To answer how do i tame a cat in minecraft, find a stray cat in a village or a swamp hut, hold raw cod or raw salmon, and approach slowly while sneaking. Feed the cat repeatedly until hearts appear and a collar shows. There is no fixed fish count, so bring at least 10 raw fish.
How do i tame a cat in minecraft?
You tame a cat by feeding an untamed stray cat either raw cod or raw salmon. The cat must be a stray cat, not an ocelot. Ocelots live in jungles and can become trusting, but they cannot be tamed into house pets in modern Minecraft.
What you need
- One stray cat from a village or swamp hut
- Raw cod or raw salmon
- Several fish, because the first feeding may not tame the cat
- A safe path or enclosed area if the cat is near danger
Raw cod and raw salmon work the same way. Cooked fish, tropical fish, and pufferfish do not tame cats. You do not need a crafting recipe, special block, lead, name tag, or potion.
Find a stray cat
The easiest place to find a cat is a village. Stray cats wander around village paths, houses, farms, and nearby terrain. They run away when you get too close, so search carefully instead of sprinting through the village.
You can also find a black stray cat at a swamp hut. The cat that generates with the hut is untamed and can be tamed using the same fish method as a village cat. This makes swamp huts a reliable place to look for a black cat, although finding the structure can take longer than finding a village.
How to attract a cat
- Put raw cod or raw salmon in your hand.
- Crouch or sneak before moving toward the cat.
- Stay several blocks away and let the cat walk toward you.
- Keep your crosshair on the cat without making sudden movements.
A stray cat is nervous and usually sprints away from players. Holding the correct fish makes it interested in you, but moving too quickly can still scare it off. If it flees, stop chasing it, keep the fish equipped, and wait for it to settle before trying again.
Feed the cat until it is tamed
When the cat is close enough, use the raw cod or raw salmon on it. On PC, this usually means right-clicking. On a controller or touchscreen, use the normal interact button. Each fish has a chance to tame the cat, so one fish is not guaranteed to work.
- Keep sneaking while the cat approaches.
- Use one raw cod or raw salmon on the cat.
- Continue feeding it whenever the game allows another interaction.
- Stop when heart particles appear and the cat receives a colored collar.
There is no exact answer to how many fish to tame a cat in Minecraft. The number varies because each feeding has a chance to succeed. Some cats tame quickly, while others need several fish. Bring around 10 raw fish for a normal attempt, or carry a full stack if you are traveling a long distance and do not want the cat to escape before you finish.
Once tamed, the cat stops running from you and follows its owner. It also remains persistent instead of behaving like a naturally spawned stray cat.
What cats do after taming
A tamed cat is a useful companion even though it does not fight for you. You can interact with it to make it sit or stand. A sitting cat stays in place until you command it to stand, which helps when you want to keep it inside a house, base, or decorative room.
- Tamed cats follow their owner when they are standing.
- They can teleport to you when they fall too far behind.
- They scare creepers away from themselves and nearby areas.
- They scare phantoms away, helping protect you during nighttime travel.
- They may sleep near you when you use a bed and can bring gifts after waking.
- They can be bred with raw cod or raw salmon once you have two tamed cats.
Cats do not attack hostile mobs on command like tamed wolves. Their main advantages are protection from creepers and phantoms, companionship, breeding, and decoration.
Keep your newly tamed cat safe
After taming a cat, lead it into a secure area before traveling far from home. You can make it sit inside your base, or build a small enclosed shelter with a door. A sitting cat will not follow you until you interact with it again.
Be careful around cliffs, lava, water, hostile mobs, and open caves. Cats can wander into dangerous places while following you. If you need to move one over a long distance, clear the route first and use boats, enclosed paths, or short trips between safe areas.
If the cat is injured, feed it raw cod or raw salmon to restore health. The same fish also puts two standing tamed cats into love mode, allowing them to produce a kitten. You cannot breed a cat that is sitting, so make both cats stand before feeding them for breeding.
Java and Bedrock Edition differences
The basic taming method is the same in Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. In both versions, you find a stray cat, approach while sneaking with raw cod or raw salmon, and feed it until hearts and a collar appear.
The controls differ by platform, but the gameplay action does not. Use the interact button for your device, keep the correct raw fish selected, and avoid sprinting toward the cat. If you are trying to tame an ocelot, remember that the modern editions treat it as a separate jungle mob rather than a cat that can become your pet.
Common taming mistakes
- Using cooked fish: Cats need raw cod or raw salmon for taming.
- Chasing the cat: Sprinting after it makes it flee farther away.
- Walking normally: Sneak while approaching so the cat is less likely to panic.
- Bringing only one fish: Taming is chance-based, so one fish may not be enough.
- Trying to tame an ocelot: Ocelots can be found in jungles, but they are not tameable as cats.
- Leaving the cat exposed: Make it sit in a safe enclosure before exploring.
If a cat keeps escaping, create a small fenced or walled area near it, enter without sprinting, and wait with raw fish in your hand. Once the cat is close enough, feed it from inside the enclosure. This is usually faster than chasing it across a village.
