Starfield: Can You Have Pets?

Some say every RPG needs romance, but I say every RPG needs pets. Starfield certainly has a bit of the former, but does it have some friendly critters that will follow you across the galaxy? A loyal pup to hang out and see the sights, a haughty cat to perch in random parts of your ship? In this guide, we’ll answer the question of can you have pets in Starfield?

Can You Have Pets in Starfield?

If you’ve been paying attention while looking around New Atlantis, you may have noticed a distinct lack of cats and dogs. You won’t have seen any if you’ve looked around any inhabited area for what we know as domestic pets today. No dogs, no cats, no rabbits, or iguanas. No pets anywhere, which seems a little strange.

It appears domesticated dogs may be extinct in Starfield if the in-game Chocolate Labs candy is to be believed. Considering Labrador Retrievers are the most popular dogs on earth, and they’re extinct, probably all the rest are, as well. The Twitter account Can You Pet The Dog? pointed this out during the Starfield early access period, and it’s very possible you’ve seen it yourself.

So the answer is no: you can’t adopt a pet in Starfield. This was likely not a design decision taken lightly, considering just how popular dogs and cats in games actually are, but it is as it stands for now. Maybe the modding community will sort out the lack of pets, it’s a bit of a glaring omission from an otherwise comfy game.

It’s hard to imagine humanity would just move forward without the species of animals we’ve come to love. But anything is possible. If you were hoping to roleplay as an animal lover specifically, you may have to rethink your approach.

Now you know whether you can have pets in Starfield, even if the answer is disappointing. Take a look at some of our comprehensive Starfield guide library covering topics such as how to complete the Executive Level mission and how to do the puddle glitch.