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Contributors: Simserasera (Veterinary Career), Scarlet (Testing and Info Gathering), and Alexis of SimsVIP.

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Create a variety of cats and dogs, add them to your Sims’ homes to forever change their lives and care for neighborhood pets as a veterinarian with The Sims™ 4 Cats & Dogs. The powerful new Create A Pet tool lets you personalize cats and dogs, each with their own unique appearances, distinct behaviors, and for the first time, expressive outfits!

These wonderful, lifelong companions will change your Sims’ lives in new and special ways. Treat animal ailments as a veterinarian and run your own clinic in a beautiful coastal world where there’s so much for your Sims and their pets to discover.

Click Here To Purchase The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs

Aspirations

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack adds one new Aspiration available for selection in Create-a-Sim. This aspiration grants Sims both a reward trait and bonus trait.

Sim Traits

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack adds four brand new traits for Sims. Two of these traits are reward/bonus traits for selecting and completing the new game aspiration.

Achievements

There are three brand new Achievements available with The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs. When completing certain actions within your game, you can unlock special badges and collect gamer points. To learn more about achievements in The Sims 4, check out our full list of The Sims 4 Achievements.

Create A Sim Fashions

Female Adult/Teen/Elder – 15 Hairstyles, 10 Tops, 5 Bottoms, 8 Outfits, 2 Pairs of Shoes, 4 Accessories
Female Children – 1 Hairstyle, 3 Tops, 1 Bottom, 1 Outfit, 3 Pairs of Shoes
Female Toddler – 1 Top, 1 Outfit
Male Adult/Teen/Elder – 11 Hairstyles, 1 Facial Hair, 15 Tops, 5 Bottoms, 1 Outfit, 1 Pair of Shoes, 2 Accessories
Male Children – 1 Hairstyle, 4 Tops, 2 Outfits, 2 Pairs of Shoes
Male Toddler – 1 Top, 1 Outfit

Hairstyles

Clothing

Facial Hair/Shoes/Accessories

New Game Additions

This section includes details of the new gameplayfree available with The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs. Images have been sized down in most cases, so click the images for a larger view.

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds the new “Singer-Songwriter” music genre to the game. You can listen to the new music and stations in game via the stereo and speaker systems.

Club Requirements

If you own The Sims 4 Get Together Expansion Pack, you will receive four new Club Requirements with The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs. “Dog Lover”, “Cat Lover”, “Pet Training” and “Veterinarian” are the new type of trait and skill requirements available.

Canvas Paintings

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds new Canvas Paintings for Sims who are working to increase their Painting Skill. The following list of printings have been added to the easel:

Simstagram

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds the new “Simstagram” Social Media to the game. This feature is specific to Pets, and helps Sims increase their Photography Skill. The Photography Skill is now a Base Game feature, and does not require The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion Pack.

Simstagram is a Pet only feature that allows Pets to become famous on social media, and receive rewards for their celebrity status. Additionally, Simstagram is tied to the new Game Achievements that were added with the expansion pack.

❗ Use a cell phone or click on a pet to use the Simstagram feature.
❗ To check how many Simstagram followers a pet has, use the computer and select the “Social Networking” option.
❗ Simstagram photos will be placed in a Sim’s inventory.

Each photo taken of a pet will increase their following on Simstagram. Once a pet reaches 25, 250, and 1500 followers, they will receive free gifts or exafor gaining celebrity status. Rewards include toys, pet beds, and automatic pet feeders.

Sims 4 Dog Scared Of Everything

New Recipes

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds 4 brand new “Food Stall” recipes for Sims to learn. These recipes can be purchased at any of the new public food stalls that come with the game.

These recipes work similar to a skill, where they must be eaten to be learned, and learned in order to prepare them at home. When ordering and eating these food dishes from a food stall, Sims will automatically learn the recipe. The following recipes have been added:

Pet Recipes

In addition to the new “Sim” recipes that have been added, there are now 4 new recipes available for Pets as well. Pets can eat any food in the game, but these are specifically tied to the Gourmet Cooking and Homestyle Cooking Skills for Sims.

❗ Sims must use the new “Cook Homestyle Pet Recipe” and “Cook Gourmet Pet Recipe” options on stoves and refrigerators to cook the new pet recipes.

Sims must have at least a Level 2 in the Homestyle Cooking and Gourmet Cooking Skills to cook these recipes at home. Sims can also eat the new Pet Recipes, but will receive a 2hr Uncomfortable (+1) moodlet. The following Pet Recipes have been added:

Pet Drinks

Sims who have at least a level 2 in the Mixology Skill can create a special concoction at the bar for their furry friends. Sims will place it down for the pet, or call a pet to drink it.

Veterinarian Skill

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs the all-new Veterinary Skill. Sims can master the Vet Skill on the Crafting Machine or by Examining Pets using Veterinary equipment. Leveling up in the Vet Skill will reward Sims with new objects, interactions, and actions. Sims with a higher Vet Skill will also be better at diagnosing and treating pets.

• Vet Skill Level 1 – This Sim’s new skill in the veterinary sciences allow them to treat pets using specialized vet equipment like the exam table or surgery station. Level up this skill by treating more animals!

• Vet Skill Level 2 – This Sim has unlocked an adorable pair of pet-themed mailboxes! They can now craft Swampwater Taffy and Cooler than Liquid Nitrogen Nutrition Bar at the Medicine Crafting Table. This Sim has also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 3 – This Sim can now craft Scorching Cinnamon Chew at the Medicine Crafting Table! They have also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 4 – This Sim can now administer Feelgood Serum as a treatment at the Exam Table! They can also now craft The Stinkinator at the Medicine Crafting Table. Last, but not least, they have also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 5 – This Sim has earned 400 of Perk Points! They are now able to Soothe Pets at the Exam Table, and craft Wellness Treats at the Medicine Crafting Table. Last, but not least, they have also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 6 – This Sim can now craft Age-Up and Age-Down treats at the Medicine Crafting Table. How magical! They have also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 7 – This Sim can now craft the Poop Randomizer treat at the Medicine Crafting Table. You read that right—it’s a treat that makes a pet’s poop…something else. They have also unlocked a cute pet-themed wall decal!

• Vet Skill Level 8 – This Sim has unlocked a cute pet decal to decorate their Vet Clinic with!

• Vet Skill Level 9 – This Sim has received 900 perk points for their Vet Clinic, and can now perform the Lubricate Tailwagger Joint surgery!

• Vet Skill Level 10 – This Sim has reached the pinnacle of veterinary practice! They are now able to craft the Ambrosia Treat at the Medicine Crafting Table which can be used to bring pets back to life! Also, enjoy an exclusive new door for the Vet Clinic!

Pet Training Skill

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs includes the all-new Pet Training Skill. Sims can master the Pet Training Skill by using the “Training” Interaction on Dogs, “Running” the obstacle course objects with any pet, or “Commanding” a pet use the obstacle course objects.

Leveling up in the Pet Training Skill allows Sims to teach dogs a variety of commands and tricks. Sims with a higher Pet Training Skill will also increase the chance of their pet receiving a Gold Medal through the obstacle course with no faults.

• Pet Training Skill Level 1 – This Sim has acquired the Pet training Skill. They will be able to train dogs to Sit, Speak, Fetch, Roll Over, and Lie Down, ands show off their pet to other Sims.

• Pet Training Skill Level 2 – This Sim is now level 2 Pet Training and can teach their dog to Heel, Shake, and Play Dead. Don’t forget to take the time to Practice Tricks.

• Pet Training Skill Level 3 – This Sim has reached level 3 of the Pet Training Skill. They are now able to send their dog to explore.

• Pet Training Skill Level 4 – By reaching level 4 of the Pet Training Skill, this Sim is able to Show off Pet Tricks and command their dog to Attack.

• Pet Training Skill Level 5 – At the highest level of the Pet Training skill, this Sim can have their dog Perform Tricks for passing Sims, and will be able to teach tricks to dogs faster.

Collectibles and Harvestables

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs includes the brand new “Feathers” collection, and adds new “Catnip” harvestables to the game. Below is a list of all collectibles and harvestables, where they are found, and how to find them.

Feathers

Feathers are a new collectible acquired by Commanding Pets to Chase flocks of birds around the world, or having pets explore bushes around Brindleton Bay. These special bushes have “Paw Print” leaves, and are filled with skunks, squirrels, and other birds.

❗ Pets can be bit by squirrels and sprayed by skunks when exploring bushes. Sometimes this will cause them to get sick enough to require a visit to the Vet Clinic.

When successful, Pets will exit the bush with a “Pile of Feathers” that Sims can put in their inventory or open. Opening these feather piles will yield feathers that Sims can collect in order to complete their collection. The following feathers are up for grabs:

Once a Sim has collected all 12 feathers in the collection, click on any of the feathers in their inventory to “Assemble Into Bird Sculpture”. This will craft and place a special statue into your Sims inventory that they can place anywhere in their home.

