Cats and Dogs: should i buy it?

Cats and Dogs is my favourite EP after Seasons, so I definitely recommend it if you like the idea of having pets in your game. The Create A Pet tool is very versatile and well done, and the pets themselves are very cute and full of character. I am glad they are not controllable either since this makes them feel more 'real' and also actually less burdensome for me. You can often tell what they want from their thought bubbles and asking them What's Wrong? anyway. I don't find pets too demanding/needy, but dogs are naturally more so since they like walks, play, and require some training. That's part of the fun though and you can largely decide how needy your pet is based on their traits e.g. a clever pet will learn quickly, a lazy pet won't need much exercise, etc. and a pet with the independent trait just wants food and a place to sleep, while an affectionate pet will follow your sims and want more cuddles/attention. I will often tailor the number and type of pets to a household just like in real life e.g. a busy household may prefer an independent cat, while a work from home sim may have more time to take the dog/s out.

Beyond pets and the self-employed vet career option, C&Ds also comes with some really lovely CAS and build objects, and my favourite world so far, Brindleton Bay. BB is really beautiful with lots of open space and a seaside town feel to it. It does rain a lot due to the sort of area it is based on, but not all the time and I wouldn't let this put you off. My main household live there and are very happy. If it's just raining, my sim might decide it's okay for their dog to have a rest for the day or go out for a late evening walk, and if it's raining again the next day (but not a storm) then my sim might then suck it up and take their dog out for a short walk. They will feel a little uncomfortably wet, but this only lasts a few hours. All responsible dog owners should be prepared to brave the elements anyway (as a dog owner living in the UK, I've certainly had to). There are strays around and yes some of them are sick. It's kind of sad and I hope this changes, but it's not a huge deal for me. There isn't an overwhelming number in my game, or at least not where my sims frequent - just a few stray cats prowling around outside their home lot which is near a park with the Cat Hangout lot trait. You shouldn't get strays in any of the other residential worlds unless you choose one of the pet lot traits. I've read there are some in Selvadorada though, but my sims haven't been there so I can't confirm this.

I'm not experiencing any major or game breaking C&Ds bugs right now. Sometimes my cats prompt my sims to pet them, which can be annoying when I'm trying to get them to do something else, but they have the Affectionate trait so it may be due to that. I just cancel it anyway so it's only a minor annoyance. I think there was an issue with training/scolding dogs for unwanted behaviours, but I'm not sure as I haven't experienced this myself.

Anyway, I hope some of that helps? You might want to read more about it on the SimsVIP guides and other reviews if you haven't already, but if it sounds fun to you then I say go for it! C&Ds is a great EP. :)

@annaliese39 thank you very much for the so insightful reply! I also like the idea of non controllable pets. It may actually add some much needed real life feel in the game. Ohh and how I love the fact that we can choose traits for our pets. I have heard people saying that pet's traits are actually much more in depth than sim's traits.
Hearing all about BB I'm really getting in the mood :smiley:
I've read all more "famous" guides:simsvip, Carl's etc but it's always a good idea to hear from several players. Thank you!

To be honest, I don't think it's a very good EP. They put so much effort into making the pets customizable, but then you get them in-game and there's really not all that much to be done with them. Still, since it's the only way to get actual pets in the game and I really wanted a sim dog, I haven't had many regrets from buying it.

Some people say they're too needy, the dogs in particular. But Annaliese has the right idea; they're as needy as the traits you give them. With the right combination of traits my sim's dog hardly ever bothers him for anything. The world is nice compared to the ones which have been released after it. It does rain a lot there. You can walk your dogs in the rain, your sim will just get wet. There are a lot of sick strays, but to me it's not a world-ending issue.

Thank you @Cupid! I'm looking more and more forward to have my pet and to see the new world. Also for the bb items that come with the EP. I'm also imagining my families in other worlds, like oasis spring with dogs! Thanks for the reply.

I love the pack. Cats are very much less needy than dogs in game as cats are in real life.My sim has 3 cats and the meowing can be annoying sometimes but nothing like a fussy baby in game. (other sims have one dog - and one dog is about all I can handle in game). All my sims love their pets and I don't find they take up any more time than any other activity in the game. the adoption function lets you adopt an adult pet which needs much less training and with the right traits too is an enjoyable way to start. I find the build items invaluable and Brindleton Bay is gorgeous and there is lots to explore especially on foot (designed for dog walking). I quite like the vet business and I have yet to crack the formula for a 5 star business although my sim is not exactly dedicated to her vet practice. I have yet to explore the dog agility training part and the more I play the more I think there is to do in this EP. I have never had a toddler and a pet before today and I am discovering a whole new set of interactions and animations I didn't know about.

