Sims fans rejoice- Cats & Dogs expansion coming to The Sims 4 this fall!

I am an unashamed Sims fan. Have been for over 14 years, and nothing has changed for me since the original Sims on PC. I buy the expansions, blow my paychecks on the stuff and game packs, and spend countless hours at my desktop or in bed on my laptop amusing myself with little virtual people. What makes these virtual people better is when they have their own virtual pets you can take care of and enjoy, without the mud on your carpets or having to pick up after them on walks. Pets has been the most loved expansion in the Sims franchise since Unleashed was released in November 2002. While The Sims 4 is always expanding and adding new packs and gameplay, the fanbase’s biggest complaint has been the lack of a pets expansion. Well, now we wait no longer! Er… well, after November 10, 2017 we wait no longer.

During the EA live stream at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany this morning, while a “Sim Guru” from the Maxis team was mentioning the upcoming releases for The Sims 4 on console and the all new Sims Mobile, she brought out internet famous pup @Jiffpom. While he was looking adorable as always, she talked about the upcoming Cats & Dogs expansion pack, due this fall. The trailer shows all breeds and mixes of kitties and puppers, and their loving owners doting on them. New to the Sims pets expansions are outfits! We have always had collars to choose from, but now we have bandanas, shirts, and costumes, because who doesn’t want to match Fido while out on the town? Jiffpom was more than happy to show off how adorable a pet can look in clothing while sporting his own Sims plumbbob t-shirt.

Many Sims fans remember the color wheel from The Sims 3, where you could make any item, clothing, or even your sims hair and eyes literally any color imaginable. The Sims 4 simplified things by going back to set color options like The Sims 2, but it seems the wheel is coming back, at least some form of it. The trailer briefly shows pet coats being customized using a brush, which was shown more during the live stream. We currently do not have full details on this create-a-pet feature, but can expect to hear more soon. It was also announced that, as usual, your cats and dogs will have traits of your choosing and behave accordingly. Of course, rather than creating your perfect pet, you can adopt a stray and figure out its traits and quirks on your own!

Gameplay features from the trailer show a new world, complete with docks and boats chilling in the water, animals interacting with each other (wait, was that a fox?!), and of course Sims enjoying their best friends. It even includes the touching story of a little girl with a puppy, showing her with the dog through each stage of her life before finally they are at the vet’s office- a NEW feature to the Sims franchise- and the dog looks old, and both the vet and the owner look sad. Sounds like we are in for some real heartbreak with this pack.
On the subject of a veterinarian, that is a career I have been seeking after in the Sims games for over a decade. To make it better, it will be what is considered an “active” career in which you join your Sims on their workday, like the law enforcement, science, and medical careers from The Sims 4: Get a Job expansion pack. You can even own your own clinic, hire Sims to work for you, and help everyone’s critters. This feature alone makes this pack a must have for me.

The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs is available for preorder on Origin now for $39.99, and preorders will be available to install the night before release. How ready are you and your Sims for a house full of pets come November 10, 2017?