If the statue is not what Sims are looking to add to their home, or they have some spare feathers left over, Sims can pull the feathers out of their inventory and place them on the wall as decor. Each feather has its own special plaque.

Catnip Herbs

Catnip Herbs are a new harvestable found in the neighborhoods of Brindleton Bay. Sims can acquire them by harvesting plants in the world, or by ordering a “Catnip Herb Packet” via the computer. Sims can open the packet to collect all 4 herbs right away.

❗ The Catnip harvestables do not count towards the Gardening Collection. Instead, harvested Catnip Herbs activates a special “Give Catnip Treat” interaction.

Giving Catnip Herbs to cats will affect their mood and behavior. For example, giving a cat Madnip will enrage them to the point that they will start attacking and scratching nearby Sims. The effects of Catnip Herbs last 4 hours.

Mystery Boxes

When pets aren’t lounging around and eating all day, they are great at exploring the world and searching for collectibles and mystery boxes. There are two ways to direct pets to head out and explore the world, both of which require a level 3 in the Pet Training Skill.

The first exploration option is found by clicking on the “Send Hunting” interaction on Dogs with “Hunter Trait”. Doing so will automatically send dogs out of the house in search of a mystery box. These mystery boxes contain various items and collectibles from the game.

The second exploration option is found by clicking on piles of dirt, sand, fish, and bushes around the world, and use the “Send Pet to Explore” interaction. This sends pets out to explore those areas for mystery boxes and feather collectibles. As a note, exploring is an interaction that is exclusive to dogs, with the exception that cats are able to explore bushes for feathers.

❗ Hunting and digging makes dogs very dirty. Be sure to have a bathtub at home to clean them after they explore the outdoors.

Crafting Table & Crafts

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds a new interactive Crafting Table object that allows Sims to craft a variety of different items. This table is tied to the Veterinary Skill, so leveling up in the Vet Skill unlocks new craftable items and categories. Items include Surgery Station crafts, Exam Table crafts, and Pet Treats. Craft Tables can be purchased in buy mode.

There are three Surgery Station and Exam Table crafts, all of which help Veterinarian Sims calm the stress levels of Pets when performing scans and exams. The rest of the crafts fall under the “Pet Treats” category. Increasing the Vet Skill will unlock new treat variations Sims can give to pets or sell via the vending machine in a Vet Clinic.

❗ Pets who are wearing the “Cone of Shame” cannot ingest pet treats.

❗ Kittens and Puppies can only be given the Age-Up treat.

Repairing Furniture

Failing to add a scratch post to a home with Cats will result in furniture being destroyed. Unless you discourage cats from scratching the furniture, they will rip through the fabric of most chairs, sofas, bookcases, and anything else they can get their claws on.

Once the furniture starts showing the wear and tear of cat scratches, Sims have the option to “Fix Scratches” when clicking on the furniture. The cost to fix the scratches will equals half the price the item would cost if it was purchased new in buy mode.

Cats & Dogs Intro

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack adds pet cats and dogs to the game. Aside from finding stray pets roaming the town and adopting them in-game, players can also use the new “Create-an-Pet” feature in CAS to create and customize pets right from the start.

Just like human Sims, pets of any age group can be created and customized from head-to-toe. However, this expansion has added a full blown customization and a color wheel tool to give players even more options when creating their pets. Pets have their own unique set of traits, clothing, accessories, fur types, and an elaborate paint mode.

Pets can be added to any household via Create-a-Sim, but you are not able to play as a pet only household. If you want to add a pet to a active household already in game, just head into Create-a-Pet, make the pets you want to add, and save them to your library. The game allows you to remove and delete Sims in Create-a-Sim and save a pet only household, this way you can add them directly to a current save by clicking the gallery icon.

Pets and Sims share the same aging and life span settings, so whatever setting you have set for your Sims will also apply to cats & dogs. If left to naturally age, pets will pass on as elders. Life spans for pets vary based on their age, and are determined based on the aging setting you choose for Sims and Pets. Their lifespans are as follows:

Kittens/Puppies – 2 days (Short), 3 days (Normal), 12 days (Long)

Adult Cats/Dogs – 12 days (Short), 25 days (Normal), 96 days (Long)

Elder Pets – Varies from pet to pet

Pets are a big responsibility, but are definitely less complex than Sims. With basic needs that are easily kept in the green, as long as you feed them, pet them, love them, and give them a warm place to sleep, they’ll be as happy as can be.

Pets are non-playable characters in the game, so all interactions are done through the Sims themselves. Using the all-new “Pet Care” category will help with making sure pets are as content as possible. Pets have a smaller emotional scale than Sims, but pets cycle through many of the emotions that Sims cycle through. Angry, Anxious, Ashamed, Drowsy, Flirty, Happy, Hyper, Mopey, Sad, and Scared, are some of the emotions that pets experience.

Cats and Dogs will be fine most of the time, but sometimes they become uncomfortable due to an illness or improper care. This means they need something. Clicking on them and asking them “What’s Wrong” will help Sims know what they need. Thought bubbles above their heads will indicate what it is that they need fixed. This section of the guide contains all the information you need to make life with pets a reality in your game.

Create-a-Pet

One of the many ways to add pets to your household is to create them directly through the Create-a-Sim function. When selecting the + button to create and add a new member to your household, you will now see a special “Add Pet” option. This will then branch out into three options: Create a Cat, Create a Dog, or Make a Mix Breed.

Each of the options will open up Create-a-Pet. This will allow you to create a Cat or Dog with even more options and customization available to you. In this section we will go over everything related to Create-a-Pet and the different options available to you.

Creating a Pet (Basics)

Creating a pet in The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs is similar to creating a Sim or occult. Once you’ve selected a pet to create, there is some basic customization available in the upper left hand corner for you to change to your liking. This is a great place to start if you want to select an age group and customize a pet’s personality right off the bat.

In this section of Create-a-Pet you can can customize the following:

• Name – Randomize or type in your own names for Pets. Pets can be added to the game, with just a first name, so last names are optional and not required.
• Gender – Select a male or female pet.
• Reproduction Options – Right beneath the gender selection is a set of ellipsis (…) that bring up additional options for pets. From this section choose between “Natural” or “Fixed” to decide whether or not you want a pet to reproduce. Regardless of what you choose, pets can always be spayed/neutered and un-spayed/un-neutered by visiting a Vet Clinic in the game.
• Age – To the right of gender selection are age groups. You can create Kittens/Puppies, Adults, or Elder pets right in Create-a-Pet.
• Voice Type – Beneath age group selection is Voice Type. Depending on the age of the pet you are creating, a variety of options will be available. From there you can also edit the pitch of the voice by dragging the circular button left to right. The Raccoon (Cat) & Fox (Dog) breeds have a special voice type that can be used by all pets.
• Relationships – To the right of voice types is the household relationships panel. Unless you’re creating offspring, Sims and Pets will be “roommates” by default and cannot be changed. When choosing to play with Genetics, you can set created pets as parents, siblings, or roommates.
• Breed Name – Below voice types is the Breed Name section. If you choose a specific pet breed from the list of breeds, this area will display the name of that breed by default. If you use the breed mixer to combine two breeds together, the game will automatically assign “Mixed Breed” as the default breed. By clicking on the breed name section, you can change the name displayed there at any time no matter what pet breed you select.
• Trait Selection – Right beneath the breed name is the Trait Selection Panel. By default, the game will assign a breed-specific trait when selecting default breeds, but you are able to delete, change, and assign up to three traits for each pet. Pets are only required to have at least one trait in order to be added to a household.

Pet Traits

When creating Pets in Create-a-Sim, breeds will be assigned one trait that best fits their “real life” behavior. The trait is not permanent and can be changed to any of the available traits instead. When creating pets in Create-a-Sim, Cats & Dogs are required to have at least one trait in order to be created and saved. Pets are allowed up to three traits total.

Pet traits will shape the behavior of a pet. Lazy pets will tend sleep more than others, and vocal pets will howl and yowl more often. Each trait assigns a specific set of behaviors to a pet that come to life when playing with them in the game. When you select traits for pets in Create-a-Pet, you cannot change them unless you cheat to enter Create-a-Sim.

Below is a complete list of Pets traits available for pets of all ages. Included are descriptions and conflicts that occur between multiple traits.

Cats Traits & Descriptions

Dog Traits & Descriptions

Creating a Pet (Customization)

Now that you understand the basics of Create-a-Pet, it’s time to jump into the depths of customization. The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion pack re-introduces the color wheel for pet creation, and adds a variety of style options when creating unique pets.

First things first. Just like in Create-a-Sim, you can randomize a pet using the randomize button located at the bottom of the UI. This allows you to randomize an entire pet, or filter out specific parts of the pet you want to keep or change.

If you would rather fully customize your pet, there are a number of options for you to use to create a unique pet. Regardless of their age, additional customization tools are available when clicking on the head or body of a pet. Create-a-Pet even includes a “Detail Edit Mode” that allows for up close and in-depth customization. Let’s start with breed selection.

