Guide to using the best pets in Minecraft Survival

If you play Minecraft Survival, don’t ignore pets. They will bring you an unforgettable experience when surviving in the magical blocky world of Minecraft.

Pets and companions in Minecraft not only help liven up your habitat, but they also provide real survival advantages such as combat support, item collection, transportation, and base defense. With the latest versions (Java 1.21.11 and Bedrock 1.21.132, plus 26.x snapshots), the “First Drop 2026” update brings adorable new models and sounds for wolves, cats, pigs, chickens and more. Now you can craft a name tag using 4 pieces of paper and 1 piece of metal for any pet and use yellow dandelion flowers to create “immortal babies”.

Ranking the best pets in Minecraft Survival

The rankings below are based on combat ability, daily utility, transportation, and defense. Prioritize the original survival mode (don’t use mods/buy from the market). All of them can be turned into forever adorable little pets.

Rating	Pets	How to Tame/Own	Main benefits	Disadvantages
1	Cat	Feed wild cats raw cod or salmon (33% success rate per fish, heart icon appears on success). There are 14 cat breeds through crossbreeding.	Frighten Creepers (keep 12 blocks away) and ghosts; Bring gifts like strings/rabbit feet while you sleep. Be the best base defender.	No fighting; Can attack chickens.
2	Wolf (dog)	Feed wild wolves bones (rate of receiving bones up to 1/3 of each bone). Breed by meat. Armor from version 1.20.5.	Attacks enemies near you (stronger in groups); Wear armor (wolf armor made from armadillo scales, can be dyed). Get rewarded for leading the group.	Attacks everything when angry; eat rotten meat.
3	Allay	Give any item (using the key) to bind it to you; Rescue them from bandit outposts/jungle mansions. Duplicate with the amethyst piece near the music player.	Fly around collecting suitable drops (maximum 64 items/stack), giving you or a note block. Very good for farms/mines. Immune to the player’s sword.	Not all types of items can be picked up; Will disappear if too far away.
4	Axolotl	Propagate using tropical fish buckets in lush caves. The blue variant is very rare (1/1200).	Underwater combat: attack drow, defenders; restores player health + removes mining fatigue when killing their targets. Pretend to be dead to heal.	Stranded (drowned in water); no one followed.
5	Camel	Easy to ride; There is a saddle for control. Commonly found in deserts.	Run fast (12 cells), jump high over fences, defend against zombies (thanks to height). For 2 players.	Normal speed is slow; only appears in the desert.
6	Llama	Right click on the empty hand to tame. Add chests (15 slots) or carpets. Lead a caravan (maximum 10 groups).	Mobile cargo convoy; Spits at attacker (damage + slow). Camels of wandering traders.	Saliva also causes pain; Different strengths (1-5 chest).
7	Parrot	Feed seeds (any type). Fly up to the shoulder (right click). 5 colors.	Imitate the sounds of mobs (danger warnings like Creeper monsters); perched on the shoulder.	Eat chocolate/cookies (will die); Fly away if fed improperly.
8	Fox	Feed two mating adults with sweet/glowing berries; The hatchlings will trust you.	Protect yourself from mobs; pick up/hold objects (emeralds, feathers); Chicken/rabbit hunting. Has cute sleeping/preying behaviors.	Theft; Run away when encountering untrustworthy players.

Tips for raising pets in Minecraft

Reproduction: Most pets reproduce through food (meat for wolves/cats, hay for horses/llama/camels).
Updated 2026: The wolf/kitten now has a unique cheeping sound and a fluffier fur pattern. Spawn eggs create baby pets directly.
Pack strategy: 4-6 wolves + 2 cats to attack the base; Ally to automatically harvest; camel/llama convoy to move the base.

Updated: February 2, 2026