How to Adopt a Pet in Sims 2 Pets

模拟人生2：宠物中的宠物领养

Pet Adoption in The Sims 2: Pets

Pet Adoption Methods on PC

• The Sims 2: Pets* offers players several ways to acquire cat and dog pets, including contacting adoption agencies via phone/computer, visiting community pet stores, adopting stray animals, and creating pets from scratch (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Here are the main adoption routes:

• Contacting the Adoption Center via Phone or Computer: In the PC version, Sims can use their home phone, cell phone, or computer's "Services" option to contact the Pet Adoption Center and apply to adopt a pet (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). After calling the adoption service, a list will pop up showing currently available animals, including large dogs, small dogs, cats, and young puppies/kittens (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com). Players can preview basic information for each adoptable pet, such as its breed, gender, personality traits (e.g., Genius/Doofus, Hyper/Lazy), and any commands or habits they have already learned (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com). The adoption center charges a fee based on the pet's acquired skills—well-trained pets cost more, making the adoption feel somewhat like a transaction (some pets are simply delivered to the doorstep) (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). Once a pet is chosen, an adoption center employee will bring the pet to the player's home to complete the adoption process.
• Purchasing from a Community Pet Store: If the player's neighborhood has a pet store (some are included by default or need to be placed by the player), Sims can visit this community lot in person to choose a pet (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A). In the pet store, players can browse a wider variety of breeds and coat colors for cats and dogs, offering more selection compared to phone adoption (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). After selecting a desired pet, players can proceed with the paperwork to bring it home. If the player also has the *Open for Business* expansion pack installed, they can run their own pet store, placing pets in display cages to sell to other families (The Sims 2: Pets | The Sims Wiki | Fandom) (this effectively provides an additional way to acquire or transfer pets).
• Adopting Stray Pets: After installing the *Pets* expansion pack, stray cats and dogs will appear in the game. They do not belong to any household and often wander around residential lots (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). Players can build relationships with strays through repeated interactions, such as giving food, petting, and friendly communication. When the relationship score with a stray animal reaches 50 or higher, a special **"Adopt"** interaction becomes available (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A). If the player clicks "Adopt" at this point and the pet accepts, the stray cat or dog will join the player's household and become an official pet (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A). Adopting pets this way costs nothing, but requires time and effort to build the relationship, and the reappearance of strays is unpredictable (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A). Because of this, adopting strays is considered by many players to be the most heartwarming and touching way to get a pet—players use patience and care to provide a warm home for a homeless animal (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal).
• Creating Custom Pets: Players can also design their own pet when creating a family, adding it directly to the household (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). In the "Create-A-Family" screen before starting the game, the Create-A-Pet mode allows players to customize a cat or dog from scratch: choose a preset breed or mix breeds, customize the pet's body shape, facial features, coat color and markings, etc., and then set the pet's personality traits (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). The expansion pack provides 72 preset dog breeds and 30 preset cat breeds to choose from (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), and players can also freely adjust features to create unique new breeds. Pet personality is determined by several trait sliders, such as Genius/Doofus, Aggressive/Friendly, Lazy/Hyper, Pigpen/Neat, which can be assigned during creation to shape the desired personality combination. Once designed, this custom pet will move into the household along with the created Sims. The game even offers a **"Pet Registration"** feature: players can call to register their custom-created new breed, so that this breed will appear in the Create-A-Pet breed list in the future, making it easy to reuse or share with others (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com).

New pets (cats or dogs) acquired through any of these methods, once added to the family, count towards the household member limit and are subject to family size restrictions (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Players can also use the phone menu to give up a household pet to the adoption center if they feel overwhelmed by the number of pets or if pets don't get along; this is equivalent to surrendering the pet to be cared for by NPCs or rehomed to other families in need (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com). Regardless of how a pet is added, players should have basic pet supplies ready (like food bowls, beds, litter boxes) to meet the new member's needs, otherwise the pet might cause trouble due to unmet needs like hunger or bladder issues upon arrival.