Breed Selection

If randomizing a pet is not for you, then it’s time to pick and choose a specific breed and customize it. Clicking a pet’s body will open up the main customization features of Create-a-Pet. The paw print button on the top right is the Breed Selector.

Whether you’ve chosen a Cat or Dog, the breed selector allows you to type and search for breeds, or use the available filters to narrow down the type of breed you’re looking for.

If searching and filtering isn’t what you had in mind, just scroll down the list of breeds and choose your favorite. There are over 170 breeds of Cats & Dogs in the game, so you are most likely going to find what you’re looking for.

As you scroll through the different types of breeds, you may notice that almost all breeds have multiple small circles beneath their icons. These are the breed color variations.

The game includes different styles of each breed to coincide with the most common colors these breeds have in real life. Are you looking for a Dalmatian with extra spots, or a Panda colored Chow Chow? The options are there.

❗ Cats & Dogs have a special breed type included in the game. Raccoons and Foxes are included in the game and have special voice styles to match. These animals behave just like their parent species, and only their looks differ.

Breed Mixer

If the breed you’re looking for is not on the list and you want to create your own custom breed, the Breed Mixer tool is perfect for throwing together different breeds with unique results. The Breed Mixer can be accessed via “Add Sim” or beneath pet breeds.

Now if selecting a default breed is all you want, you’re done. However, if you prefer to fully customize the breed you selected, you have even more options available to you.

Body Customization

Clicking the body of a pet will open up a whole new set of customization tools. In this section of Create-a-Pet you will find the following options:

• Poses – At the top of the screen you will find 4 different poses for each pet. These poses allow for better customization at different angles.

• Weight and Muscle Sliders – The sliders to the left of the pet allow you to set weight and muscle range.

• Fur/Body Customization – For even more customization, use the buttons on the right of the pet to pick and choose from a variety of pre-set body features. The following options are available: Body, Tails, Coat Color/Pattern, Furs, and Clothing.

❗ NOTE: Body and Clothing options are only available for Adult/Elder Pets.

The Coat/Color Pattern option is a quick and easy way to switch up the “norm” as it relates to a default pet color. Want a German Shepherd with the markings of a Dalmatian? Done.

This feature allows you to switch up coat colors and patterns without having to change the selected breed. There’s even some non-traditional patterns included here as well.

Lastly, just as you can push and pull a Sim’s features to further customize them to your liking, the same can be done with pets. Use the mouse to hover over different areas of a pet’s entire body to manipulate features as you see fit. Sections that can be manipulated will display a glowing grid. Even their paw size can be changed!

Facial Customization

When clicking the head of a pet, the camera will zoom into their facial area. In this section of Create-a-Pet you will find the following options:

• Poses – At the top of the screen you will find 4 different poses for each pet. These poses allow for better customization at different angles.

• Detail Edit Mode – This mode will zoom the camera closer to a pet’s face to allow for very detailed customization on the following: Ear Tips, Ear Base, Forehead, Eyebrows, Eyelids, Cheeks, Snout, Nose, and Lips. You can also rotate a pet to get a better view.

• Facial Feature Customization – For even more customization, use the buttons on the right of the pet to pick and choose from a variety of pre-set facial features. The following options are available: Head Shape, Ears, Nose, Eyes, and Whiskers (Cats).

In addition to customizing the aforementioned features of a pet, heterochromia is another feature available when selecting and customizing eyes and eye color. Uncheck the “Match Eye Colors” option and select each of the eyes to apply a different color.

Lastly, just as you can push and pull a Sim’s features to further customize them to your liking, the same can be done with pets. Use the mouse to hover over different areas of a pet’s head and face to manipulate features as you see fit. Sections that can be manipulated will display a glowing grid. Even their pupils can be manipulated!

Paint Mode

When using the basic customization options are just not enough, Paint Mode comes to the rescue. This feature is an advanced create-a-style free paint mode that allows you to paint, stencil, stamp, and customize pets down to their paw pads!

Sims 4 Dog Scared Hair

Clicking the Paint Mode button in Create-a-Pet opens a whole new customization panel. The Painting Panel gives you a set of base color swatches, as well as a color wheel to customize the colors of your paintbrush exactly how you want to.

Paint Mode has a set of tools to use when painting. The eyedropper allows you to copy a specific color from your pet, the paint bucket allows you to fill the entire pet with a single color, and the eraser tool allows you to remove any mistakes. There’s even an option to adjust the opacity of your paintbrush to help with blending.

Below the color wheel is the library of paintbrushes, stamps, and stencils. To give you more customization with this, paint mode also has size and rotation sliders. You can even choose whether or not you want Mirror Painting on or off.

❗ Use the following hot keys to quickly switch between paint mode functions

• Paintbrush – P
• Eraser – R
• Eyedropper – E
• Fill Color – K
• Mirror Painting – M
• Brush Size – [ and ]
• Brush Rotation – ; and ‘

Playing with Genetics

If you want to start off the game and give your pets a sibling, child, or parent, the Genetics feature allows you to create additional pets with the click of a few buttons. Click the “Play with Genetics” option when adding a new Sim to customize.

❗ NOTE: You are only allowed to have a total of 8 Sims/Pets in your household. Any additional pets added to your household will take up one of those slots.

Pet Clothing and Accessories

Once you have finalized breeds, colors, fur and body types, you can add one final touch to make a pet unique: Clothing and Accessories. Clothing is available only to Adult Pets, and you are able to create up to 5 different “Everyday” outfits to rotate through.

❗ Small Dogs and Large Dogs have different selections of clothing due to their size. Additionally, Dogs have a special “Walking” outfit category that allows you to choose a special collar for them to wear when their owners take them for walks.

Adoption and Stray Pets

If you’re not sure whether or not you want to add a pet to your Sim’s household right off the bat, rest easy knowing that they will always have the option to adopt. There are four ways Sims can adopt pets and add them to their household:

• Adopt via Computer (§200) – Sims can use their computer to adopt a pet via the “Adopt” interactions under the “Household” category.

• Adopt via Cell Phone (§200) – Sims can use their cell phones to adopt a pet via the “Hire Services” option available under the “Household” tab.

• Adopt a Stray (FREE) – Sims will occasionally run into stray pets around the world. Sims and pets with a relationship level of at least “Friends”, can use the “Adopt” interaction to officially adopt the pet and add them to their household.

• Adopt a Ghost Pet (FREE) – Sims and pets with a relationship level of at least “Good Friends”, can use the “Invite to Household” interaction to ghost pets to the current household.

When choosing to Adopt a pet via cell phone or computer, an information panel with all the available pets that are up for adoption will be displayed. Here you can hover over the pet photos to view their name, breed, age, gender, & whether or not they’re spayed/neutered.

Sims will participate in an “adoption evaluation” before they finalize the adoption, so they are able to select multiple pets from the adoption panel. This allows the adoption agency to bring more than one pet to the home for evaluation.

You’re allowed to bring up to 3 pets at a time for evaluation, but adopting them depends on how many available household slots are open. Pets take up one Sim slot, and with a limit of 8 Sims and pets per household, this affects how many pets you can adopt.

Pets will arrive with the adoption services and be released from a pet carrier. At this time Sims can choose to interact with the pets, or adopt them straight away. Clicking a pet will display an “Adopt” interaction that allows Sims to name and enjoy their new pet!

When multiple pets are brought to the home for evaluation, only those that a Sim adopts will remain in the household. The rest will be taken away and put back up for adoption.

Caring for Pets

Pets are a big responsibility, but are definitely less complex than Sims. With basic needs that are easily kept in the green, as long as you feed them, pet them, love them, and give them a warm place to sleep, they are as happy as can be.

❗ Sims earn Satisfaction Points when caring for pets with certain traits, or achieving the companions friendship level. Use the “Feel the Love” interaction to gain 100 – 250 points. Interacting with Affectionate Cats and Loyal Dogs will bring up this option.

Pets are non-playable characters in the game, which means they also do not have any of the dedicated UI panel info that you see with Sims. Knowing how to properly care for pets is highly dependent on interacting with them and making sure their basic needs are met.

Sometimes pets will need something and become visibly uncomfortable. Clicking on a pet and using the “What’s Wrong” interaction will give Sims an idea of what they need. Thought bubbles above a pet’s heads will indicate what is needed to make them happy. Additionally, pay attention to random notifications that pop up from time to time.

Pets have the following needs/motives:

• Play – This need can be met by using the available pet interactions, or by purchasing toys for them to play with on their own. Dogs can also fill this need by going for walks with their owners.

• Energy – This need can be met by purchasing any of the pet beds in buy mode, or by making sure you have enough couches/beds/cat condos around the house for pets to get some rest.

• Hygiene – This need can be met by making sure the environment is clean, and bathing dogs when they get dirty. Cats will typically groom themselves to keep clean.

• Hunger – This need can be met by making sure to purchase pet bowls and filling them up with food. Additionally, Sims can learn to cook gourmet pet food for their pets, or give them treats.

