The Sims 4 Pets: Cats and Dogs DLC

Guide & Expansion Pack Features

The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs Expansion Pack

in the Cats and Dogs DLC
The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs will bring pets to the game on November 10, 2017. While the usual 'pets' pack will not include horses this time around, it does attempt to bring loads of detail to the two featured pet types. Below you'll find a list of many new additions you'll receive with the Cats and Dogs Expansion. It's not an exhaustive list of new stuff, but does give you a good idea of the main gameplay you'll get if you buy the pack.

Pets Guides (UPDATED)

I'm just getting started on these because my review copy came late through no fault of the Sims team. For now we have:

A Guide to Adopting, Caring for, and Training Pets
Pet Traits New
Veterinary Clinic Guide New
Veterinarian Skill New
Veterinarian: Pet Sicknesses and Cures List New
a guide to making a mixed breed in cats and dogs.

Cats and Dogs DLC Features

Create-a-Pet

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Create a Pet in the Cats and Dogs DLC
Click to Enlarge. Create-a-Pet

The new DLC features a fully functional Create-a-Pet system. While using it, you'll have all the tools and options you need to customize your Sims' pets. Common Dog and cat breeds are available to choose from, and you can further customize the look of your companion animals. Each pet takes up one slot in the household (max 7 with one Sim). Pets can be made from a young age (kitten/puppy), natural or neutered. Since every pet is unique, you can also select traits for your dog or cat which will influence their behavior.

Cats and Dogs can made to be mixed breed - I've made a small guide to how to do it here.

Playing with Cats and Dogs

A cat and dog in the Sims 4 Pets Expansion
Click to Enlarge. A cat and puppy from the game's trailer.

Aside from making a cat or dog in Create-a-Pet, you can also adopt one using your Sim's phone. During the adoption process you can actually screen pets and choose whether you'll decide to adopt them if you like the animal.

Pets will liven up Sims' lives in a number of ways. First, you will have to care for them, for example walk dogs, feed them and take them to the vet when they're sick, else they can be taken away. Kids who do this will gain responsibility from the Parenting pack.

Walking a dog in the Sims 4 Pets Expansion
Click to Enlarge. A dalmatian having fun with his owner in the park.

You can't control your pets, but you can teach them. Pets can be trained and your Sims will build up relationships with them in the process. Is the cat shredding furniture? Scold it and teach it not to do that, and it'll gradually stop using this behavior. Housebreak your dogs and teach them to go outside. Many players seem to like this feature, as it's more realistic than giving the player the ability to control what the pet does. You can't see their moods, you can only check how they're doing.

The new presence of animals in the Sim household will blend in perfectly with the base game and other expansion packs. For example, Pets can travel with you to Granite Falls or Sixam should you wish to have them along for the trip.

Taking care of a Pet in the Sims 4 Cats and Dogs DLC

Pets can get pregnant, and can be encouraged to breed. If you fail to have your pet neutered, they may run away and come back pregnant. They'll run away regardless, but you can prevent 'surprises'. Pregnancy can result in 1-3 puppies or kittens, depending on household space and randomness. When pets get pregnant, it's possible to sell the puppies or kittens. Adult animals can be put up for adoption if you no longer want them.

Veterinarian and Pet Training Skill

Veterinarian Career in the Cats and Dogs Expansion Pack Taking a Dog to the vet in the Cats and Dogs Expansion
Click to Enlarge. The new veterinarian career lets you care for cats and dogs by either playing one, or taking your sick pet to be cured. Pets can only die of old age in the Expansion.
New paintings in the Expansion
New paintings and new clothing and hair styles are also in the Expansion

There's a new Pet Training skill you can use to teach your pet tricks and useful abilities. Should you wish to further specialize in caring for animals, you can try the new Veterinarian career and do it for a living. Playing a Veterinarian is a lot like owning a business. You'll have to staff it, and manage treatments of animals. Customers will judge you based on employee impressions, the level of care and your efficiency. You can customize your veterinary business by using perk points.

New treatments unlock as your Sim gains levels in the Veterinary skill, which is separate from owning a veterinary clinic. There's actually some viable money-making opportunity in creating special pet treats, which can be sold from the Sim's inventory. You can actually treat your own pets if you purchase veterinary equipment for your home ,though they are big and expensive. It may be helpful as a time-saver if you have many pets, though most players will opt to have the medicine crafting lab instead of a full-blown surgery machine costing many thousands. Special treats can be given to your pets, including one that acts as ambrosia and will bring pets back to life. You can also make them immortal, by producing age down potions for when they become elders.

