Sims 4 needs to make strays optional
So you build yourself a beautiful sea front home in picturesque Brindleton Bay, your Sim steps out onto their balcony looks out at the view and thinks yikes, what on earth is wrong with that cat? Or ...
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The culprit that strays get sicks are the bushes in Brindleton Bay. If they explore these bushes they can get bite, and if they get bite, they have a tendence to get sick from. The game cleans dirty pets if they leave the area since a while, I saw it often in my vanilla game that a dirty dog was magical clean after a while.
And... its unproductive to adopt strays, the game will just create more strays. If you let the strays, be and just befriend you can without problem cure pets with wellness-treats. Not ever Cat and Dog need a home, some Cats and Dogs prefer the streets, because you have animals that have different personalities.
And I agree with jpkarlsen, there don’t many strays. The game stops generate strays if you have enough. I have since a while always the same strays and don’t get any new strays. I have a couple Vets living in Brindleton Bay. They take care of sicks strays if I play them and are almost befriended with ever stray in game. (Vanilla)
I know you asked for a toggle, but I don’t really think we get these. Hell, we don’t get any toggles for supernatural, which are a highly request is from realistic player. (And would fix the problem that occults get nerfed because of this gameplay style)
And yes, it gives mods to remove strays complete and replace it with Cats/Dogs from households. Maybe eventually console player would get simple mods? I think this would be nice addition for them to tweak her playstyle even more or get bug fixing without the need to wait for the team (it is not so as would the team make any big bug fixing in the last 1 year, critical bugs, sure but not bugs which are simple annoying as the rocket or chefs which stand outsite – sorry)
I have a lot of strays in my game at the beach at any one time as many as 8, which I think is a lot. In the jungle and vet/food stall area 4 or 5. At the docks around 6. Too many to adopt.
With the houses around the beach I created a shelter on the large lot up on the right hand side as strays were walking past late at night whining and trudging along sadly, perhaps 2 or 3 each night. So I built a ranch with stables and a vet's office. My Sim adopted 10 dogs off the beach and street outside her house in about 1 real time week, I sent 3 to live with other households. More dogs wander in to sleep because I later added an area for them. The same happens at the houses up above the vet area and the houses around the docks where pets wander sadly past at night.
As someone who had 3 pet bereavements a couple of years ago all in the space of a year I'd hesitated to get the pack but then decided to get it for the new world as it's the type of town I really love but I found myself desperately trying to rescue every stray and then just having to avoid the town. Personally I'm very distressed by suffering animals and have rescued strays and abused pets IRL and got them help. My own little tabby now was very sick when I got him from a farm and sometimes you want a video game to be an escape from that horrible experience. It can trigger a bad memory of such things.
It's all about personal experiences and tastes I suppose. I just think this is a feature that is unpleasant and more than a bit upsetting. They spawn with such low needs. The wellness treats don't always work either, which I reported a couple of months ago.
2 friends who got the game at Christmas and have rescue cats won't buy the pack because of the strays due to personal experiences.
If you're not on console and not averse to mods, LittleMsSam has a mod that reduces or eliminates sick and starving strays. I think Bienchen has one as well. (I'm not sure which one I have in my game, but I totally agree with you!)Edit: I just reread and you're on console. Sorry! I do totally agree with you.
Also, my condolences on the pet bereavements. Last year was a hard year for me, too; I lost three beloved cats in a short period of time. This is probably why I feed my Sim pets age-down treats whenever they hit the elder stage!
I hope things get better for your furry friends!
- @xochiquetzl_xkvn Thanks, I'm all about pets and wildlife. I can't bear to see an animal suffer even if it's not real! I literally just saved a baby snail from my wheelie bin.
I'd really like to build a house in Brindleton Bay and just not have to see a sad and sick homeless animal with stars spinning round it's little head.
So I'm putting it out there and hoping it's something they'll ponder for the future so I can enjoy the town more as it's one of my favourite worlds apart from this one thing.
I think they made a pretty good suggestion, instead of adopting the strays and having them all be replaced by the game anyways, just give the strays wellness treats and they'll be okay! And like they mentioned, it's not always a bad thing to be a stray. Sure it's not the best scenerio for most, but many stray animals are taken care of by a community! The vets will fix them and people will feed them at parks and other places! Maybe that'll make it a bit easier for you to play? I hope so at least