• Bowel/Bladder – This need can be met by making sure to leave a litter box out for the cats, and directing dogs to go outside to potty. Eventually, dogs will learn to go out on their own.

• Affection – This need can be met by giving attention to your pets. Pet them, Pamper them, Hug them, Brush them, etc. Dogs can also fill this need by going for walks with their owners.

Sims can interact with pets using the “Friendly”, “Mean”, or “Pet Care” socials. Interactions here will rotate depending on emotional states, traits, and other factors. For example, Sims who interact with dogs who have the Active trait, will be able to “Roughhouse” with them.

Pets have a smaller emotional scale than Sims, but pets experience many of the emotions that Sims cycle through. Angry, Anxious, Ashamed, Drowsy, Flirty, Happy, Hyper, Mopey, Sad, and Scared, are some of the emotions that pets experience.

Caring for pets is extremely easy for Sims who are willing to take on the responsibility of being a pet owner. However, Sims who neglect to feed their pets for a long period of time will lose possession of the pet to social services. It takes a lot of neglect to get to this point, so make sure to always keep a few extra bowls of food around the house.

Obsessions & Fears

Even with carefully selected traits and a perfectly customized coat, pets will always have a unique personality beyond what can be customized in Create-a-Pet. Obsessions and Fears are quirks that act as hidden traits and further shape a pet’s behavior.

Cats & Dogs will be obsessed or fearful of certain objects and actions in the game. Pets will be visibly scared and shaking when encountering something they fear, and be visibly happy and excitable when encountering something they like. No two pets are alike, but the traits you choose for them will play a role in what quirks they inherit.

Pets can become fearful and obsessed with the following:

• Coffee Maker
• Computer
• Cooking
• Dishwasher
• Fireplace
• Fish Tanks (Obsession)
• Fitness Equipment
• Fridge
• Gaming
• Guests
• Instrument
• Microwave
• Robot Vacuum
• Shower
• Stereo
• Stove (Fear)
• Swimming (Dogs)
• Toilet
• TV

Behavior & Discipline

Observing and disciplining the different behaviors of pets is an important part of living with them. Naturally, pets tend to be curious creatures who will push buttons to see what they can get away with before consequences set in.

From jumping on counters, to barking and eating trash, pets will eventually behave in a way that makes you go “huh?”. Fortunately, these types of behaviors can be disciplined (or not) and pets can be trained to avoid certain actions. Pets who are regularly disciplined by Sims will eventually cease doing whatever it is they’ve done wrong.

The following is a list of actions that prompt discipline:

• Playing in Puddles (Dogs)
• Eating Poop (Dogs)
• Drinking from the Toilet (Dogs)
• Barking (Dogs)
• Scratching Furniture (Cats)
• Jumping/Leaning up on Counters
• Relieving Bowel/Bladder
• Begging for Food
• Waking up Sims
• Chasing Other Pets
• Eating Trash/Barf
• Drinking from Puddles
• Attacking Other Pets
• Eat Human Food
• Playing in Trash/Barf

As time goes on, Sims who encourage/discourage certain actions and behaviors will notice their pets complying. Dogs who are taught to go outside to relieve their bladder eventually learn to go outside and do it on their own. Just make sure Sims are prepared to clean up!

Exploring

When pets aren’t lounging around and eating all day, they are great for exploring the world and searching for collectibles and mystery boxes. There are two ways to direct pets to head out and explore the world, both of which require a level 3 in the Pet Training Skill.

The first exploration option is found by clicking on the “Send Hunting” interaction on Dogs with “Hunter Trait”. Doing so will automatically send dogs out of the house in search of a mystery box. These mystery boxes contain various items and collectibles from the game.

The second exploration option is found by clicking on piles of dirt, sand, fish, and bushes around the world, and use the “Send Pet to Explore” interaction. This sends pets out to explore those areas for mystery boxes and feather collectibles. As a note, exploring is an interaction that is exclusive to dogs, with the exception that cats are able to explore bushes for feathers.

❗ Hunting and digging makes dogs very dirty. Be sure to have a bathtub at home to clean them after they explore the outdoors.

In addition to exploring random oddities around the world, Sims can also command pets to chase down flocks of birds around the world. Successful chases will result in pets bringing back a pile of feathers. Sims can collect feathers to complete the feather collection.

Running Away

Taking care of pets is a huge responsibility, and it’s important for Sims to make sure pets are always close by and content. If a pet is not properly cared for, or does not maintain a good relationship with members of the household, they will run away.

❗ Running away is a temporary and random occurrence that requires certain triggers to occur in order to prompt the pet to leave on its own. Purposely starving or neglecting a pet will trigger social services who will take away the pet for good.

When a pet runs away from home, Sims in the household will become sad and receive a +2 permanent moodlet that sticks until the pet returns. There are numerous that trigger a pet to leave from home and run away. The following actions cause pets to run away:

• Free Spirit – Cats who have the Free Spirit Trait enjoy wondering around the world at random and will sometimes take off for a bit. Not to worry though, they will return.

• Adventurous – Dogs who have the Adventurous Trait will sometimes leave the house to go on solo adventures. Not to worry though, they too will return.

• Pet Fights – Sometimes pets in a household don’t get along at all. Pets who constantly argue and fight with each other will run away when they feel threatened.

• Negative Relationships – There’s a 20% chance pets will run away if a Sim to Pet relationship dips to “Despised” or “Disliked”.

• Needs/Motives – There’s a 20% chance pets will run away if the following need and motive triggers happen 3 or more times:

• Affection need is less than or equal to -80

• Play need is less than or equal to -75

When a pet runs away from home, there is nothing Sims can do to stop it. Pets will leave the home and head out into the world. If Sims decide to give their pet the space they need, pets will usually return home within 3 days. If they want to speed up the amount of time it takes for a pet to return, they can post a social media alert via their cell phone.

An alert will help speed up the time it takes for a pet to return. Once they return Sims can use the “Welcome Home” social to express their excitement. Pets who return home also have a chance of returning, dirty, filthy, or pregnant.

❗ Cats with the Free Spirit Trait and Dogs with the Adventurous trait are most likely to return home pregnant.

Female pets who are not spayed might return home with a furball in the oven. When they give birth, Sims can keep the babies, or sell them via the cell phone. Pets who come back with an illness should be taken to the vet for treatment as soon as possible.

Trips to the Vet Clinic

An important aspect of being a responsible pet owner is making sure your furry friends are happy and healthy. To help with the latter, you can now visit a local Vet Clinic for all your pet’s medical needs!

Examinations and Treatments

Has your loyal companion been looking a little blue lately? Have their nose or toes started glowing bright red? Have no fear! Your local Veterinarian is here to take care of your furry friends! Whether your pet is sick or just overdue for a checkup, you can visit the Vet Clinic and schedule an examination.

When arriving to the local Vet Clinic, locate the Vet Podium and select your reason for visiting. Depending on your pet’s condition you’ll be able “Sign in” for: Checkup, Cure an Illness, Spay/Neuter, or Unspay/Unneuter. You can only sign in one pet at a time, so if you brought multiple pets to the Vet, you’ll have to wait for the first appointment to conclude before signing in additional pets.

Once you have checked in, the next available Veterinarian will assist you. You can monitor the progress of your Pet’s exam in the top left hand corner. When you finish checking in this progress bar will appear. The current step will appear highlighted green at the top of that list and will disappear from the list once it has been completed.

The first item on the list will be “Wait for Vet.” Depending on how busy the Clinic is, you may have to wait a bit for your appointment. Once you have been greeted by the Veterinarian your pet will follow them to an available examination table. “Get Pet Examined” will move to the top of the progress menu. Once your pet has climbed onto the examination table, the Vet will preform different exams to look for symptoms and determine a diagnosis. For more information on the different exams, symptoms, and illnesses, check out the Veterinary Career section of the guide.

When the Vet is certain of their diagnosis, “Receive Treatment” will move to the top of the progress menu and a message from the Vet will pop up. This will tell you their diagnosis and give you three treatment options. You can choose to decline treatment since like with people, illnesses will eventually get better on their own. However, without treatment your pet will remain sick until enough time has passed.

The remaining options are for the “Basic Treatment” or the “Expensive Treatment.” The main difference (besides the obvious price difference) is that Basic Treatment gives a pet the Cone of Shame for several hours. With a name like “Cone of Shame” you can’t expect your pet will not be happy about this. While wearing the cone they will be in a bit of an unhappy mood, not so secretly resenting you for being cheap. Don’t worry, after a few hours you’ll be able to remove the cone and earn your pet’s forgiveness.

With a Pet Checkup, the Veterinarian will give your pet a quick exam and determine they are totally healthy. You will then have two treatment options. You can “Decline Treatment” and take your healthy pet home. The other option is a “Preventative Shot” which will prevent your pet from getting sick in the near future.

