Pet Tier List 2026: Which Starter Pet Should You Pick?

All 5 starter pets ranked · Last Updated: July 19, 2026

TL;DR

For solo players: Pick the Cat. Fastest friendship gain, highest passive bonuses.

For co-op players: Pick the Dog. Aura buffs boost nearby players by 15%.

For cosmetic-only players: The Rabbit is the cutest but offers no gameplay advantage.

1. The 5 Starter Pets Ranked

RankPetTypeFriendship SpeedUnique BuffBest For
SCat (Tabby)Feline+25%Auto-loot gold scrapsSolo F2P
SDog (Husky)Canine+10%+15% XP aura (10 tile radius)Co-op
ARabbit (Holland Lop)Lagomorph+5%Cosmetic onlyCosmetics
AFox (Fennec)Canine+15%+10% night fishing rateNight players
BBear Cub (Sun)Ursine∞%+20% gather rateGatherers

2. Personal Test Notes

Marcus: The Cat's auto-loot is the single best passive in the game. Over 30 days, it collected ~12,000 Gold in scraps I'd have missed. That's an extra 400 Gold/day from doing nothing.

Lin: The Dog aura is a game-changer for co-op. Two Dogs = 30% XP boost for the whole party. We hit DG 15 in 2 weeks as a duo with dogs vs 3 weeks solo with cats.

Sofia: The Fox is the most underrated. +10% night fishing on top of the existing night bonus = effective 130% catch rate. If you play mostly after 22:00, this is the meta pick.

3. Late-Game Pet Value (DG 12+)

At DG 12, you can adopt a second pet. The "starter" becomes your secondary.

StarterBest SecondaryTotal Gold/Day Bonus
CatFox (night fish bonus stacks)~1,000
DogCat (auto-loot)~900
RabbitCat (compensate for cosmetic)~700
FoxCat (auto-loot + night fish)~1,200
BearCat (compensate for slow friendship)~600

4. Friendship Speed Comparison

Days to reach Best Friend status (max affinity) with optimal play:

5. Best Friend Rewards Comparison

PetBest Friend RewardGold Value
CatCat Tower + 5 Wishing Stars8,000
DogDog Park Wallpaper + 5 Wishing Stars7,500
RabbitRabbit Hutch Skin + 5 Wishing Stars6,000
FoxFox Shrine + 5 Wishing Stars8,500
BearBear Statue + 5 Wishing Stars7,000

6. Pro Tips

7. 10 Player FAQs

No. One of each species, max. Second pet slot is different species.

No. Story is identical for all choices. Pet only affects gameplay bonuses.

The gather bonus is strong for gatherers (Woodcutters, Miners). For most players, the friendship penalty hurts more than the gather bonus helps.

No. Starter pet is permanent. You can adopt a SECOND different pet at DG 12.

The Cat's passive ability to automatically collect gold scraps (5-50 Gold per drop) that you'd otherwise miss.

No. Each account is independent.

Golden Tabby Cat (1.2% drop from random gift boxes). See our rare pet guide.

Yes, in the Pet menu under "Stats". It tracks every passive action.

No. Each pet excels in a different playstyle. Pick the one that matches yours.

No. All pet content is F2P.

8. Update Log

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