Taming the Wilds: How Many Animals Can You Tame in Minecraft?
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So, you’ve jumped into the blocky world of Minecraft and you’re itching to befriend some of the local wildlife? Great! Taming animals is a fantastic way to add companionship, utility, and even defense to your Minecraft adventures. The big question is: How many different species can you actually tame in Minecraft?
The answer is eight. You can tame cats, donkeys, horses, llamas, mules, parrots, trader llamas, and wolves in Minecraft. Each of these animals offers unique benefits, from defending you against hostile mobs to carrying your gear across vast distances. Let’s dive deeper into the world of Minecraft domestication!
The Tameable Eight: A Detailed Look
Let’s explore each of the tameable animals, outlining what makes them special and how to bring them under your blocky care:
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Cats: Found primarily in villages and swamp huts, cats are tamed using raw fish (raw cod or raw salmon). Once tamed, they will follow you, occasionally gift you with items (sometimes helpful, sometimes… not so much), and can deter Creepers, keeping your base a little safer.
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Donkeys: These steadfast equines are tamed by repeatedly attempting to mount them until they stop bucking you off. Once tamed, donkeys can be equipped with chests to increase your storage capacity on the go.
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Horses: Similar to donkeys, horses require you to repeatedly mount them until they accept you as their rider. After taming, you’ll need a saddle to ride them properly. Horses come in a wide variety of colors and stats, making them highly sought-after mounts.
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Llamas: Found in savanna and mountain biomes, llamas are tamed in the same way as horses and donkeys – by repeatedly mounting them. While you can ride them, their movement is slow. Their primary benefit is their ability to carry items with chests and form caravans, making them excellent pack animals.
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Mules: Mules are not found in the wild; they are bred by mating a horse and a donkey. Like donkeys, they can be equipped with chests and are useful for carrying items. However, they cannot be bred themselves.
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Parrots: These colorful birds are found in jungle biomes. Taming them is a simple matter of feeding them seeds. Once tamed, they’ll perch on your shoulder and mimic the sounds of nearby mobs, offering an early warning system against potential threats. Be warned: feeding them cookies will kill them.
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Trader Llamas: These llamas spawn with wandering traders, and are very similar to normal Llamas. They can be leashed to the player, but once the wandering trader is killed, the llamas will become tame, and can then be leashed and lead around.
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Wolves: Found in forests and taiga biomes, wolves are tamed using bones. Once tamed, they become loyal companions, following you on your adventures and attacking any mobs you target. They can be healed with meat items.
FAQs: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Taming Minecraft Animals
1. Can you tame every animal in Minecraft?
No. While Minecraft boasts a diverse range of wildlife, only eight species can be fully tamed to become your companions. Many other animals can be interacted with (bred, led with leads, etc.), but not truly domesticated.
2. Why can’t you tame ocelots anymore?
Ocelots used to be tamed like cats, but this was changed in a past update. Now, you can only gain their trust by feeding them raw fish, which prevents them from despawning. However, they will not become pets that follow you around. This change was made to differentiate them more clearly from cats.
3. Is there a limit to how many tamed animals you can have?
Technically, no. There isn’t a hard-coded limit on the number of tamed animals you can own in Minecraft. However, performance can be impacted if you have a massive number of entities loaded in a single area. It’s also worth noting that large numbers of pets, especially wolves, can become unwieldy and difficult to manage.
4. How do you breed tamed animals?
Tamed cats and wolves can be bred by feeding them specific items (fish for cats, meat for wolves). Horses and donkeys are bred by feeding them golden apples or golden carrots. Mules cannot be bred. Llamas cannot be bred.
5. What is the rarest horse color in Minecraft?
While specific colors aren’t necessarily “rarer” in the code, the skeleton horse is the rarest type of horse due to its spawning conditions (a skeleton trap). Black horses are also fairly uncommon and can sometimes be mistaken for dark bays or chestnuts.
6. Can you tame a Sniffer in Minecraft?
Unfortunately, no, you cannot tame a Sniffer. They are passive mobs that you can interact with. Since they are passive, they won’t ever attack you, and won’t even look at you unless you’re holding food they like.
7. Can you tame a Fox in Minecraft?
Foxes cannot be fully tamed like wolves or cats, but you can gain their trust. By breeding two foxes with sweet berries, the baby fox will trust the player and will not run away. However, it won’t actively follow you around like a tamed wolf.
8. How do you heal a tamed animal?
Wolves can be healed by feeding them any kind of meat (raw or cooked). Horses, donkeys, and mules heal passively over time, but their healing rate can be boosted by feeding them wheat, apples, golden carrots, or golden apples.
9. What’s the best way to transport a tamed animal long distances?
Leads are your best friend here! You can attach a lead to most tameable animals and walk them to your destination. Alternatively, you can use boats or minecarts, though this can be tricky depending on the terrain. Nether portals are out of the question, as your pets can not follow you through.
10. How do you keep tamed animals from despawning?
Once an animal is tamed, it will never despawn. This is true for all tameable animals, providing you with peace of mind knowing your companions will always be around.
11. What animals can you ride in Minecraft?
You can ride horses, donkeys, mules, camels, llamas, and even pigs (with the use of a saddle and a carrot on a stick). Striders in the Nether can also be ridden with a saddle and a warped fungus on a stick.
12. Can you tame a Vex in Minecraft?
No, you cannot tame a Vex in Minecraft. They are summoned by Evokers and are always hostile towards the player.
13. Can you tame an Axolotl in Minecraft?
Axolotls cannot be technically tamed, but you can make them follow you by holding a bucket of tropical fish. They will ignore you otherwise, but still follow you if you are holding what they like.
14. What is the best pet to have in Minecraft?
The “best” pet is subjective and depends on your play style. Wolves offer combat support, horses provide fast transportation, donkeys and mules are great for storage, and cats can deter Creepers. Parrots are great as an early warning system. All these pets will follow you and are nice to have around!
15. What are the benefits of taming animals in Minecraft?
Taming animals offers numerous benefits: companionship, combat assistance (wolves), transportation (horses, donkeys, mules, llamas), storage (donkeys, mules, llamas), resource gathering (some animals can be bred for food or materials), and even defense (cats deter Creepers). Plus, it’s just plain fun!
Beyond Taming: Learning and Playing
Minecraft’s appeal extends far beyond just taming animals. It’s a dynamic platform that encourages creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. These are just a few of the core principles embraced by the Games Learning Society and its mission to understand and promote learning through games. Learn more about their impactful work at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Conclusion
Taming animals in Minecraft is a rewarding experience that adds depth and enjoyment to the game. From loyal wolves to steadfast horses, each tameable creature brings its own unique flavor to your blocky adventures. So, grab some bones, fish, and golden carrots, and get ready to build your own menagerie of Minecraft companions!