Spaying and Neutering

Through the amazing advances in technology, you not only can Spay/Neuter your pets, but also Unspay/Unneuter them! So if you want to make Bob Barker proud by Spaying and Neutering your pets, a Veterinarian can use the Surgery Machine to fix your pet. If you ever change your mind and want your pet to have a litter of puppies or kittens, you can always return to the Vet Clinic for the Unspay/Unneuter surgery. As with any surgery, your pet will have to wear the Cone of Shame for a few hours following the procedure.

Buying Treats

While at the Vet Clinic, check out the Medicine Vending Machine. Here you can choose to “Purchase Vet Items” like different treats that have a wide array of effects from strange bowel movements, to resurrecting the dead. Once you have purchased a treat they will appear in your inventory. To feed it to your pet you can select your pet and the option “Give Vet Treat.” See the Crafts section of the guide for more info on treats.

Breeding and Selling Pets

When it’s time to add new fur members to your household, Sims can encourage two pets who are not neutered/spayed to mate. This is done by having a friendly relationship with a pet and using the “Encourage to Mate” interaction under the friendly social.

❗ Large and small dogs can mate with each other despite their differences in size.

❗ Two pets of different breeds are able to mate. The result is mixed breed offspring.

❗ An info panel will pop up with available pets in the area your pet can mate with.

When successful at encouraging a pet to mate, the active pet will head over to the target pet and begin mating with them. If successful, pets will lick each other and hearts will flow around the during their “woohoo” session. Not all encouragement is successful though. Pets who do not like each other will not mate and Sims will receive a 2 hour +1 Sad moodlet. Asking pets to be nice to one another may help in the long run.

Within a few minutes the game’s notification system will notify you if the pets are expecting kittens or puppies. The gestation period for a pet is about one “game” day, and during this time they will be visibly uncomfortable. Pet barf aside, once a pet goes into labor, they start panting and pacing. Labor can last up to 4 game hours before the babies are born.

❗ Pets can have up to 3 babies per litter. Each baby takes up 1 slot in the household.

As far as genetics are concerned, the offspring will inherit different features from each of the parents. Furbabies will sometimes inherit special customization and markings that you have added to pets, but there isn’t any genetic blending. In the image above you can see that the offspring inherited the fur markings of the Greyhound, and the face of the Boxer.

Encouraging pets to mate is the most common way to bring puppies and kittens into the world, but it isn’t the only way. Sometimes pets will become “friskier” than usual and mate on their own, or they might even run away and return with more than just a mystery box.

❗ Pets who are not “fixed” will sometimes go into heat. During this time they will yowl and howl for a mate. This is the best time to encourage them to mate with other pets.

Female pets who run away from home have a small chance of coming back home pregnant, depending on how long they go missing. Sims who immediately post alerts to social media via their cell phones have a better chance of bringing their pets home sooner, reducing the chances of their pets coming back pregnant.

❗ Cats with the Free Spirit Trait and Dogs with the Adventurous trait are most likely to return home pregnant.

Kittens and Puppies must be cared for streand have the same interactions with Sims that Sims have with adult pets. What happens if Sims cannot afford or bother with the extra responsibility though? That’s where selling pets comes into play.

Sims who do not have the room, do not want the responsibility, or want to be professional breeders, have the option to sell puppies and kittens via the “Hire Service” option on the cell phone. Sims can earn upwards of §500 simoleons selling furbabies.

❗ According to the game code, the base value for puppies/kittens is §50. This number gets multiplied for every positive/negative trait they possess, and multipliers suggest it should not be higher than §500. However, my Sims have received over §800 at times, and I’m not sure what plays a role in the higher prices. Still testing this.

Additionally, if you don’t want Sims to make any money this way, they can put up pets for adoption no matter their age. Keep in mind that Sims with the “Cat Lover” or “Dog Lover” traits will experience a bout of sadness when selling or giving up pets for adoption.

Pet Death

In The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs, there is only one way a pet can perish: Old Age. Pets and Sims share the same aging and life span settings, so whatever setting you have set for your Sims will also apply to cats & dogs. If left to naturally age, pets will pass on as elders.

Life spans for pets vary based on their age, and are determined based on the aging setting you choose for Sims and Pets. Their lifespans are as follows:

Kittens/Puppies – 2 days (Short), 3 days (Normal), 12 days (Long)

Adult Cats/Dogs – 12 days (Short), 25 days (Normal), 96 days (Long)

Elder Pets – Varies from pet to pet

Unfortunately, Sims are not able to plead with the Grim Reaper in order to spare their pet’s life, so you will not be able to prevent the death of a pet when Grim is on the lot. Once a Pet passes on, they will receive a special Urn/Tombstone marked for Cats or Dogs.

❗ Due to the culling system recently implemented to the game, to ensure that the ghost of a pet returns to “haunt” Sims, they should use the “Strengthen Connection to Physical World” option on the tombstone/urn in order to secure their relationship with the pet.

Ghost Pets

Pets who have passed on will eventually come out from their graves to visit Sims in their ghostly form. Sims will have all the same social interactions they did when the pets were alive, and can even add them back into the household.

Sims and pets with a relationship level of at least “Good Friends”, can use the “Invite to Household” interaction to add them to the current household as a ghost pet. Additionally, Sims who have crafted or purchased the Ambrosia treat can give it to their pets to bring them back to life. This will automatically add the pet to the household as an elder.

❗ The Ambrosia Treat can be purchased at any Vet Clinic for §2,500 Simoleons, or crafted on the crafting table by Sims who have a Level 10 in the Veterinary Skill.

Even though a pet can be brought back to life, the inevitable is bound to happen again. If you choose to play with aging turned on, consider crafting or purchasing the Age-Down treat to keep your furry loved ones alive fuuurever.

Pet Cemetery

Tucked away in a wooded area of the Deadgrass Isle Neighborhood is a special “Pet Cemetery” lot. This lot is not a functional cemetery lot you can edit, but is home to many of the world’s ghost pets after dark. Sims can visit this lot and interact with ghost pets.

Become a Veterinarian

One of the biggest game play features added with the Cats & Dogs expansion is the ability to run your own Vet Clinic. Owning this Business can be as hands on or as hands off as you’d like. You can choose to become a Veterinarian to treat patients and improve your own Veterinary skill. You can also choose to hire Veterinarians and grow your business as a manager. Or you can do both! First, let’s take a look at the business side of the Veterinary Career.

Building a Vet Clinic

Congratulations! You’re ready to open your first vet clinic. If you own the Get to Work expansion or Dine Out game pack, this process will look familiar. In the bottom right of your screen you’ll see a cash register icon. This opens your business management panel. If you own a retail store or restaurant you’ll find these here as well. Select the drop down menu and choose “Buy A Vet Clinic”. Next, select the vet clinic or empty lot you wish to purchase.

Your sim will now travel to the lot of your new clinic and you’ll be prompted to transfer funds to your new business. When you jump into build/buy mode any purchases will be deducted from these business funds. So if you’re designing your own clinic or downloading one from the gallery, you’ll want to make sure you transfer enough money to fund your new business venture.

Sims 4 Dog Fear

❗ You can view your current business funds and transfer funds any time in the Business management panel.

The lot only has three requirements: Exam Table, Vet Podium and Waste Disposal (a trash can). Additionally, there are three optional requirements which you’ll want to get once you have enough funds. These are the Surgery Station, Medicine Crafting Table and Medicine Vending Machine.

The Crafting table can be used to craft treats to sell in the Vending Machine. You can also craft medicines, like Catnip-Based Calming Agent, or select to “Do Lab Work” which can help improve your Veterinary Skill. The Surgery Station can be used to diagnosis and treat illnesses as well as Neuter/Spay pets. Surgery is required to treat some illnesses, and you can learn more about this in the Illnesses & Treatments section of the guide.

If your funds are limited you can also choose to purchase budget versions of most of the vet equipment. There is only one version of the Vet Podium, but the additional four new equipment items have two versions. The Dr. Budget-Bandage versions have the same functionality as the more expensive versions, but are aesthetically less appealing and give off an “Uncomfortable” moodlet to nearby Sims. The Dr. Magi-Heal versions look much nicer, but go for roughly twice the price.

Managing a Vet Clinic

If you select the cash register icon, a special tab will appear that contains everything you need to manage your business. In the drop down menu at the top you’ll see the name of your clinic which you can change in build/buy mode.

Use this drop down menu to navigate between your owned businesses or to purchase a new one. The icon to right of the drop down menu is your Vet Clinic settings. (If you are not currently on the lot you’ll see an airplane icon which you can click to travel to the clinic.) From the settings menu you can adjust the price markup of your services, change the supply quality (this option is locked until you purchase it for 500 perk points), select an advertising package, change employee uniforms, or sell your business. These settings will all have a major impact on how much money your Vet Clinic makes, and the ratings it receives.

Price Markup and Supply Quality

When you help patients, certain actions like standard treatments, scans, and surgeries, will cost money to perform. This cost will be determined by your Supply Quality. By default the supply quality is set to “standard” and you’ll need to purchase the “Unlock Vet Supply Quality” perk to change it. The three options are Black Market (-50%), Standard, or Premium (+50%).

