Help with strays

[wednesday21]

Hi,

I have a problem with my game. I can't get my sim to add a pet to the family through befriending strays. He is living with 1 premade dog and his lifetime wish is to adopt 6 strays. I tried with a cat and 3 horses but it doesn't work. They run away. I read the guide but it didn't help. Do you have a solution?

[Dellena]

Adopting from the shelter also counts for this lifetime wish.  As for befriending strays, it takes a while to make friends with them.  If you can get them into a fenced in area with a gate, you could possibly lock the gate to give yourself more time to befriend the stray.

[wednesday21]

Thank you. I used cheats to quickly befriend them and the option showed up. But they ran away before I could make the final action. I will try locking them up.

[CSquared2]

The horses in my Appaloosa Plains seem to call Cinnamon Falls, or whatever that fishing spot is called, home.  I often find them all there together.  Since they don't have anywhere to "go home" to, they tend to stick around for more interactions than elsewhere.  I don't know if such a place exists for the dogs and cats.

[CowgirlBlues]

You'll have to use different strategies for dogs and cats than you will use for horses. You won't be able to do befriend them (without cheating) in just one sitting with the dogs and cats. Horses you can follow around all over the neighborhood.
Your Sim's traits matter, as Equestrian Sims have an easier time befriending horses. Animal Lovers have an equal relationship boost with all animals, but not any one particular.

[wednesday21]

@CSquared2; I usually catch horses in the square and the streets leading to it. My sim lives in a premade house there so it's easy for me that way. I will have a look.

@CowgirlBlues; My sim has the Animal Lover trait because of his lifetime wish. I do not mind cheating and I did use it when befriending the cat. As I said, the animal left right after that. Could that be the problem, do you know?

[CowgirlBlues]

I haven't adopted any cats or dogs from the wild, only from the animal shelter, or from neighbors when the opportunity appears. So for completing the LTW, I'd agree with Dellena and just do that, because it's way easier.
The only reason to get a cat or dog from the wild In my opinion would be that it's overwhelming cuteness has made you fixated with adopting that particular stray. In that case, just keep a food bowl out for it, wait for it to come back and keep trying until the stray decides to let you adopt her.

[Pam]

Bring reasonably able to at least make friends with strays would be helpful with the Cat Herder and Canine Companion Lifetime Wishes.  I'm working on the one for dogs to write an article for the Guide and my Sim isn't going to be able to complete the LTW before she turns Elder.  In this particular game, I've only seen one stray dog, but she had zero chance to make friends with it.  She's even got the stray dog gnome in her yard.  It's been disheartening, to say the least.

[BellaClo]

To improve relationships with strays, don't forget the bonus of some LTR's, namely Attractive (it gives a starting boost for any new Sims/Pets your Sim meets for the first time) and Never Dull (you can repeat the same interaction over and over). Never Dull is less useful if your Sim is Charismatic, because the "repeat over" feature is included in the trait.

I'm currently testing Riding skill as supermax skill for a Dynasty and here is what I found:

My test founder is Equestrian (but not charismatic) and has the 2 rewards. When she meets a wild horse for the first time, she reaches friend status after just watching the horse and letting sniff hands. Then she can adopt just adopt it. Super fast isn't it?

With dogs and cats, it's a bit slower because she is Equestrian and not Animal Lover, but she still gets a starting bonus that brings the relationship with the stray pet up to half way to friendship.

Then, I haven't' really tested this properly, but I think that when you invite a stray inside, the pet will tend so stay longer on your lot and come back more often.

[CowgirlBlues]

Oh, I almost forgot about Attractive! Didn't think that would work on pets, but it's totally awesome that it does.

A dog sniffs your hand, and is all like, "mmm... You smell nice! Let's be Friends!" haha!

[cassims]

Thank you. I used cheats to quickly befriend them and the option showed up. But they ran away before I could make the final action. I will try locking them up.

If your going to use cheats to befriend them you might as well shift+click on the stray and add to active household.   Or if your trying to get the strays to come to the lot you could just use the attract dogs gnome.

[wednesday21]

If your going to use cheats to befriend them you might as well shift+click on the stray and add to active household.   Or if your trying to get the strays to come to the lot you could just use the attract dogs gnome.

I tried that. It doesn't make the addition count towards completing the lifetime wish.

[AmeliaAnne]

In terms of them showing up - I've played two different games in Pets, and it seemed to work better when I didn't have a porch by the front door. It seems to be easier that way.

I'm working on the animal rescuer LTW - I started with one cat, and adopted the most adorable kitten. I've started making friends with one stray cat and one stray dog. I put out a bowl of food after I saw the strays - hasn't seemed to help, as of yet.

I also have the one with the animal rescuer LTW working from home in the gardening career. That for sure helps, because she's almost always home, except when I have her (and the cat) out fishing for fertilizer so if the strays come around I can get her out there to start playing.