Taming cats in Minecraft is a fun and rewarding experience, as cats not only add a cute, cuddly companion to your world but also provide some practical benefits. Once tamed, cats can help keep hostile mobs like Creepers at bay and provide a cozy atmosphere in your home. However, taming cats in Minecraft isn’t as simple as feeding them bones like dogs. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to tame a cat in Minecraft, along with some useful tips and tricks.
Why Tame Cats in Minecraft?
Before we dive into the specifics of how to tame a cat, let’s look at some reasons why you might want one:
- Repelling Creepers: Cats have the unique ability to scare Creepers away. Creepers will not come near a cat, making them valuable companions while you’re working on your builds.
- Aesthetic and Companionship: Cats add a lot of charm to your Minecraft home and are cute companions that can follow you around, sit with you, or sleep on your bed.
- Breeding: You can breed tamed cats to produce kittens, which can be a great way to have more feline friends.
Steps to Tame Cats in Minecraft
1. Find a Stray Cat
Cats in Minecraft aren’t as easy to find as other tameable mobs like wolves. Instead, you’ll need to find stray cats, which spawn in villages.
- Where to find cats: Stray cats spawn in villages and can usually be found near the homes of villagers or under roofs. If you're in a village biome, you’re most likely to encounter stray cats.
- Types of cats: There are various types of cats, such as tabby cats, black cats, and Siamese cats. The type of cat you encounter will depend on the village's location.
2. Gather Raw Fish (Raw Salmon or Raw Cod)
To tame a cat, you’ll need to have raw fish in your inventory. Both raw salmon and raw cod can be used for taming cats. Here’s how to get them:
- Catch Raw Fish: You can fish for raw salmon or cod using a fishing rod, or you can kill fish found in the water. To get raw salmon, you can fish in rivers or oceans, while raw cod can be found in oceans, rivers, and some lakes.
- Do not use cooked fish: Cats cannot be tamed with cooked fish, so make sure you have raw fish.
3. Approach the Cat Slowly
Cats in Minecraft are skittish and will run away when you approach them too quickly. You’ll need to be patient and move slowly toward the cat.
- Sneak up on the cat: Hold the shift key (for Java Edition) or sneak button (for Bedrock Edition) to crouch. Crouching will allow you to move slowly and avoid scaring the cat away.
- Wait for the cat to stop running: Cats will often run away as you get close, but eventually, they will stop and sit. Wait for the cat to pause so you can approach it.
4. Feed the Cat Raw Fish
Once you’re close to the cat, it’s time to start feeding it.
- Right-click (Java Edition) or press the action button (Bedrock Edition) while holding raw fish in your hand to feed the cat.
- Keep feeding the cat: You’ll need to feed the cat multiple pieces of raw fish. After each piece, you should see heart particles above the cat, indicating that it’s becoming more friendly.
- Be patient: Cats take a bit longer to tame than other animals. It may take several raw fish before the cat is fully tamed, so be patient and keep offering the fish.
5. Look for the Hearts
Once the cat has been successfully tamed, you’ll see heart particles above its head. This means the cat is now your companion!
- Tamed cat behavior: After taming, the cat will follow you around, sit by your side, or sleep on your bed. It will no longer run away from you.
6. Make Your Cat Sit or Stand
Now that the cat is tamed, you can control whether it sits or stands:
- Right-click (Java Edition) or press the action button (Bedrock Edition) on the cat to make it sit. When a cat is sitting, it will stay in one spot and not follow you.
- Right-click again (or press the action button) to make the cat stand and follow you again.
7. Optional: Name Your Cat
You can give your cat a unique name if you’d like. To do this, you’ll need a name tag and an anvil:
- Get a name tag: You can find name tags while fishing, through trading with villagers, or in various loot chests.
- Rename the name tag: Use an anvil to rename the name tag to your desired name.
- Use the name tag: Right-click on your tamed cat while holding the renamed name tag to give your cat its new name.
Additional Tips for Taming Cats in Minecraft
- Cats Can Teleport to You: Tamed cats will teleport to your location if you walk too far away. This can be useful if you’re exploring caves or traveling long distances.
- Breeding Cats: To breed cats, you need to have two tamed cats and feed both of them raw fish. When they’re close to each other and have been fed, they will enter “love mode” and produce a kitten.
- Cats on Beds: Cats will often sleep on beds, adding to the cozy atmosphere of your home.
- Repelling Creepers: The most notable benefit of having a tamed cat is that it will scare away Creepers. Creepers will avoid getting too close to cats, making them useful for protecting your base from one of Minecraft’s most dangerous mobs.
Conclusion
Taming cats in Minecraft can be a bit more challenging than other animals, but with patience and the right approach, it’s a fun and rewarding experience. Cats make wonderful companions, and their ability to scare off Creepers makes them invaluable in your world. By following these steps, you’ll be able to find and tame a cat, name it, and enjoy the company of your new feline friend as you continue your Minecraft adventures. Happy taming! 🐱