The Sims 4: Cats & Dogswas released on June 15, 2025, marking the fourth expansion pack in the belovedThe Sims 4franchise. This expansion pack introduces players to a world of exciting new possibilities, including the ability to own and care for cats and dogs, create a veterinary clinic, explore a coastal town, and much more. In general, this pack focuses on activities centered around Sims' beloved animal companions.
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Regarding the core features,The Sims 4: Cats & Dogsis similar to its predecessors' additions such asThe Sims: Unleashed,The Sims 2: Pets, andThe Sims 3: Pets, all of which introduced playable cats and dogs, as well as wild animals to the game. While it is not the most extensive pack in the franchise, it is a beloved one, since it adds a great deal of immersion and realism to the game, particularly for players that want to bring their beloved pets into the world of Sims.
Everything New In A Nutshell
Cats And Dogs
With this pack, players can now make their furry friends, cats and dogs, a part of the Sims' households, allowing them to interact and become a vital part of the family. Pets come in three life stages, namely puppy or kitten, adult and elder. Their lifespan, however, is shorter than normal Sims. The Create-a-Pet system in the CAS screen makes it easy to add and customize pets with a variety of common dog and cat breeds available to pick from. Players can further personalize their companion animals, such as their nuzzle shape, ear shape, eyes, tails, and fur, as well as take advantage of the color wheel for more advanced fur options. Additionally, cats and dogs come with their own unique traits selection, allowing players to create the perfect pet for their needs. While foxes and raccoons are not playable, players can create similar-looking dogs or cats that resemble them if they wish to do so. Pets take a slot in the household, similar to how Sims do. For players who are interested in owning a pet without having to go through the CAS screen, an adoption option is also available via phone in Live Mode.
Players should be aware that, while cats and dogs are playable inThe Sims 4, they cannot be directly controlled by the player. To control their pet, players mustresort to using mods. Additionally, the player cannot view their pet’s needs, so they must observe their pet’s behavior to learn what needs to be done. In general, this is an effective and realistic approach totaking care of pets, allowing for more meaningful interactions between the Sims and their animals than ever before in the franchise. Luckily, pets cannot die from anything but old age; however, they can be taken away by animal control if they have been neglected for too long. to prevent this, players should take care of their pets by regularly feeding them, providing affection, and taking them to the vet if they are sick. Pets can be trained to follow commands, or stop certain behaviors and your Sims will build strong and meaningful relationships with their pets in the process. This feature adds a more realistic touch to the game, allowing players to have more control over their pet’s actions and fostering a deeper bond between them. Cats and dogs can alsobecome familiarsif players have a Spellcaster Sim available via the Realm of Magic game pack.
Brindleton Bay
Brindleton Bay is a beautiful new world where Sims can choose to live, offering 16 lots in total. With scenic views, a picturesque harbor, and plenty of activities to explore, Brindleton Bay is the perfect destination for Sims and their pets. The world is a pet lover’s paradise, as many of the locations offer activities tailored specifically for cats and dogs. From the Cavalier Cove neighborhood to the Chateau Frise lot, it’s evident that much of the area is named after various animal breeds or carries an animal theme in general. Players may even come across the town’s mayor, a stray cat aptly named Mayor Whiskers.
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With its generous size and breathtaking views, Brindleton Bay is one of thebest worlds inThe Sims 4, even for players who don’t have a pet. This gorgeous coastal town is reminiscent of a New England seaside village, with its large beaches and surrounding bay. In terms of the pre-made community lot options, there are five options available, including a bar, lounge, museum, a park perfect for taking dogs for a walk, and a vet clinic if players are not interested in building one from the scratch.
Vet Clinic
Vet Clinic is an interesting alternative to owning a retail or restaurant business. As a vet, Sims will be responsible for staffing, managing treatments of animals, and providing customers with a high level of care. you may also customize your veterinary business by gaining perk points which can help with the success of the business as players unlock more perks for their vet clinics. Similar to owning other businesses inThe Sims 4, players have the ability to customize numerous aspects of their vet clinic. Players can choose the markup prices, hire staff to cater to different functions, and manage other important matters. Additionally, as long as the lot has the necessary equipment, players can decorate and customize their clinics to their liking. Furthermore, a pleasant environment will help with customer ratings among other details such as the waiting time, friendly interactions, and similar.
When Sims and their pets enter the clinic, they will be greeted by a vet Sim who will then take the pet to an examination table for further assessment. The vet will work to identify the pet’s symptoms and give the right treatment. In some cases, medicine can be given as a treatment, however, in others, the patient may need to be moved to a surgery machine for further treatment. This part of the gameplay makes it much like the Doctor active career. Once the patient is healed, the vet will have a short discussion with the owner to bill them for the service. In order to treat more patients in an effective and efficient manner, sometips for running a successful vet clinicare to utilize staff effectively, keep the environment clean by purchasing a robot cleaner, and unlock the vet perks for added benefits. If players do not wish to actively manage their vet clinic, they can open it from home and allow the staff to handle the cases. This is only recommended if players have acquired enough perks that will enable the staff to do so effectively.
