Ilex's Pet Care
For too long, the fish swimming in your Sims' aquariums were nothing more than animated wallpaper. The frogs, insects, and alien specimens sitting in terrariums? Pure decoration. Ilex's Pet Care for The Sims 4 changes all of that, transforming these overlooked collectibles into interactive companions that your Sims can genuinely bond with. This comprehensive mod breathes life into objects that were previously little more than dust collectors, adding meaningful gameplay depth to every fishbowl, aquarium, and critter cage in your game.
What Does Ilex's Pet Care Add?
The core of this mod is simple: it gives your Sims the ability to interact with pets that were previously just set dressing. The main mod adds functionality to all fishbowls and aquariums, as well as frog, alien, insect, and axolotl collectibles. Your Sims can now name them, feed them, and talk to them, turning a static display into a lively part of your household.
Naming Your New Companions
Naming pets was already possible for fish in the base game, but Ilex's Pet Care extends this feature to every other collectible creature. Your alien in a jar finally gets a name. Your prized bullfrog gets an identity. This small change adds a surprising amount of attachment to creatures you might have otherwise ignored.
Feeding Interactions and Buffs
Feeding your pets is where the mod really shines. Each feeding session gives your Sim a custom buff, usually a happy one that reflects the joy of caring for a creature. However, Squeamish Sims will find caring for frogs, aliens, and insects distinctly uncomfortable, receiving an unpleasant buff instead. The mod also locks your Sim out from feeding the same type of pet again for a while, which is a clever way to simulate that your Sim feeds all their frogs at once, even if you only clicked on one tank. Children and teens gain some Responsibility from these interactions, adding a parenting layer to pet care. There are no consequences for forgetting to feed your pets, though — this mod is purely for fun.
Talking to Pets
Just like Mermaids chatting with fish in Island Living, your Sims can now talk to their pets to gain some social motive. This makes the interaction feel more meaningful, as your Sim can vent to their frog after a rough day at work. Butterflies are the exception here, as they already have a "Chat" interaction in the base game.
Modular Design: Choose What You Need
Ilex's Pet Care is built with a modular structure, allowing you to customize your experience. There are two ways to download this mod, so please read carefully and make sure you do the method that's right for you. If you own all Sims 4 packs, you can download the main mod and the merged modules from CurseForge, which allows you to update with the Sims 4 Mod Manager. If you do not have all packs, you should download from Patreon (free) and pick and choose the files you need based on which packs you own.
Module 1: Fish Are Pets
This module recategorizes all fishbowls and aquariums into the Miscellaneous Pets category and adds custom thumbnails to the first swatch of each with the Ilex's Pet Care icon. It requires Cats & Dogs, Dine Out, My First Pet Stuff, Snowy Escape, and Spa Day. Interestingly, it does not actually require the main mod to function, though it seems a bit silly to use it without it.
Module 2: Purchase Pet Treats
This module adds the option to buy all pet treats from treat container objects and medicine treats from the vet cart. It also adds additional treats to the menu for these objects and the treat vending machines, as long as you have the necessary packs. Cats & Dogs is required, while Cottage Living and Horse Ranch are needed for their specific treats to appear in the menu. Like Module 1, this works fine without the main mod.
Compatibility and Integration
Ilex's Pet Care plays nicely with several other popular mods. If you use Helaene's Fear Factory, Sims with a fear of frogs will get the squeamish buff when feeding pet frogs. With NateTheL0ser's Misery Traits, Sims with the Alien Hater trait will get the squeamish buff when feeding pet aliens. Any custom objects that share the object tuning from these objects will get the same interactions. LittleMsSam's Anti-Heat Pill is also supported, adding the pill to the treat jar and vet cart menus.
The mod is available in multiple translations, including Chinese, Czech, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian, making it accessible to a wide audience of players. For those wondering how to install, the process is straightforward: download the main mod and any desired modules, extract the files, and place them in your Sims 4 Mods folder. Ensure you have the XML Injector installed as a requirement, and if you don't have Get Famous, you should download the Patreon version to get the override for alternate animations. Extra interactions are available with Outdoor Retreat, Get to Work, Lovestruck, and Adventure Awaits.
If you prefer a more streamlined approach, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for Ilex's Pet Care for The Sims 4, automatically handling version compatibility checks so you never have to worry about mismatched game updates breaking your mods. The launcher's add-on catalog also makes it easy to discover related mods and keep everything organized in one place.
Replacing Old Mods
This is a reworked mod designed to replace all previous "Feed Your Pets" mods (with the exception of the plant one) and consolidate them into one place. If you were using any of the old versions, please delete them and their addons, then read the description and README for details and requirements. The modder welcomes feedback and integration suggestions on Discord, and even encourages other modders to reach out if they've created custom pets or pet treats they'd like included.
Ilex's Pet Care is a delightful addition to The Sims 4 that turns passive decoration into active companionship. Whether you're a collector who wants to name every frog or a family Sim looking to teach responsibility, this mod adds a layer of warmth and interactivity that the base game sorely lacks. It's a must-have for anyone who has ever wished their aquarium was more than just a pretty light source.