When you have treated your patient, the pet owner will then pay you. The amount they pay is determined by the Price Markup. There are five options for Price Markup: 75%, 85%, 100%, 150% or 200%. The default this option will be set to is 100%.

You can calculate your profits for each patient by calculating the Price Markup minus the Supply Quality. Let’s look at a few examples. These values will be determined by the default settings for Price Markup (100%) and Supply Quality (Standard).

Patient A:
Examination at Exam Table: Free
Standard Treatment: $25
Pet Owner Billed: $125
Profit: $125 – $25 = $100

Patient B:
Examination at Exam Table: Free
Surgery: $50
Pet Owner Billed: $300
Profit: $300 – $50 = $250

Patient C:
Examination at Surgery Machine:
$20 per scan (2 scans: $40)
Surgery: $50
Pet Owner Billed: $300
Profit: $300 – $50 – $40 = $210

Advertising

Advertising will bring more customers to your Vet Clinic. You’ll want to make sure you have the staff and resources to meet this demand or you can hurt your clinic ratings and your profits. There are two advertising packages: Gold Package ($240/Day) and Platinum Package ($480/Day). This expense is subtracted from your daily profits and can add up quickly. Make sure to use it wisely.

There are less expensive options to increase traffic to your Vet Clinic as well. Purchasing the “Vet Rush” perk for 500 perk points will temporarily increase the number of patients to the Vet Clinic. You will also see a significant increase in traffic as your Clinic ratings improve.

Changing Employee Uniforms

All employees are Veterinarians, and while you can promote them to different levels (more of this later), you can only alter the employee uniform by gender. This is also how you alter your Sim’s Vet uniform. You can select one of the three preset styles for your staff by clicking on the style and highlighting your choice. You can also click the “Edit Outfit” icon/+ sign to go into to Create a Sim. Vet scrubs are seperates, so check Tops and Bottoms for matching pairs. Additionally, you can unlock the special Vet Coat by purchasing it for 5,000 perk points. You can find this in Create a Sim under Full Body>Sets.

Ratings and Reviews

The only true measure of success in business is customer satisfaction. A higher rating will bring in more patients and more profits. Nothing hurts the bottom line like bad reviews and ratings. Let’s go over keeping your patients happy and the business prospering.

Your customers will rate you on a scale of 1-5 stars, with 5 stars being the highest. Once they use the Vet Podium to check in you’ll see a star rating above the pet owners head. You may notice this number go up or down throughout their visit. The rating above their head when they leave your clinic is the only one that impacts your overall clinic rating. If you notice a customer’s rating drop, you can hover over them to see what you can do to improve it.

You can monitor your current rating from the business management panel. (If the stars even turn to a red-orange color this is an indication your rating is about to drop.) If you’d like more information on how to improve your ratings, you should first check the Shift Summary. This will tell you one area Customers feel you excelled, and two areas they feel could use improvement. If you don’t understand what any of the sections mean, you can hover over the icon for more details.

Let’s look at an example. In this Shift Summary, customers felt they most enjoyed the Value of Service. This refers to the Price Markup and Supply Quality. High price markups need to be paired with high supply or customers will review the clinic poorly.

The growth opportunities in this summary are Ambiance and Wait Time. Ambiance can refer to the quality of the furnishings in your clinic or the cleanliness of the clinic. Try spending more time cleaning or add decor items to improve the environment. Wait time is based on the length of time between when a patient checks in and when they are greeted by a Vet. If your wait time is too long, patients may walk out.

Long Distance Management

Once you have hired employees, you are no longer required to be present on the lot for your business to open. You can use the Business Management Panel to open and close you business, transfer funds, purchase perks, or view reports from anywhere. You do have to be present on the lot to adjust settings (like price markups) and to manage employees.

❗ The following images show the business management panel view when you are not on the Clinic lot. The Settings and Managing Employees menus are disabled.

Occasionally while you are away bad events may happen. You will be notified of these events and can travel to the Clinic to resolve them. If you purchase the ‘Well Managed’ perk, it will reduce the chances of these bad events from happening.

Selling Your Vet Clinic

If at any point you decide that you no longer enjoy managing a Clinic, or wish to build a new clinic at another location, you can choose to sell you clinic. Just like selling any other lot, the selling price is determined by the value of the lot and the furnishings in it. You’ll also get back any money you had in your business funds with the sale of your clinic.

To sell, simply open the settings menu and click the icon in the bottom left. It will ask you to confirm that you wish to sell. You can cancel the action or accept to receive your payout.

Managing Employees

As a small business owner, you can choose to run your clinic solo. You can treat patients, repair equipment, clean messes, and craft treats/medicines all by yourself. However, you may get to a point where you could use an extra hand around the clinic and choose to hire your first employee. Eventually, you may even get to the point where your employees do everything and you can just sit back and collect the profits.

❗ Household members can also work at a Vet Clinic without taking a salary. This is great for family members who want to share the responsibility of taking care of the Vet Clinic, while giving other members of the household a break

Hiring and Firing Employees

To hire your first employee, select the manage employees icon (the one that looks like a person with a wrench). You can hire a maximum of three employees and will see three empty slots. Initially, the second and third slot will be locked, allowing you to hire only one employee. You can unlock these slots and hire more employees by purchasing the “Additional Vet #1” and “Additional Vet #2” perks.

Below the three slots, you’ll see a selection of potential employees. Below the candidates’ name and photo you will see their starting salary and their job related skills. Once you have hired an employee, they will move into one of the available spots under “Current Vets”. Three icons will now appear below the employee’s skills. These allow you to promote, demote and fire this employee.

You can choose to fire an employee when you need to cut cost, or because their poor performance is beyond repair. Employees take it very personal when you fire them and will be very upset. Your relationship with that Sim will suffer and may turn into a “despised” relationship. Don’t expect them to want to hang out with you any time soon.

Training Employees

Each employee will have three job related skills: Charisma, Handiness and Veterinary Skill. Charisma influences the employees greetings and bedside manner. Handiness influences the efficiency of an employee’s cleaning and repairing broken machinery. Veterinary influences effectiveness of pet exams and treatments.

When hiring a new employee you may notice some candidates have a higher level in certain skills. While this means they will be more efficient initially than an employee with a lower skill level, all employees can improve their skills with experience and training. Interacting with and treating patients will improve their Charisma and Veterinary Skills. Cleaning and Repairing equipment will improve their Handiness skills. Crafting Treats and Medicines will also improve the Veterinary Skill.

You can also choose to pay for training to improve their skills. To do this you will need to interact with your employee. Greet them and select the “Pay For Training” option. Training happens at the end of the day. Depending on their current Satisfaction level, some employee will be excited about learning new skills and some have a more passive aggressive response. Either way they will go to training after work and return for their next shift with improved skills.

There are three levels of training: Brief Training ($150), Standard Training ($600), or Extensive Training ($1500). You can also purchase the “Lower Employee Training Cost” perk to reduce the training cost. All employees can be sent to Brief Training. For Standard Training they must have a minimum Veterinarian skill level of 5 and Extensive Training requires a minimum Veterinarian skill level of 7.

Employee Satisfaction

Customers aren’t the only ones you need to keep happy in order to run a successful business; you also need to keep an eye on an Employee’s Satisfaction level. A happier employee will work harder, resulting in higher customer ratings and higher profits. There are a few ways you can improve (or hurt) their satisfaction, one of the easiest is adjusting their job level (aka give them a pay raise or pay cut). You can promote or demote an employee from the manage employees menu or by selecting the employee you want to interact with.

Employees with higher skills will expect to be compensated for their hard work. You can also use the Praise, Check Up On, or Criticize interactions with your employees. Choosing to “Praise” an employee increases their Satisfaction and puts them in a positive mood. You can “Check Up On” an employee to find out how Satisfied with their job. Choosing to “Criticize” an employee may make them temporarily work harder but will negatively impact their Satisfaction. You can also unlock an additional interactions by purchasing the “Inspirational Speech” perk which can inspired them to work harder without their Satisfaction suffering.

If employees become unsatisfied, they may choose to quit. This can be especially painful to your bottom line if you’ve spent money sending them to training classes. Suddenly you have to hire a new employee with lower skill levels and all the money you spent training that ex-employee is wasted.

At the bottom of the daily Shift Summary will be an Employee Report section. You’ll be able to see each employees Satisfaction level and icons of each of their skills. A skill icon will have a gold background if it has recently improved. You can hover over an icon to learn more about their skill level. You may also see a green arrow animation, which indicates this employee is currently improving in these areas.

Assigning Tasks & Responsibilities

Another good management strategy is to assign your employees responsibilities, or ask them to craft treats/medicines. (The type of treats available for them to craft is determined by their Veterinary Skill.) By default each employee will both Clean and Treat Patients. You can change this by selecting the “Responsibilities” interaction and tell them to start or stop either of these actions. Let’s look at few possible management strategies might want to try.