Pet Training Skill
Pet training is a minor skill that can be quickly mastered, with a maximum level cap of 5. It is relatively simple to learn and provides a great way to bond with your pet. In general, pet training has two sides. Firstly, having higher skills in pet training can help curb misbehavior in animals and increase the chances that they will learn not to do unwanted activities quicker when they are scolded or lectured. Once they have understood the desired behavior, players will receive a notification informing them that the pet has learned the new behavior.
Another part of the pet training skill inThe Sims 4is teaching tricks to dogs. Sims will be able to teach them a variety of tricks that they can perform for other Sims, send them out hunting to collect items, and even command them to attack other Sims. While predecessors in the franchise allowed cats to learn some tricks, this feature is not available in The Sims 4.
Veterinarian Skill
Veterinarian skill is meant to be used in combination with the Vet Clinic, but it is also entirely possible to learn and benefit from this skill without owning one. Investing in the Veterinarian skill for Sims is an expensive one, as it cannot be learned from a book, but requires a variety of equipment to be purchased. However, it is worth it, as it provides an alternative option to taking pets to the vet, with Sims being able to treat them in the comfort of their own home.
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With this skill, Sims can craft Age Down and Age Up treats from Level 6 on, effectively making their pets immortal, as they can only die from old age. If a beloved pet happens to die, an Ambrosia Treat which is unlocked on Level 10 can be crafted to bring them back to life. This is a perfect way to ensure that the companions live as long as their owners without resorting to cheats, and it also makessense for occult Simssuch as vampires and spellcasters, since their magical nature would align with having more control over their pet’s lifespan.
New Traits
Cats and Dogs brings a variety of unique and shared characteristics, with a total of 34 pet traits - 17 for cats and 17 for dogs. Each pet can have up to three traits, allowing them to develop unique personalities and behaviors. For instance, affectionate cat may follow their owners around the house, while skittish cats may be more likely to hide when there is a storm. Smart dogs will learn tricks quickly, while aggressive dogs might be hostile toward strangers and attack unless they are properly trained. Animal traits often have a greater impact on behavior than those of Sims, making the experience of playing with pets all the more fun and immersive since pets cannot be controlled. Along with the animal-inspired traits, this pack also introduces two new skills for Sims: Cat Lover and Dog Lover. These skills are aligned well with the theme of the pack.
Trait Type
Cat Lover
These Sims tend to make cats their companions, preferring the company of cats to other Sims.
Lifestyle
Dog Lover
These Sims love to be near dogs. They will gain relationships faster with dogs and socialize with dogs more than the average Sim.
Both of these traits, Dog Person and Cat Person, have similar attributes and provide additional strong happy moodlets when a Sim is near a loved pet, as well as helping them to build relationships quicker and unlock other interactions with other Sims that share the same trait. Players should be aware that this differs from the corresponding traits inThe Sims 3, since Dog Person and Cat Person traits would conflict with each other, whereas inThe Sims 4, both can be given to the same Sim. Additionally, the Animal Enthusiast trait from the Cottage Living expansion pack will also work in combination with these traits, granting even more positive moodlets when around any animal.
New Lot Traits
Lot traitsare nothing newinThe Sims 4, as many of them have already been added to the base game and with the City Living expansion pack. This expansion adds even more options by introducing 6 pet-related lot traits that fit with the expansion’s theme.
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Breeding Grounds will increase the success rate and litter size of pregnancies, while Cat/Dog Hangout will make more stray cats/dogs spawn at the lot. Training Ground will help with the Pet training skill. Additionally, two exclusive commercial lot traits, Cat Friendly and Dog Friendly will make visitors bring their pets with them when visiting.
Friend Of The Animals Aspiration
As the Cats & Dogs pack focuses on Sims' beloved companions, it makes perfect sense that the aspiration that comes with the pack revolves around interacting with animals and training out any misbehaviors, with the ultimate goal of becoming friends with many animals. This aspiration doesn’t require the Sims to have any veterinary or pet training skills, or vet clinics; instead, it’s all about befriending animals and engaging in positive interactions, whether they are from their household or strays.
The steps of the aspiration are quite straightforward but can be difficult to complete outside of Brindleton Bay if players are starting a new playthrough, as there won’t be many animals to interact with in other worlds. To make things easier, Sims should consistently interact with many different animals. The last step of the aspiration can be a bit gloomy, as it requires players to play with ghost pets. To complete the aspiration quickly, without having to wait for their beloved pets to die of old age, Sims can visit the cemetery located in the Deadgrass Isle neighborhood of Brindleton Bay. Completing the aspiration will grant Sims the Animal Whisperer reward trait, which will help improve their relationships with animals, as well as make it easier to train animals.
New CAS And Build/Buy Items
WhileThe Sims 4 Cats & Dogsprimarily focuses on pets and their Create-A-Pet interface, it still impressively introduces over 100 new Create-A-Sim (CAS) items for Sims of all ages and genders. Most of these items are casual in style, but some feature unique, animal-themed designs, such as cat patterned sweaters, dog and cat necklaces, and even a hairstyle with cat ears for teens to elders.
On the other hand, the expansion brings around 330 new items in Buy/Build mode, most of which are objects that make sense in a pet owner’s house. Additionally, there are items related to a vet clinic, as well as many animal-themed items. Furthermore, other items fit the theme of Brindleton Bay and its typical coastal English town architectural style.
The Sims 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