Pet Adoption and Interaction Differences on Console Versions

On console platforms (such as PlayStation 2, GameCube, Wii, etc.) of *The Sims 2: Pets*, the pet acquisition and interaction mechanics differ, adjusted to suit console controls and gameplay limitations. Key differences include:

• Creating Custom Pets Freely: Console versions also allow players to customize and add pets when creating Sims at the beginning. Players can enter "Create-A-Pet" mode to create cats or dogs, similarly choosing breeds or adjusting appearance details and personality, adding the designed pet directly to the family to start the game (The Sims 2: Pets (console)/Pets — StrategyWiki | Strategy guide and game reference wiki). Since console versions do not have separate expansion packs to add later, this is one of the main ways for players to get their ideal specific pet on console.
• Changed Adoption Process: Console platforms lack the function to contact the adoption center by phone. Instead, pet adoption takes place in a public area (The Sims 2: Pets (console)/Pets — StrategyWiki | Strategy guide and game reference wiki). The game features a central community hub called "Town Square," where the **"Pet Purveyors" shop functions as the adoption center/pet store. Sims can visit this location to choose from currently available adoptable pets (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). At Pet Purveyors, players will see several cats or dogs available for adoption, but cannot further customize them—the pet's appearance and personality are pre-set at the time of adoption (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom) (unlike the PC version where players can gradually create ideal breeds through breeding or genetics registration). After selecting a pet, the adoption is processed directly, and it returns to the player's residence as a new household member. Additionally, players can also sell (give away) their own household pets at this store, which is the console equivalent of "giving up for adoption," to reduce the number of pets in the family (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom).
• Stray Pet Adoption: While console versions focus on community adoption, they retain some stray pet mechanics. If unowned stray cats or dogs (or lost pets) appear near the player's residence or in Town Square, players can check the pet's microchip (console versions use chips to identify pet ownership) (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). If the animal is found to have no owner, the player has the opportunity to take it home (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). It's worth noting that because console versions lack the concept of neighboring Sim families, stray pets appear less frequently, and the adoption process isn't as explicit as the PC's "Adopt" command, being closer to simply "taking home" an unowned pet.
• Other Gameplay Differences: The console version of *Pets* is generally more simplified in its mechanics: the game features no life stage changes for Sims, who remain adults forever, while pets only have two stages: puppy/kitten and adult (The Sims 2: Pets (console)/Pets — StrategyWiki | Strategy guide and game reference wiki). Young kittens and puppies grow into adults after about 6 Sim hours but do not age further; there is no elder stage, and they do not die of old age. This means console versions lack the multi-generational breeding possibilities of the PC version for passing down pet lineage. Furthermore, console versions remove complex features like pet careers and skill training; players cannot have pets work jobs or enter competitions. Regarding special NPC animals, the console version does not include the wolves and skunks found on PC: wolf packs will not spawn at night, thus eliminating the werewolf transformation element; skunks (and the event where they spray smelly liquid) are also omitted (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). These adjustments were largely made due to performance constraints and gameplay choices for console gaming—developers removed more complex or realistic elements, making the console version focus more on direct control and casual experience. Notably, the console version allows players to directly control their Sims' movements (Direct Control mode), using a controller to walk around rooms and interact with pets, which differs from the PC's traditional point-and-click command style and offers a distinct control feel.

In summary, the console version of *The Sims 2: Pets* leans more towards fixed location selection and initial customization for adoption, omitting the PC's phone appointment process while also cutting some advanced features, aiming to provide simpler "pet ownership" fun. Despite platform limitations leading to some detailed differences, players can still own, care for, and enjoy pets on consoles, just through relatively more straightforward and singular methods.

Types of Adoptable Pets

Cats and Dogs: On both PC and console, the primary types of pets that can officially join a household in *The Sims 2: Pets* expansion pack are cats and dogs. These two types of pets have full simulated life behaviors, can interact with Sims, learn commands, and count as household members. The game includes a rich variety of dog and cat breeds for players to choose from: there are 72 preset dog breeds and 30 preset cat breeds (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) (the breed list covers common breeds like Labradors, German Shepherds, Poodles, to fancy cats like Bombay, Siamese, and Persians). Players can select these breeds when adopting or creating pets, giving the pet corresponding physical characteristics. Additionally, by freely adjusting appearance in Create-A-Pet mode, players can also create various mixed-breed or uniquely styled cats and dogs, fulfilling the desire for a "custom pet" (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). It's important to note that once cats and dogs are adopted into the household, they are considered family members with their own needs and behavioral logic, requiring care and training just like human Sims.

