock to a separate movement trial that grants “Mind Communication with All Beasts,” and it’s unclear whether Whiskered Trouble is a strict account-wide requirement or simply the first free cat quest. Either way, clearing it gets you into the system.
Where is the Companion menu after unlocking pets?
Press Esc and open Companion. That’s where you’ll find the quest entry beforehand and your pet’s photos, Growth Story, Cat Chronicles and appearances afterward. Some versions also surface companion features under paths like Treasure > Companion Summon or a Companion Shop, so the exact menu route can vary.
Can you choose any of the cats as your first companion?
Yes — during the quest you pick one cat to tame, and early players report around four cats to choose from. The choice is yours (one playthrough went with a black-furred cat), and the taming challenge is the same regardless of which you pick.
How do you unlock goose companions?
Geese are a separate companion type with their own prerequisite quest, commonly described as Honking Havoc, much like Whiskered Trouble gates the cats. Availability appears to roll out in phases, so geese may come later than your first cat depending on your version.
Why do some players say the pet system isn’t available everywhere yet?
Availability is genuinely contested. Some early-June 2026 reports placed the system on the Chinese server and described it as not yet global, while others frame it as Version 1.8 content that’s playable. It does appear live in current play, but if you can’t find it, version and server differences are the likely reason rather than anything you’ve done wrong.
More questions⤵
Are pet companions the same as combat companions?
No. The Companions pet system covers animal pets like cats and geese, with their own menu, photos and bonding. Combat companions and assist summons — the battle NPCs — are a different feature entirely, so guidance about those doesn’t apply to unlocking or raising your animal pets.
