Players in GTA Online can now purchase and keep pets inside new Vinewood Hills mansions, with a total of 12 animals available, including seven distinct dog breeds. This addition reflects a growing trend in gaming, where immersive titles like Windup Minds’ *Stay: Forever Home*, a VR game releasing in early 2025, will allow players to simulate pet adoption and care.

The pets arrive as part of the A Safehouse in the Hills update and join a larger package of new content such as vehicles and story missions. Players must acquire one of three new mansions to unlock the ability to buy and keep animals, with each cat or dog priced at $15,000 in the game. In contrast, real-world pet ownership can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars annually, which makes the in-game transaction seem remarkably low-cost.

The roster of animals players can add to their properties includes five cat varieties and seven dog types. The cats are listed as white cat, calico cat, ginger cat, gray cat, and black cat. The dogs comprise Husky, Poodle, Pug, Retriever, Rottweiler, Shepherd, and Westy; several breeds appear in multiple coat color options as implemented in the game. This extensive variety parallels some other recent updates in gaming, reflecting a wider acceptance of pet ownership features. What are some other recent updates in video games that have included pet ownership?

A practical guide on where to buy and how to interact with the new pets appears at RockstarINTEL, which walks players through purchasing pets from a mansion interface and simple interactions such as petting the animals. Notably, studies suggest that interacting with virtual pets can reduce mental stress and foster positive emotions, providing players with a low-pressure experience compared to more competitive gameplay. The feature is presented as a lifestyle amenity tied to the mansions rather than a gameplay mechanic with combat or mission roles.

Inside the mansions, the pet option sits alongside other interior amenities added in the update. The addition of animals is framed as one of several luxury touches for players who invest in the new properties, complementing leisure features already offered by the residences.

Rockstar’s content drop bundles the pet system with broader game changes. Alongside the ability to own animals, the A Safehouse in the Hills update extends GTA Online with new story missions and vehicles as part of the winter release, positioning the pets as a lifestyle feature within that larger package.

Players can own either a cat and/or dog in their purchased mansion; each animal purchase is a one-time transaction at the listed in-game price. The variety of breeds and coat options gives players multiple cosmetic choices for customizing the look of their in-home companions.

The arrival of pets in properties changes how players can personalize their safehouses, offering a non-gameplay cosmetic choice tied to real estate ownership inside GTA Online. Video content and player impressions of the new mansions and pet interactions have appeared across community channels, including visual showcases that demonstrate how the feature appears inside the new properties.

As the update rolls out, players interested in adding an animal should first secure one of the three Vinewood Hills mansions introduced by the A Safehouse in the Hills release, then use the mansion interface to purchase and interact with a chosen cat or dog. By integrating this pet system, Rockstar is tapping into a popular gaming trend that not only enhances player immersion but also contributes to their overall gaming enjoyment.

Source

Original reporting: view the original article.