Befriending and Adopting Strays

[Hosfac]

My first new Sim accepted the wish to adopt 6 strays, however I have a great deal of confusion as to how this is done and there doesn't seem to be any information on the subject anywhere.  I believe that it is our duty as the coolest forum on the internet to change that problem. 

1)  Stray dogs and cats show up on my Sim's home lot...but they show up at night, sleep for a couple of hours, and then leave before morning.  I've woken the Sim in question up in the middle of the night to interact with the stray, but they initiate 3 interactions and the stray leaves to go "home" (it's 3, every time).  Overlooking the fact that I find it somewhat odd that the stray goes "home," how do I encourage the animal to stay long enough to develop a friendship with it?

2)  This Sim spent a pretty good amount of time watching a wild horse (and it raised their relationship some), however it would never let me approach it.  How high does one's relationship have to be before you can interact with the horse?  And can you adopt a wild horse?

3)  This Sim lives in Appaloosa Plains (which is oddly hilly for a plain lol).  Is there a place she can go to find strays, or does she have to wait for them to come to her house?

She has all 3 welcome gnomes on her property, and doesn't currently have any pets.

[Ricalynn]

I have seen stray dogs and cats return in AP after the initial meeting but I don't know how long it was before it returned. 

You can adopt a wild horse.  I've seen several threads and stories that involve just this.  You just need to have level 8 riding and be at least friends with them. ( I think)

Strays tend to be everywhere that I can see but usually you have to wait for them to come to you because in town they seem to disappear. 

[Hosfac]

I have seen stray dogs and cats return in AP after the initial meeting but I don't know how long it was before it returned. 

You can adopt a wild horse.  I've seen several threads and stories that involve just this.  You just need to have level 8 riding and be at least friends with them. ( I think)

Strays tend to be everywhere that I can see but usually you have to wait for them to come to you because in town they seem to disappear. 

So I'll need to get a horse from the equestrian center before i can tame a wild horse.  Although I remember reading somewhere that you could go to someone's house and use their horse...

The only place I've ever seen stray cats and dogs are on my property.  Maybe I'm just not patient enough lol.  But why only 3 interactions?  Is there something else that governs this that I'm not seeing?

[Ricalynn]

Sometimes I don't even get to do one interaction before they run away.  I don't know what it is and I keep hoping that Carl and Metro come up with some genius way of getting it done.

You can ride other people's horses but you have to ask permission.   You can also learn riding by reading a book in the library.  Or maybe by doing what they suggest in this thread (link)

Have you ever had any luck with inviting the stray inside?

[MarianT]

I'm trying a fenced-in area with food, scratch post, toys, and old newspapers to keep them from wandering off.

[Hosfac]

No luck yet, but I've adopted a dog and a cat from neighbors.  I'm hoping that if there is some kind of "hidden skill" for interacting with animals that will help me train it.  No luck so far in getting a stray to come inside.  When the wild horses come, they tend to hang out a while if I watch them and they drink out of my lake on occasion...but the dogs and cats don't ever hang out long.

I actually put a food bowl outside for them, but they never touched it (the raccoon had at it though lol).  They come up, sleep for a couple hours and go on their way.

[Pam]

So far, I've only seen the same stray a couple of times and they never stay long enough for more than three or four interactions.  I've invited them inside and then picked them up and carried into the house, but they still won't stay.  After I see the same stray a couple of times, I never see it again.  My Sim has the Raised with Wolves and Animal Expert Lifetime Happiness Rewards and I can't tell yet if they make a difference.

@Hosfac:

You can also adopt from the shelter by using the phone, newspaper, or computer.  They won't count as strays, though.

[MarianT]

Don't bother with fencing to keep them in -- they just teleport out. I'm trying to build up charisma and see if that helps.

With regard to adopting your neighbors' pets -- do you get an "ask to move in" option?

[Ricalynn]

It's an option outside all the normal options when there is a pet for adoption.   So your choices would be: Friendly, Funny, Mean, Romantic, Special, Ask about Pet for Adoption.   Or something to that nature.

[MarianT]

Thanks!

[Hosfac]

You can also adopt from the shelter by using the phone, newspaper, or computer.  They won't count as strays, though.

For the LTW, adopting from neighbors do count as strays...although I'm relatively certain that they're not supposed to.  I'm certain that this is a bug, just like I believe that the strays refusing to stay on a lot is a bug.

[Pam]

I still have had no luck befriending a stray.  Anyone else have new information?

[RunAmokSims]

I still have had no luck befriending a stray.  Anyone else have new information?

I'll tell you my "adopting" experience and my adopting problem.

My Sim found a cat on the street and I used testing cheats to raise the relationship bar quickly, just to see what worked.  She was able to take the cat home with her, the cat seems content to stay but I haven't gotten any option to adopt or to add the cat to the household. It's just living there in her house with out being playable.

The adoption problem I'm having is that my Sim can't use her computer to look for adoptable pets. She's got the computer whiz trait and can do anything on the computer except look for pets.  As soon as I give the command to check for neighbors with pets to adopt she is teleported out of her chair to another spot in the room.  I've tried resetting her but that doesn't help. I shut the game down and I'll see if it might work on restarting but it's just odd.

[Pam]

I'll tell you my "adopting" experience and my adopting problem.

My Sim found a cat on the street and I used testing cheats to raise the relationship bar quickly, just to see what worked.  She was able to take the cat home with her, the cat seems content to stay but I haven't gotten any option to adopt or to add the cat to the household. It's just living there in her house with out being playable.

The adoption problem I'm having is that my Sim can't use her computer to look for adoptable pets. She's got the computer whiz trait and can do anything on the computer except look for pets.  As soon as I give the command to check for neighbors with pets to adopt she is teleported out of her chair to another spot in the room.  I've tried resetting her but that doesn't help. I shut the game down and I'll see if it might work on restarting but it's just odd.

Try using her cell phone or the newspaper.  Also, how many pets already live in the household?  If there are six, you won't be able to adopt any more.

[RunAmokSims]

Try using her cell phone or the newspaper.  Also, how many pets already live in the household?  If there are six, you won't be able to adopt any more.

She's  only picked up the one cat and at the time I closed the game her newspaper hadn't arrived. That was going to be my next step.  (She has the rescue LTW.)

What I think is so odd is that she hasn't been given the option to adopt the cat she picked up off the street.