Brindleton Bay in Sims 4
Click to Enlarge. Brindleton Bay, the new neighborhood in The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs

A new world is featured in the DLC - Brindleton Bay, and it's got a beautiful New England look. New lot traits have been included in the pack as well - Training spot, cat/dog friendly, dog spot and cat spot. There are new collectibles (features) aspirations for Sims to pursue, and Sim traits. Naturally the pack also features plenty of new build/buy mode objects that can be used to accent your Sim's home or vet office. Some of these are interactive, such as the vending machine and medicine crafting table.

Overall there's quite a bit of new content in the Expansion that can't be listed here just yet. I'll dig into the gameplay the weekend of release and work on guides for cats and dogs, the veterinarian and any Sim skills.

Cats and Dogs Trailer

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Comments (75)

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New
Reysays...
Hello, I have a problem. When I instal sims 4 cats and dongs I can't find a photo and video.
Documents > electronic arts > sims 4>Screenshots and there are just olds photos, when I do new in game capture manager show her, but in folder don't.. where I can find my new photos and video? Plyz help CryingCrying
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Your photos will be going to the same place, maybe you have reached your storage limit? Try deleting or moving the screenshots that are in your Screenshots folder out (into another folder on your desktop) and then taking some new screenshots. Look to see where these new pics have been stored. If they are being stored in a different folder for some reason you can move them back into your screenshots folder yourself.
The pics might also be found on your OneDrive. Turning on/off OneDrive
Also have a look at this bug report: EA Bug Report