Small Animal Pets: Besides cats and dogs, the game also introduces several small pets for families to keep, such as guinea pigs (also called womrats, small animals resembling guinea pigs/hamsters), ornamental fish, and caged birds (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). These small pets are not obtained through adoption services but are acquired directly by purchasing their corresponding cages or aquariums (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). In Buy Mode, players can purchase the "Rodent Roundup" FMCU3000 cage to keep a furry womrat pet, or buy a birdcage to house a parrot or canary, etc. (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com). Buying a fish tank allows for keeping tropical fish or goldfish as decorative pets (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com). These small animals do not take up household slots and cannot roam freely or interact as extensively as cats and dogs; they function more like special objects: players need to feed them regularly and clean their cages/tanks, and they perform limited interactions (e.g., birds can learn to talk, womrats might escape). Small pets add extra fun to the game but are not strictly "adoptable" as acquiring them doesn't involve an adoption process.

Hidden or Special Pets: *The Sims 2: Pets* also features some special animal characters that are not obtained through conventional adoption but are linked to the pet system. The most notable among these is the wolf. On PC, wild wolves may randomly visit a household's lot at night. They resemble large black dogs, but the one with faintly glowing eyes is the "leader of the pack" (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com). Regular wolves, if they develop a positive relationship with the player's family, can actually be adopted by Sims and kept as pet dogs (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com) (essentially, the game treats wolves as dogs with special coats). However, the pack leader with glowing eyes cannot be directly adopted. Instead, when a Sim builds a sufficiently high relationship with the pack leader (both daily and lifetime relationship scores ≥ 50), the leader might "nibble" the Sim's arm during a visit, infecting them and turning them into a werewolf (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com). Werewolves are a new supernatural life state introduced in this expansion pack; afflicted Sims transform into hairy werewolf forms every night and revert to normal during the day (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Werewolves have enhanced pet training abilities and some special interactions, serving as one of the game's hidden elements. Besides wolves, the PC version also has skunks as special NPC animals: skunks sometimes randomly wander onto a player's lot, and if a Sim or pet tries to interact with them, they will spray a foul odor, making the target stinky (The Sims 2: Pets | The Sims Wiki | Fandom) (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com). Skunks cannot be adopted as pets, nor can they be killed or shooed away; they must leave on their own. Their presence purely adds amusement and trouble (they usually won't spray unless provoked). It's worth mentioning that if players neglect their pets, leading to prolonged starvation or extreme unhappiness, an animal control officer may visit and take the pet away. This represents the pet adoption agency acting in a "social services" role, taking abandoned or abused animals back to the shelter (The Sims 2: Pets/Pet Needs - StrategyWiki)—in this scenario, the pet leaves the household and might later reappear as a stray **(Note: This is not a hidden pet, but illustrates the game's simulation of real-world pet ownership responsibility)**.

It should be emphasized that the console versions, having omitted elements like wolves and skunks, do not feature the werewolf phenomenon or these specific special NPC animals (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). Instead, the console version adds a small pet called the "Piggle Puff", a fictional hybrid pet resembling a guinea pig and hamster, which players can obtain by buying its cage from the pet store in Town Square (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). The console Piggle Puff is equivalent to the PC's womrat, and console versions also offer fish tanks and birdcages as items in the pet store. Overall, regardless of the platform, the main pets players can own are cats and dogs, while other animals exist either as decorative pets or appear as game easter eggs/random events, enriching the game world but not directly falling under the category of "adoption".

Adoption Restrictions and Conditions

Household Member Limit: In the PC version, each household can have a maximum of 6 cat or dog pets (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Every time a player adopts a cat or dog, it occupies one household slot. When the household pet count reaches the maximum, the game prohibits adopting more pets (the adoption option on the phone will be grayed out). It's important to note that cats and dogs also count towards the overall household member limit. For example, the base game rule is a maximum of 8 human Sims per household; when pets are added, the total number of Sims + pets cannot exceed 10 (this hidden limit was mentioned in official chats) (Sims2 Pets: Just the facts, ma'am - Mod The Sims). For instance, if a household already has 6 Sims, they can have at most 4 pets; conversely, if they already have 6 pets, they can only have 4 human members. Usually, however, the 6-pet limit is reached before the total household limit. Setting a pet limit is intended to prevent performance issues or management difficulties caused by too many household members, and aligns with the real-world concept that keeping an excessive number of pets is impractical.