The goal of this first strategy is to maximize efficiency in a smaller clinic. You may have more employees than you have exam tables so it will reduce the speed at which you help patients if two Sims are trying to help patients with only one exam table. Instead, assign employees to cleaning or crafting. Sick pets equals a big mess so you’ll always want to make sure to clean up puddles quickly. You can assign an employee to clean, have your Sim clean while employees treat patients, or invest in a Robot Vacuum.

The goal of the second strategy is to boost your Clinic Rating. You’ll want to focus on reducing wait times and efficiency to make your customers happy. Happy customers equals better reviews. Employees with a higher skill level will be more efficient at certain tasks. A higher handiness skill results in faster cleaning, so you may want tell that employee not to treat patients. An employee with a higher Veterinary Skill treats patients more efficiently so you may want to tell that employee not to clean.

Treating Patients

Pet Owners will check in using the Vet Podium. When they have finish checking in, a ratings icon will appear over the owner’s head. You can select the owner or the pet and you will see three choices of greetings: Great Patient, Greet Patient Warmly, and Greet Patient Impatiently. If you have a busy lobby and are unsure with pet belongs to which own you can hover you mouse over either. If you hover over the pet you will see “Pet Owner” appear over their owner’s head and if you hover over the owner you will see “Patient” appear over the pet’s head.

Once you have accepted to help a patient, the pet will climb onto an available examination table. A box will appear in the top left corner of your screen. Pay attention to the progress bar next to the patient’s picture. This will indicate their stress level. When the animal’s stress level is too high you will not be able to examine them further until you have calmed or soothed the animal.

Calming a Stressed Patient

Some pets will start the exam with a very high stress level, and you will need to calm them down before you can proceed with the exam. Select from Calm Pet, Soothe Pet (requires Vet Skill level 5) or Industrial Strength Relaxation Serum Shot.

The shot requires an Industrial Strength Relaxation Serum, which is crafted using the Medicine Crafting Table, and will prevent the animal from getting stressed for the rest of the examination. Having a few of these in your inventory will make examining and treating patients much easier. You can also ask an employee to craft this serum for you.

If you are using the surgery station you can use a Belly Rub Simulation Gel (boosts diagnosis and reduces stress in dogs) or the Catnip-Based Calming Agent (boosts diagnosis and reduces stress in cats). These are also crafted using the Medicine Crafting Table and can only be administered at the Surgery Station.

To begin to examination, select one of the following exam interaction: Test Ears, Take Temperature, Skin/Fur Inspection, Listen to Heart, Listen to Breathing, Eye Exam, Examine Mouth, Check Chart. While each has a different animation they don’t correspond to certain symptoms and you can choose to do them in any order you please until your Vet has made a diagnosis. A single test can reveal multiple symptoms at once, leading to a faster diagnosis. The more experience your Veterinarian, the fewer exams they will need to perform to reach a diagnosis.

You can monitor the progress in Exam Results list in the top left of your screen. As your Sim discovers a symptom it will appear on the list. When your Sim has complete the exam and knows what is wrong with the patient the diagnosis will change from “Diagnosis: Unknown” to a gold background with the official diagnosis.

Now that you have a diagnosis you will want to treat the patient. Select the “Treatment…” interaction and find the one with a green thumbs up icon next to it. If you attempt to treat an illness before you have reached a diagnosis, the treatment results will be more ambiguous. A few treatments may have a thumbs down icon but there will be a few with just a question mark.

When you have given a patient the correct treatment, a green heart with a plus sign will appear. This indicates they are now cured and the patient will climb off the exam table. If you select the wrong treatment option you will see a purple heart with a minus sign. This indicates the patient is not cured and you need to try again. Every treatment you try will cost you and be deducted from your profits, so it is costly to blindly guess and administer treatments.

For more serious illnesses you will not see a thumbs up icon, only thumbs down. You need to go back and select the “Move to Surgery Station” interaction. Once the patient is in the Surgery Station you need to select “Surgery…” and find the one with a green thumbs up icon.

You can also choose the “Move to Surgery Station” interaction at any point during the exam, and also use the Surgery Station to diagnose patients by performing scans. There are three available scans: Vascular Scan, Brain Scan and Intestinal Scan. The more experienced a Veterinarian is, the fewer scans are needed to reach a diagnosis.

Once a patient has been treated you will receive a payment for your services from the pet owner. (If for some reason it is taking too long you can interact with the owner and select the “Bill Owner” interaction. If you close the clinic before you have received the payment from the owner they will leave without paying.) You can now return to the lobby and greet the next patient. Each Vet can only help one patient at a time, and must finish treating or dismissing a patient before helping another one.

Symptoms, Illnesses, and Treatments

There are 31 available diagnoses, with each having a variety of symptoms. The more experienced a Veterinarian is, the faster they can diagnose a patient. Most illnesses can be diagnosed and treated using the Exam Table, but a few will require surgery to cure.

You can use the Surgery Station to diagnosis and treat any illness, but it is the more expensive option. Here is a list of every diagnoses and the corresponding symptoms, treatment, and surgery for each.

Vet Clinic Perks

The Vet Clinic perk system allows you to boost certain aspects of your Vet Clinic through Perk Points. Points are earned while performing basic duties and treating patients. These points can be earn by you or your employees, but tend to be higher if you perform the action yourself. For example, for each patient an employee successfully treats will earn you 35 perk points. If your Sim helps treat a patient, you will earn 40 perk points. You will also accumulate bonus Perk Points as your Veterinarian Skill improves.

You can view how many perk points you currently have in the bottom left of the business management panel. You can then use these perk points to unlock Vet Clinic Perks. To open this menu click on the shopping basket icon. You will notice a cost next to each perk. If you choose a perk, the cost will be deducted from your accumulated Perk Points. To purchase additional perks you will need to first earn additional perk points.

❗ You can purchase the perks in any order you desire and most can only be purchased once. The exception is the ‘Vet Rush’ perk which has a temporary effect and can be purchased multiple times.

❗ Click here for a list of Vet Clinic Perk Cheats

Brindleton Bay (World)

Tucked away on the eastern seaboard. Brindleton Bay has acquired a reputation for its citizens’ absolute obsession with all things feline and canine. Enjoy the coastal views, the rich maritime history, and all your new four-legged neighbors! Brindleton Bay has 4 Neighborhoods and a total of 16 Lots to build and play on.

Lot Traits

The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs adds 6 new lot traits available for use on lots in any world. Each trait has a unique effect that can change how Sims and Pets interact with the lot. Lot traits remain intact when the lot is shared on The Sims 4 Gallery.

Pre-Built Lots

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds 4 new Pre-Built Lots that you can add into any world. These lots can be found by entering your Library in The Sims 4 Gallery.

Green Gardens (Residential, 64×64, §242,886) – Show off some Simoleons in this gorgeous home and its accompanying gardens. Just make sure you can pay those bills before moving in!

Widow’s Watch (Residential, 30×30, §118,771) – This house once belonged to a nervous sailor’s wife, who installed a plethora of windows so she could scan the sea for signs of her husband returning home. Nowadays, it makes for a beautiful family home with pleasant views of the water.

Paw-Reader’s Palace (Residential, 20×15, §59,817) – It doesn’t take a psychic to know that the previous owner of this house was a feline fanatic.

Seaside Stories (Library, 30×20, §108,942) – An archive of some of the best sea-shanties and sailors’ tales. Take a walk up to the top-floor deck for a beautiful view!

Peppy Puppy Playpark (Park, 40×30, §46,052) – Every puppy needs a place to play! The Peppy Puppy Playpark is the perfect venue to get your little doggo outside and exercising.

Country Clinic (Vet Clinic, 40×30, §70,379) – Need to go to the vet, but hate that sterile, medical feeling? Renovated from an old home in the countryside, this Vet Clinic feels warm and welcoming.

Neighborhood Lots & Info

Brindleton Bay comes with 4 neighborhoods, all of which contain pre-built residential, commercial, and empty lots. This section of the guide gives you the information regarding all lots from each neighborhood. See here for info on the “My Library” Lots by Maxis.

Deadgrass Isle

Once the site of a mysterious shipwreck, Deadgrass Isle is now home to the world-famous Brindleton Light and the city’s largest population of indigenous strays. Lately, however, there have been some rumors about strange visitors after sundown…

• Deadgrass Discoveries (Museum, 30×30, §108,465) – After almost two centuries as the lighthouse keeper’s private home, this property was converted into a museum chronicling the Bay’s interesting maritime history when a new automated system was installed in the Brindleton Light.

Cavalier Cove

Known for its hiking trails and sprawling coastal properties, Cape Cavalier is the perfect place to go exploring or chase seagulls with an adventurous pup!

• Hound’s Head (Residential, 64×64, §192,767) – The largest property in Brindleton Bay- and with its very own private beach – Hound’s Head has housed a variety of rich and powerful pets (and their owners) through the ages.

• Bedlington Boathouse (Residential, 20×20, §13,557) – Tucked away between the expensive mansions of Cape Cavalier is this humble little cottage. Nothing says “beach access” like living right on the beach!