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New
Reysays...
I try, but doesnt help
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Well where is the game storing them? The pathway will be shown when you look in Options>Game Options>Screen Capture, then what is in the 'Location Path" box? You can find where the screenshots are being stored on your computer by looking at that location within your computer. Visual guide to this (click)
Also we have info in our tech section of the forum as this is not a game play/expansion pack issue, it's a tech issue.
Forum Tech Help: Missing Screenshots
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New
Ash Wednesdaysays...
How do I age up my pets if the auto age is turned off?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
You'll need to use an Age-Up vet treat. Take your sim to an NPC run Vet Clinic and in the fridge there buy the treat. Or you can craft one yourself using the Vet Crafting Station in your sims home. Buy menu >Dr.Magi-Heal's Medicine Craft-o-matic $1,200
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New
Kayleigh Erasmussays...
I just wanted to ask.. the sims icon on the lower left hand side of the control panel lights up according to their mood(eg: green for happy), however, you cannot see what your pet is feeling. What does the white light of my dog’s icon mean ?
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Senior
Playlotsays...
Fine. So although you can't control your pets or see their needs etc their icon colors mean the same thing as the sims. So white=fine, green=happy, red=uncomfortable, blue=sad and so on.
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New
Gilliansays...
when is this coming to xbox :(
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New
armysays...
hi, why my cat "ask for litter cleaned" having red mood, if i have the more expensive automated litter. There no action on this litter, of course.
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Don't know, sounds like a glitch. Turning on 'testingcheats on' and shift click the cat and reset it. Try selling and replacing the litter box. TS4 is full of bugs and game glitches, on the scale of things this one doesn't sound too bad so I'd ignore it. If you are using mods or cc this could also be causing the issue so make sure all mods/cc are up to date or if it is really annoying you - remove all mods and cc and place on desktop for safe keeping, delete the localthumbcache.package file from your The Sims 4 folder and test in a brand new game. If you do test in your existing game do NOT save, just quit without saving after testing. Once your finished testing replace the mods and cc back into your mods folder.
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New
Oreo Cookiesays...
I have a question. I have looked all over, and cannot find an answer. Can you breed purebred pets in this expansion? I know in sims 3, even if you bred purebreds of the same breed, the offspring are mixed. Is sims 4 the same way?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
If you are breeding two pure breed dogs from the same breed then their puppies will also be pure breed. Note you can not make two dogs in CAS and then breed them as the game treats them as litter mates - so therefore incest rules apply. So you will need to make the other dog in another household and then use manage worlds to move it in or adopt another dog etc.
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New
Oreo Cookiesays...
Awesome, thanks. ^^ It isn't this way in Sims 3, so I had to be sure to ask.
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New
Angelasays...
I cant seem to breed my pets that live together. anyone know what I'm doing wrong?? is this not possible?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
The game treats pets that have been made together in CAS as siblings and so they won't breed as they are too closely related. So make another pet for a different family and move it in or adopt one.
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New
Haileysays...
How long do elderly cats live on short mode?
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Senior
Playlotsays...
So once your pet has reached full elder-hood each day is a chance percent on if it is their last. This is just a basic game mechanic and there is nothing you can do to change this. But, you can give your pet the Ambrosia Treat which you can read about in the other guides Carl has on Cats and Dogs
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New
MAUDEsays...
I accidentally turn my sims into a vamp, does that mean my cats won’t die? Or there are ways for me not to have my cats anymore? That sounds wrong and mean though but i want a good sad story that the pets die and people mourn :’)
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Life state of your sim has nothing to do with pets so regardless of your sim being a vamp your pets will still age and die naturally depending on your game play settings. If you have aging on, at least for this household, then the pets will eventually age into elders and die.
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New
Kandielsays...
This article states that you can treat your pets at home if you have the equipment, but does it work on strays? If so, how does that work?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
You can't really do much with strays until you adopt them into your home by be-friending them first.
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Senior
Briansays...
Do pets count as household members toward the 8 sim limit? In my current household, soon to be 6 sims and a cat. I have mods where you don't actively "Try for Baby," adult fun times can result in pregnancy. So I'm wondering if I just adopt a dog, there won't be any more pregnancies until someone dies or moves out? Or is there still room for 2?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Pets all contribute to the 8 sim household cap. So if you have 6 sims and 2 pets you would be at max household count.
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New
chidera nicksays...
how do i download it
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New
Miraclesays...
Hi my favorite dog Crystalia is getting old and is an Elder but I want to keep her alive without cheating. What can I do? I recently lost a pet and I don't want to lose her!
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New
MiraclePlayssays...
I have heard that you can stop aging but I don't want to. Can you use Ambrosia or something?
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Admin
Playlotsays...
The pet treat "Ambrosia Treat" is used to bring dead pets back to life but you could use the Age Up/Age Down Vet treats..which do what their name says. Using the Age Down Vet Treat will..make your pet younger again - moves them down an age stage. So give an Age Down Treat to an Elder pet will make the pet an Adult again. After that the pet will age again as normal.
You can read a bit about these treats on this guide under the heading: Skill Unlocks
Vet Skill Guide
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Regular
Lizsays...
Can anyone help me? I've been trying to get my dog home from Selvadoria! One of my Sims went home on her own and I left the other Sim with the dog at the jungle but...I can't figure out how to go home WITH the dog :(
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Sounds like a glitch. The travel screen should take everyone home with you when you take the last sim home from any holiday destination. Have you tried just simply traveling home and seeing if the pets arrives back at your sims home lot with him/her?
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New
Hailiesays...
i really want to play this game,it is so awesomeSmile
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New
Hailiesays...
i love this games sooooooooooooo much
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New
Sharonsays...
Can dogs and cats have babies?? How do I mate them?? I’ve tried & it doesn’t even give me the option. And they’re not spayed or neutered.
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New
NobodyYouKnowsays...
They can have babies, you get a high enough friendship with them then click on them, I think you will find (if their are any of their species around)"Mate With..."
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New
Elizamaysays...
Hi, how Do I stop loads of stray pets coming into my house???
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Admin
Playalotsays...
You could lock the doors to everyone except all household members.
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New
Daphnesays...

This was very useful.

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New
Taylorsays...

Does this come with sims 4 for free?

Admin:

No but there are often sales if you keep an eye out

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New
Lisa Flacksays...

I have done everything to get my dog happy but the box around the pet is always orange. What Im I doing wrong?

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New
sophiesays...

how do i download i cant get the link or get it to gaME

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New
Laura Lehmansays...

I like to play the Sims, four cats and dogs then my favorite game and I love it

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New
DOLORESsays...

HOW DO I START TO USE THIS? IVE GOT IT, BUT I NEED INFO ON OPENING IT?! PLEASE & TY

not yelling, just need to be seen :)



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