How to Tame a Cat in Minecraft

As you’re exploring your own Minecraft world, you will come across stray cats from time to time. These non-hostile mobs will leave you alone if you leave them alone, but you also have the option to tame them. All it takes is fish and a little persistence, and you can turn a stray cat into a tame cat in Minecraft.

How Does Taming Cats Work in Minecraft?

Minecraft is a constant work in progress, and it hasn’t always included cats. Ocelots made it into the game first, followed by the ability to tame them. In that earlier version of the game, the only way to get a pet cat in Minecraft was to tame an ocelot. It was still technically just a tame ocelot and not a cat, but it was the closest you could get.

Taming cats in Minecraft works just like taming ocelots, in that you have to provide them with fish until they become friendly. Once you’ve successfully tamed a cat, you can also breed them.

Here’s what you need if you want to tame a cat in Minecraft:

• Any cat.
• A supply of fish.

How to Tame a Cat in Minecraft

Follow these steps to tame a cat and gain its friendship:

1. Go fishing, and obtain a supply of fish.

   Specifically, fish for raw cod or raw salmon; pufferfish won't work.

2. Equip the fish.

3. Locate a cat that you want to tame.

   Cats are skittish and will run away if you chase them. Locate a cat, then stand still while holding fish, and the cat will approach you.

4. With the cat immediately in front of you and the fish equipped, use the fish.

   To use an item in Minecraft:

   • Windows 10 and Java Edition: Right-click and hold.
   • Mobile: Tap and hold.
   • PlayStation: Press and hold the L2 button.
   • Xbox: Press and hold the LT button.
   • Nintendo: Press and hold the ZL button.

5. Gray smoke will appear above a cat after you give them fish.

6. Continue giving fish to the cat until you see red hearts appear.

7. The cat is now tame. You can repeat this process if you want multiple cats.

Where to Find Cats in Minecraft

The most challenging part about taming a cat in Minecraft is finding a cat that you want to tame. They’re found all over the place, but typically only near settlements. That means the best way to find a stray cat in Minecraft is first to find a village.

The most common places to find a stray cat in Minecraft include: 

• Savanna Villages
• Taiga Villages
• Plains Villages
• Desert Villages
• Witch Huts

There are 11 different types of cats in the game with various fur patterns, some of which are more common than others. Unfortunately, colors and patterns are random and don’t relate to the spawn location, so you can’t seek a specific type of village to find a particular kind of cat. The main exception is that black cats are commonly near witch huts in swamp biomes.

Here are the different types of cats you can find in Minecraft:

• Tabby
• Red Tabby
• Tuxedo
• Siamese
• British Shorthair
• Calico
• Persian
• Ragdoll
• White
• Jellie
• Black