• Chateau Frise (Residential, Occupied by the Delgato Family, 40×40, §179,033) – While Supriya loves her full-time job as a stay-at-home mom, it’s been getting harder and harder to suppress her dreams of being a full-fledged veterinarian. Especially now that the owner of the Brindleton Pawspital is looking to sell the business. Her husband Justin has always been supportive, and keeps offering to take a break from work so she can follow her dream. But can Supriya really trust him to keep the peace at home between Blue and Bartholomew? Not to mention Pierce and Evie too!

• Dachshund’s Creek (Empty Lot, 30×20, §2,000) – Easy access to the creek below makes this property a must-own for nature-loving homebuilders. You don’t want to wait for your life to be over- purchase this property and get building!

• Hindquarter Hideaway (Empty Lot, 30×20, §2,000) – The Hindquarter Hideaway may be the furthest property from the water’s edge, but the small fishing pond nearby more than makes up for it.

Sable Square

The cultural center of the city, Sable Square is ideal for both cats and dogs. These people love their pets so much, they’ve built a monument to them right in the middle of town!

• Brindleton Pawspital (Vet Clinic, 40×30, §86,511) – This state-of-the-art facility offers the very best in pet care for your sick barker or meower. Rumor has it the owner is preparing for retirement soon and is interested in selling the place to a young aspiring vet.

• Pupperstone Park (Park, 40×30, §33,583) – Featuring a playground for their two-legged kids and an obstacle course for their four-legged ones, it’s no wonder Brindletonians spend so many of their afternoons in this quaint public park. (Dog Friendly Lot Trait)

• Sporting Space (Park, 30×20, §2,410) – Central and affordable, this property is just waiting to be developed.

• It’s A Good House (Residential, Occupied by the Hecking Family, 40×40, §87,180) – Life in their new home seems to agree with newlyweds Brent and Brant. The small-town bustle inspires Brent’s painting, and Brant loves to explore the Bay’s beautiful neighborhoods. But will they ever agree on who gets to take their beloved Rosie with them?

• Domus Familiaris (Residential, 30×30, §43,635) – A charmingly classic home steps away from the heart of Sable Square, Domus Familiaris is the ideal abode for a new family moving to the Bay.

Whiskerman’s Wharf

A favorite hangout for the Bay’s feline citizens, who can often be found climbing around down at the docks, Whiskerman’s Wharf is also enjoyed by fishermen and tourists alike.

• Club Calico (Lounge, 40×30, §108,018) – Previously an exclusive yacht club for only the richest citizens of Brindleton Bay, a recent decree by Mayor Whiskers opened up this pool and wedding locale for public use.

• Salty Paws Saloon (Bar, 20×15, §83,755) – From sailors to spaniels to Scottish folds, the Salty Paws Saloon is a neighborhood staple and a favorite hangout spot for locals, human or otherwise. (Cat Hangout Lot Trait)

• Tail’s End (Empty Lot, 40×30, §3,000) – Far from the bustle of the dockyards, this secluded lot still has plenty of that harbor charm (and a beautiful view to boot!)

• Catscratch Cottage (Residential, Occupied by the Lynx Family, 20×15, §49,520) – Cats in the neighborhood know where to go for a good meal. Catarina’s always had a soft spot for animals, and the cats she lives with have the best home a cat could ask for. Sometimes Catarina asks herself if there’s something more to life than cats… usually right before she adopts another stray. (Cat Hangout Lot Trait)

• Ragdoll Refurb (Residential, 20×20, §70,601) – Once a part of the pet food cannery next door, this warehouse has since been converted into a stellar two-story home.

Build/Buy Mode Objects

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs includes 338 buy and build mode items. This includes objects, build items, styled rooms, and every other item that was included with the game. The slideshow below contains 330 of these objects, with the “Styled Rooms” listed right below.

The slideshow begins with the “Mr. Woof and Mrs Meow’s Child Bed” and ends with the “The Seaside Loner”. If you prefer to view the images individually, check out the album.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Styled Rooms

Interactive Objects

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs adds a variety of new interactive objects. These objects allow for new gameplay not previously available in game. Below is a list of these objects.

Food Stalls

Food Stalls are a new object that allows Sims to purchase a variety of foods and drinks in the game. Food Stalls are found on the docks of Whiskerman’s Wharf, and the Dog Park in Sable Square. Sims can head to these locations and purchase both Sim Recipes and the new Pet Food Recipes from these locations.

All 3 food stalls are available in buy mode for your Sims to place at home, or when building lots in any world. These food stalls are home to the 8 new recipes for both Sims and Pets.

The new recipes work similar to a skill, where they must be eaten and learned in order to be cooked at home. This only applies to Sim recipes though as they are not required to eat the Pet Recipes in order to cook them. Sims who have a level 1 or higher Cooking Skill will automatically learn the Sim Recipes when eating from a Food Stall. In order to cook all 4 recipes at home, Sims will have to spend the time eating them all.

The following stalls are available in buy mode:

• Foodies Munch and Go
• Foodies Seafood Sampler
• Catch of the Day

When placing these stalls on your home or commercial lots, you can use the “Hire Vendor (§100)” interaction to bring an NPC salesperson to the stall in order to purchase products.

Robot Vacuum

The Robot Vacuum is a new automatic cleaning object that helps Sims keep their homes tidy. With both a low-cost and high-end version available in buy mode for §500 and §1,000 respectively, Sims can purchase one of these to assist them in cleaning up their homes. Sims with at least a Level 5 Handiness Skill will be able to install various upgrades as well.

The Robot Vacuum helps clean up pet messes, piles of trash, and even liquid messes. The low-end vacuum will require upgrades to allow for things like liquid cleanups and increased trash storage, while the high-end version already has those upgrades by default. Here are the available upgrade options for each of the robot vacuums:

❗ The dock and vacuum both have upgrade options. Click on each of them for a variety of upgrade options.

Now if that wasn’t enough, this object also serves a fun toy for Cats in the home. Cats will often “Investigate” the object and then proceed to sit on top of it. When they do, Sims can use the “Start Cleaning Routine” option to allow their cats to go along for the ride.

Mouse Hole

The Mouse Hole is an interactive decorative object that spawns mice at random. Cats will tend to investigate, watch, and hunt mice from the hole.

Toy Boxes

The Toy Box is an object that allows Sims to purchase and store toys for pets. It is also home to exclusive toys like the “WHATWASTHAT SQUEEKER” toy which is not found in buy mode. Pets will chew, whine, and claw at toys to increase their play levels. Dogs can fetch their own toys from the toy box, while cats will need to have them handed to them.

Pet Toys

When purchasing a toy box is not an option, buy mode offers a number of different toys for pets. All toys allow pets to increase their fun motives, and allows for Sims and pets to bond together and have some fun. Available toys include balls and cat wands.

❗ Cat Wands need repairing from time to time as they break with frequent play.

Self-Clean Litter Box

When cats need to satisfy their bowel and bladder, they must use a litter box. Since they tend to use it often, purchasing a self-cleaning automatic litter box is the way to go. Once a cat uses this high tech machine, it will automatically clean out their excrement.

While this self-clean litter box gives Sims a break from constantly having to clean out the litter box, they will eventually have to empty the litter storage for continued use.

❗ The green panel will turn red when it’s time to empty out the excess litter.

❗ There is 2nd self-cleaning litter box that uses lasers to zap away kitty poop. This one is more expensive and does not require emptying as it does not store litter.

Automatic Pet Feeder

When it’s time to feed your pets, you have two choices: regular bowls or automatic pet feeders. The automatic pet feeder comes in two varieties, and both ensure that food is always left out and kept fresh even if Sims are forgetful. The automatic pet feeder allows Sims to schedule food dispensing every 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours.

❗ Sims are still able to fill and empty bowls any time between feedings. The bowl and feeder have separate options for feeding, filling bowls, and scheduling feeding times.

Obstacle Course

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs introduces the Pet Training Skill. Sims can master the Pet Training Skill by using the “Training” Interaction on Dogs, “Running” the obstacle course objects with any pet, or “Commanding” a pet use the obstacle course objects.

Leveling up in the Pet Training Skill allows Sims to teach dogs a variety of commands and tricks. Sims with a higher Pet Training Skill will also have a better chance of their pet getting a Gold Medal through the obstacle course with no faults.

❗ There are a total of 8 different obstacle objects available in buy mode including hoops, tunnels, platforms, weaving poles, and ramps.

Cat Condos & Scratch Posts

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs includes cat-specific objects that are must haves for cats in any Sim’s life. Cat Scratch Posts and Cat Condos are must-haves for any household populated with cats. Not only do these items stop them from clawing and tearing up furniture around the house, it also gives them a place to groom, laze, play, sit, nap, sleep, and lie down.

The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Expansion includes unique traits for both Cats and Dogs. Below is a complete list of Pet traits you will be able to choose from in the game.

❗ Check out our FULL Sims 4 Cats & Dogs Game Guide for more information on Pets!

CAT TRAITS & DESCRIPTIONS

DOG TRAITS & DESCRIPTIONS