- I've heard that taking care of the pet is too much time consuming. I know it is in real life. But it is so much that it will interfere with other goals/lifestyle of our sims in a overwhelming way?

Not for me. The pets are totally independent and don't require much of my Sims' time in my experience. Dogs will whine for a walk, but nothing bad will happen if you don't take them from my experience (well they might run away, but usually they come back within 2 days so it's no big deal imo).

- I've heard the best things about the new world, but also that it has way too much abandoned animals. Is it also overwhelming? Or it may not interfere/frustate the game itself? Also, is it true that it's extremely rainy? So that it will make it impossible to go for a walk with your dog?

Brindelton Bay is one of my least favorite worlds personally, but it depends on what you like. I hate the stray animals aspect the most, and for that reason I don't have any sims live there so I can't say if it's overwhelming or not. And yes it does rain a lot if you have Seasons.You can still take them for walks in the rain, but if you'd rather not you could always walk them in another world. But like I mentioned before, they're aren't too many repercussions for not walking the dog.

- any bugs at the moment that I should be aware of?

Pets have a lot of bugs and glitches that have get to be fixed sadly. Too many to even list here. :/

I love Cats and Dogs. I don't find them needy at all. Just be sure to buy self-cleaning litterboxes and the most expensive feeders. When a Sim needs exercise, have them take the dog for a jog.

I think sims 4 cats and dogs is well done. One of my family’s had 2 cats one would always run into the kitchen to eat sim food one would always be sleeping on the couch and didn’t care much for food. Another family their dog would always attack sims who were strangers. It’s interesting to have pets with different types of personalities in the game.

I’d say the frustrating thing in cats and dogs is if you want your cat or dog to breed with other cats or dogs that aren’t apart of your household it’s not easy your pets have to become friends and because you can’t control them it’s time consuming. I found cats harder to breed then dogs but if you find the love catnip it does help a lot.

One other thing I don’t like that I hope they add in the future is pets don’t have a family tree.

Other then that I think it’s a solid pack .

I recently started a new save in Brindleton Bay after finding a mod to stop the spawnng of strays, and I have been using MCCC to cheat the local pets back to health every time one of my Sims encounters a sick pet. The mod I am using has rid the town of strays. Yay!! But the number of sick dogs being walked by their 'owners', is stupid as it makes no sense. Sure, we have pet illnesses to deal with when they are part of a Sim household, but my Sims take the pet to the vet clinic and the pet is cured. The only time we see non-played Sims take a pet to the vet is when my Sim is at the clinic. I love this EP. Don't mistake my complaining for anything more than a deep disappointment in this whole sick pet/stray invasion problem that should not be happening at all, and requires mods in order to keep it from being totally overwhelming.

Brindleton Bay is a lovely world and I have avoided it until recently. I have to say that aside from the things I found annoying, this is a nice expansion with a lot of CAS and B/B assets. Brindleton Bay is nice and open, allowing our Sims to wander without loading screens. The wharf area has many things for Sims to do. There are many different breeds of cats and dogs to choose from, and a nice selection of traits to make each one unique. And they are so darn cute. Hands down the best pets in the entire Sims franchise. Having an 'intelligent conversation' with a dog gives a Sim a boost in the logic skill, becoming companions with your pet gives your Sim 200 aspiration points twice a day in the form of 'feel the love' plus a happy moodlet that lasts a few hours. There is a 12 hour cool down timer on this friendly interaction but it does make gaining aspiration points a little easier. Talking with the pets helps Sims maintain their social need. Dogs can be taken along when Sims go jogging which fills the pet's needs while your Sim works on the fitness skill. The toddlers and pets have the cutest interactions that make me go 'awww' every time I see a toddler hug the family pet. As a life-long pet owner, having Sims4 pets simply makes the game feel more complete.

Should you invest in this expansion? If you enjoy having pets in Real Life, I feel safe in saying you will enjoy Cats and Dogs. I am loving having a family in Brindleton Bay now that I have found the right mod. It took me a while to find one that plays well with my other mods, but it was worth it. I regret not taking the time to find the right mod before now because Brindleton Bay is very unique and a lot of fun to explore.

I've finally bought the expansion. Thank you all for your time helping me out. I've only played for a couple of hours last night, but I'm completely in love with the expansion. The pets are so cute, the interactions are really beautiful, the world is also nice. I've bought the auto filler for food and a nice bed and it's completely doable. My Sim lives from the land. She has a big garden that needs a lot of work and the pet isn't taking much time from her. It's so cute to see her dog following her in the garden while she works. For now I've seen some strays around bb but nothing really overwhelming. Having pets in the game really makes it much more complete. Adorable!