Adoption Eligibility Conditions: To initiate pet adoption, a household needs a Sim who is a Teen or older to make the call (Children cannot independently call for services). Additionally, the adoption service is only available when someone is home and not on a community lot, as the NPC needs someone to receive the pet delivery. Similarly, visiting a pet store for adoption requires the Sim to have enough Simoleons to pay the purchase fee. Families with tight finances might need to save up before considering adding a pet (although adoption center fees are usually low, ongoing pet expenses like food and toys are continuous costs). Adopted pets generally come with basic training; for example, puppies/kittens will find their food bowl on their own, and adult cats will use the litter box, ensuring the new pet can basically adapt to household life. However, if the family hasn't prepared essential items like food bowls or pet beds, the newly arrived pet might become hungry or have nowhere to rest, thus lowering its satisfaction. Therefore, from both gameplay mechanics and experience perspectives, preparing pet supplies in advance, while not a strict requirement, is a wise move.

Special Adoption Scenarios: If a player chooses to adopt a stray pet, certain relationship conditions must be met (like the aforementioned friendship score ≥ 50) to unlock the adoption interaction (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A). Furthermore, a stray pet's willingness to be adopted has an element of randomness: even if the relationship requirement is met, the pet might refuse to join the household if it's in a bad mood at that moment, requiring the player to try again later. For players wanting to experience the werewolf state, having a Sim bitten by the pack leader is a condition for "acquiring special pet abilities," but this doesn't actually involve direct adoption behavior, and once turned into a werewolf, the Sim still needs to care for household pets as a normal human during the day. It's worth noting that if a household already has pet babies (puppies/kittens), they cannot acquire new young pets through the adoption service, as young pets are typically only available through breeding or randomly offered by the adoption center (the list usually has limited young pets). Overall, the game's restrictions and conditions related to pet adoption ensure gameplay balance while partially simulating real-world factors to consider when owning pets (space, energy, financial capacity, etc.).

Game Design Philosophy

The pet adoption mechanics in *The Sims 2: Pets* reflect Maxis' thoughtful design and balancing act, considering diverse player experiences and blending simulation of reality with entertainment value during development:

• Purpose of Multiple Adoption Paths: Providing various routes like phone adoption, pet store purchase, stray adoption, and custom creation aims to simulate different real-world ways of obtaining pets and cater to various player styles (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). For instance, players who prefer convenience can get a new pet instantly with a phone call, akin to adopting from a shelter, implemented in-game as a menu-driven immediate service (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal); whereas players who enjoy the selection process can have their Sims "browse" at a pet store, personally picking out their preferred cat or dog (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). This design ensures that whether players favor story immersion, management gameplay, or creative freedom, there's a corresponding way to gain pet companionship.
• Balancing Emotion and Challenge: Introducing the stray adoption mechanic adds challenge to acquiring pets while also offering players an opportunity for emotional investment. Stray cats and dogs don't join the household immediately; players must invest time and patience in repeated contact and care to eventually win them over (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). This process represents deliberately designed "delayed gratification"—when players finally succeed in adopting a stray, they feel a strong sense of accomplishment and emotional connection. As reviewed by 17173.com, obtaining a pet this way is the **"most touching"** (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). Through game mechanics, the development team subtly conveyed positive messages about animal welfare and adopting instead of buying, while enriching the player's own story experience.
• High Customization and Sharing: *Pets* continues *The Sims* series' tradition of encouraging player creativity. The Create-A-Pet feature was a major selling point, allowing players to craft virtual pets resembling their real-life companions or design entirely unique species out of imagination (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal). This freedom enhances player immersion and creative drive. Simultaneously, the game included pet breed registration and exchange features (via the official website for swapping pet designs, now defunct) (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com) (The Sims 2: Pets | The Sims Wiki | Fandom), reflecting the design team's intention for players to share and disseminate their creations, fostering community content. The pet genetics system and breeding mechanics also encourage players to try breeding "ideal pets": for example, by mating different breeds to produce new offspring inheriting parental traits, which could then be registered as a new breed (The Sims 2: Pets | The Sims Wiki | Fandom). All these designs serve the philosophy of making each player's pet story unique.
• Necessity of Restrictions: Setting a household pet limit (6) and maintaining overall population balance were gameplay considerations (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Too many pets could become unmanageable for players, and AI pathfinding and performance load would worsen, so developers chose a moderate cap. This ensures most families can have several pets to satisfy their love for animals without leading to "zoo chaos." Additionally, punitive mechanics like pets being taken away by the adoption center (due to neglect) mirror the original game's social worker taking away neglected babies, reflecting Maxis' emphasis on responsible caregiving in design. Players need to expend effort to meet pets' needs or risk losing them—this adds realistic challenge to the game and conveys the theme that caring for life requires responsibility.
• Integration of Supernatural Elements: Each *The Sims 2* expansion pack introduced special supernatural creatures to add fantasy elements; *Pets* chose the "werewolf" theme (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). The design team cleverly tied the werewolf transformation condition to the pet system: only by befriending the wolf pack leader can the bite be triggered, which actually encourages players to pay attention to the wolves appearing at night and interact with them (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com). The werewolf mechanic enriches gameplay—werewolf Sims have extra abilities for training pets, behave erratically during full moons, etc.—providing new goals for players seeking novelty after experiencing regular pet ownership. Yet, all this doesn't disrupt the daily pet care experience for average players (who can completely avoid wolves if they wish). Such design balances realism with fantasy, giving the expansion pack both a heartwarming daily life aspect and surprising Bizarre aspects.
• Console Version Trade-offs: On console platforms, due to hardware and audience differences, developers made different design choices. The console version removed complex systems like aging and special NPCs (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom), focusing instead on immediate interaction fun and smoother gameplay flow. This reflects Maxis' consideration of platform characteristics: console players often prefer pick-up-and-play casual experiences, so the game provided a centralized location like Town Square for players to handle pet adoption and shopping, meeting needs in one stop; simultaneously, using direct character control enhanced immersion. Notably, producer Rod Humble mentioned in an interview that because the "pets" theme was so popular and the content sufficiently robust, the team decided to exceptionally make it a standalone console release, something previous *The Sims 2* expansion packs hadn't done (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia). This indicates the pet expansion's design was compelling and self-contained enough to support a full console game, indirectly proving the development team's success and the deep appeal of the pet mechanics design.

Overall, the adoption mechanics and related gameplay design in *The Sims 2: Pets* considered gameplay (offering diverse choices, maintaining challenge and balance), incorporated real emotion (promoting responsible adoption, simulating pet care duties), and catered to creative expression (rich customization and supernatural surprises). This multi-layered design philosophy makes the pet system an enduring highlight of the expansion pack, fulfilling players' desires for virtual pets while adding layers of depth and fun worth exploring. (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal) (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal) (Official and player community reception for the expansion was generally positive, acknowledging that pets added realism and joy to Sims' lives). Through these carefully designed mechanics, players can experience the full process of adopting, training, and bonding with pets in the game, deriving emotional resonance and gameplay enjoyment, fully embodying the expansion pack's design intent.

References:

1. 17173.com Game Network: *Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2*, 2007 (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal) (Revealing Pet Acquisition Methods in The Sims 2 __ 17173.com China Game Portal)
2. GamerSky.com Guide: *The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual*, 2006 (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com) (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet User Manual :: GamerSky.com)
3. Chinese Wikipedia: *The Sims 2: Pets* article (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
4. ZOL Q&A: Discussion on The Sims 2 Pets adoption techniques (How to adopt stray pets for free in The Sims 2? - ZOL Q&A)
5. The Sims Wiki (English): The Sims 2: Pets (Console) page (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom) (The Sims 2: Pets (console) | The Sims Wiki | Fandom)
6. StrategyWiki Guide: The Sims 2: Pets (console) - Pets chapter (The Sims 2: Pets (console)/Pets — StrategyWiki | Strategy guide and game reference wiki)
7. GamerSky.com Guide: *The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual*, descriptions regarding werewolves and special animals (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com) (The Sims 2 Pets - Pet Feeding Manual - GamerSky.com)
8. *The Sims 2: Pets* English Wikipedia & Developer Interviews (The Sims 2: Pets - Wikipedia)