AnimalNet Mod: Capture, Transport, and Manage Mobs with Customizable Nets
Minecraft has always been about creativity and interaction with the world, but moving animals and hostile mobs from one place to another can be a tedious chore. Leads break, boats are slow, and minecart systems require rails. The AnimalNet mod changes all that by introducing a clever system of nets that let you scoop up almost any creature, store it as an item, and release it exactly where you want. Whether you are building a zoo, populating a farm, or designing a custom mob arena, AnimalNet gives you the tools to handle mob logistics with style and precision.
What Makes AnimalNet Special?
Unlike simple lassos or pokéball-style items in other mods, AnimalNet pays close attention to detail. When you capture a mob, it does not just become a generic spawn egg. The net preserves everything that makes that creature unique: custom name tags, armor, held items, inventory contents, and even growth stages like baby animal age. A captured baby cow will still be a baby when released, and a zombie wearing enchanted diamond armor will keep its gear intact. This level of data retention opens up endless possibilities for adventure maps, server minigames, and survival builds.
Key Features at a Glance
- Multiple net sizes to match small, medium, and large mobs.
- Mobs keep name tags, inventories, and all settings upon capture.
- Baby animals retain their age and can grow or be reverted to children.
- Captured entities can be stored as items in your inventory.
- Full support for mobs added by other mods.
- Ability to craft custom spawners using spawner fragmentals and a caught entity.
- Compatible with both Forge and Fabric across many Minecraft versions.
Understanding Net Sizes and Mob Compatibility
Not every creature fits into the same net. AnimalNet introduces three distinct net sizes: Small Animal Net, Medium Animal Net, and Big Animal Net. The small net works for chickens, rabbits, and similarly tiny mobs. Medium nets handle cows, pigs, and sheep, while the big net is required for horses, iron golems, and other large entities. There are also specialized Mob Nets for hostile creatures and an Npc Net for villagers and other humanoid mobs. Trying to catch an oversized mob with a net that is too small simply will not work, so you need to craft the right tool for the job.
Crafting Your First Animal Net
The crafting recipes are intuitive and use materials you can gather early in the game. A Small Animal Net requires string and sticks arranged in a bowl-like shape. The Medium and Big versions build upon that base with additional string and, for the largest net, iron ingots. To capture hostile mobs, you will need to craft a Mob Core first, then combine it with the appropriate net material. The mod also includes recipes for turning a caught entity into a spawner, which involves a rare Spawner Fragmental item that occasionally drops when you break a vanilla spawner.
How to Catch Mobs and Preserve Their Data
Using a net is as simple as right-clicking on a mob. If the net is the correct size, the mob instantly disappears and a new item appears in your hand: a net with the mob’s name and details. You can stack these filled nets, store them in chests, or even trade them with other players. When you are ready to release the creature, just right-click on a block with the filled net. The mob will appear exactly as it was, facing the direction you choose. This makes AnimalNet an essential tool for relocating villagers, moving livestock between biomes, or rescuing pets from dangerous situations.
Turning Caught Entities into Spawners
One of the most powerful features of AnimalNet is the ability to create custom mob spawners. By combining a caught entity with a Spawner Fragmental on a crafting table, you produce a spawner that generates that exact mob type. This works with modded creatures as well, so you can build a blaze farm in the overworld or a peaceful sheep spawner for wool production. Spawner Fragmentals are obtained by breaking existing spawners, but the drop is not guaranteed, so you may need to explore dungeons and strongholds to collect enough fragments for your projects.
Mod Compatibility and Supported Versions
AnimalNet boasts broad compatibility across both major mod loaders. For Forge, you can enjoy the mod on versions 1.7.10, 1.12.2, 1.13.2, 1.14.3, 1.14.4, 1.15.1, 1.15.2, and 1.16.5. Fabric users are covered for 1.14, 1.14.2, 1.14.3, 1.14.4, 1.15.1, and the recent 1.16.5 update. The mod respects other mods’ mob data, so creatures from popular mods like Mo’ Creatures or Ice and Fire work seamlessly. If you enjoy tweaking your game with a modern launcher, this mod can be easily installed via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu, making setup a breeze before you even launch the game.
Tips for Breeding and Aging Captured Animals
AnimalNet goes beyond simple capture by allowing you to manipulate the age of animals. Only mobs that have an age value (cows, rabbits, pigs, and similar) can be affected. By using the net on a captured baby animal in a specific way, you can make it grow instantly into an adult, or revert an adult back into a child. This is incredibly useful for quickly breeding livestock without waiting for natural growth, or for populating a petting zoo with adorable baby variants. The mod’s tutorial images show the exact process, so experimentation is encouraged.
Language Support and Community Contributions
AnimalNet is translated into English, German, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish, with more languages welcomed from the community. If you speak another language and want to contribute a translation, the mod author invites you to share it in the comments section. The same open attitude applies to ideas and bug reports. The mod is still evolving, and planned features are open for suggestions, so your feedback can directly shape future updates.
Conclusion
AnimalNet fills a gap that many Minecraft players have felt for years: a reliable, data-preserving way to transport and manage mobs. Its tiered net system, spawner crafting, and age manipulation add depth without overcomplicating the experience. Whether you are a map maker, a server administrator, or a survivalist who wants a better way to move your animal friends, this mod delivers. With support for both Forge and Fabric and a long list of compatible versions, it is a versatile addition to any modded setup. Give it a try, and you will wonder how you ever played without it.