What to know
- Cats are officially planned creatures in Hytale’s creature list
- You cannot tame or own a cat in Early Access
- Animal interaction exists, but true pets do not
- Full pet systems are expected in future updates
Cats are such a classic companion in sandbox games that many players immediately wonder whether they can own a cat in Hytale. The short answer is: not yet — but cats are planned.
At the moment, Hytale has launched in Early Access, and while animals do exist in the world, true pet systems (including cat taming and ownership) have not been implemented yet. Pet mechanics and animal taming are features the developers have said are planned for later updates.
Let’s break down what that means for cats and animals in the game right now and what players can expect in the future.
What you can and can’t do with Animals in Hytale Early Access
| Interaction | Does it work now? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lure animals | Yes | Hearts appear, they follow temporarily when lured using feedbags. |
| Capture animals | Yes | Use Capture Crates to move them. |
| Ride animals | Limited | Horses can be ridden but aren’t tamed. |
| True pets | No | Permanent companions are not implemented. |
| Breed animals | No | Breeding mechanics are not available yet, but you can farm them in Coop or Fish Farm. |
| Morph into Animals | Yes | Using morphing potions from the Alchemist’s bench, you can morph into: Dog, Pigeon, Frog, or Mouse. |
The Hytale Early Access build does include wildlife and biome animals, but the current interaction systems are limited. There is no traditional taming or pet ownership mechanic yet — this applies to horses, cats, dogs, and other wildlife alike.
Instead of pets, players can:
- Lure animals temporarily by holding food or placing feed bags, which makes animals move toward you for a short time and displays heart particles above their heads. This is not the same as taming; it just pacifies and attracts them briefly.
- Capture baby animals using Capture Crates, letting you relocate them — again, this doesn’t create a permanent bond.
- Mount certain animals like horses and, yes, dinosaurs — you can ride them for travel, but they do not stay loyal or remain in a pet-like state once dismounted.
This means that if cats exist in the world (some data lists them as a domestic animal in Orbis), players currently cannot make them pets, name them, make them follow commands, or keep them as companions.
Are Cats actually in Hytale?
There’s some community and data-compiled info suggesting that cats are recognized as a species in Hytale’s animal list, typically categorized as neutral or passive wildlife. They’re included among animals like camels, cows, and rabbits in some databases.
But there are important caveats:
- There’s no official confirmation of where cats spawn in the world or what their behavior patterns are in Early Access.
- There’s no evidence yet of interactive taming or pet bond mechanics specific to cats in gameplay.
So while they might exist behind the scenes or spawn in certain biomes, there’s no built-in way for a player to own a cat as a pet yet.
Why you can’t tame cats (or any animal) yet
The current lack of pet mechanics is intentional: the developers focused Early Access on the core gameplay systems, leaving deeper features like taming, pets, and fishing for later content updates. The official Hytale FAQ confirms that pets and animal taming are planned but weren’t ready for the Early Access launch.
This doesn’t mean the idea has been dropped — just that it’s still in development.
Mods and Custom Servers
Some community mods already introduce pet-like behavior for animals including cats, by giving them follower behavior or leash mechanics. These are unofficial mods and not part of the vanilla game. They only work on servers or setups that support mods.
Looking to the Future
According to official sources, pet systems and animal taming are planned and expected in future updates. This could eventually include:
- Permanent pets that follow the player
- Commands like sit, stay, or guard
- Naming pets and interacting with them more deeply
- Possibly breeding and care systems
Cats are widely expected to be part of that system once pets are fully implemented.
So, Can you get a Cat in Hytale?
Right now, the answer is no — you cannot tame or own a cat in Hytale’s Early Access version.
Cats may appear as animals in the world, but without the taming or pet ownership mechanics implemented yet, they cannot become companions. Animal interaction is currently limited to luring, capturing, and temporary behavior influence, not true pet systems. Those deeper mechanics are planned for future updates, so cats may become permanent pets later on.
