Wild Animals and Pets in Animal Parade

Animal Parade has some wonderful Events and options involving both Ranch Animals and Wild Animals. The Wounded Bird Quest may be my favourite of all the 'optional Events'. I do enjoy Theodore's very colourful Circus and I think the Pets are more interactive and entertaining than they were in ToT, although ToT was very exciting where the Wild Animals as Pets were concerned.

Here is a video that gives some of the Events as well as the behaviour of a Wild Animal once it becomes a 'treasured member of the household'.

Kiffle in two Worlds

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Tree of Tranquility was the first Harvest Moon game to allow a player to domesticate the wide assortment of creatures that we had encountered in the wilds in almost every old Harvest Moon game. Players of A Wonderful Life and Another Wonderful Life constantly asked how one could take the Turtle home, for example, and a host of Urban Legends arose on message boards and false guides giving bogus instructions on how to make the Turtle Nina raced into a Pet. To set the record straight once and for all, one could NOT make the Turtle into a Pet in AWL or AnWL. Nor could the Monkeys that appeared in the Hot Spring in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl be domesticated....

In Tree of Tranquility, however, almost any Wild Animal you encountered could be persuaded to become a Pet if you befriended him/her with some dedication. Those of us who are animal lovers in any world were thrilled.

I have to admit, however, that the Pet option in Animal Parade is the best I have experienced, even more entertaining than Tree of Tranquility. Some players may shrug in response, if they subscribe to the gaming philosophy that ANY sequel has to be better than its predecessor, but that is not the case always. In fact, where Harvest Moon and Rune Factory are concerned, every game stands alone, even when the sequel is marketed as the 'female' counterpart of an original 'male' version of the game. MFoMT is so much more than the 'girl version' of FoMT and yet, FoMT is as good a game as MFoMT in a different way. The same is true of HM DS and Cute DS. They are two excellent games, both worth playing. But enough of this...

In Animal Parade, the size of your house determines the sort of Pet you can keep, but you can raise the Friendship Levels of all Wild Animals in anticipation of a time when you may be able to keep them as Pets. Furthermore, you can release existing Pets into the Wilds again in order to keep a new one. I am an absurdly sentimental person even when playing a game, and I cannot imagine that I will have the heart to relinquish any Pet for the sake of another in Animal Parade.

Nonetheless, although my heart was set on gaining the White Cat as my Pet, especially in view of the fact that Beauty now has three little adorable White Kittens, I became seduced by the Squirrel in Flute Fields. The problem was that I passed through Flute Fields daily but the little peninsula at the Lighthouse is out of the way. I had to make a concerted attempt to visit the White Cat and catch a Fish for her each time I did. The Squirrel, on the other hand, was thrilled to accept any Herb I collected along the way or even a Common Mushroom. Likewise, with countless Common Mushrooms at my disposal, it never was a hardship to slip the Baby Boar one, even though I had no desire to take him home with me.

I resisted the Squirrel for some time after the option to Adopt him appeared at 6 Hearts, with my avowed intention of adopting the White Cat firmly set in my mind and heart. On the night when I experienced the Event in Fugue Forest with all the Wild Animals, however, my heart caved. I had hoped that the Event would raise the Heart Levels of ALL the Wild Animals by a full Heart Level, but it does not do that. It raises Friendship Levels a little but not by a full Level. The White Cat, therefore, remained at 5 Hearts and the darling little Squirrel cavorted so charmingly that I surrendered...

With a Chinchilla named Kiffle, I had to name the Squirrel Kiffle. What a delightful companion he proved to be! His antics are enchanting and he digs for little treasures each time I take him for a walk. Most of the time, he unearths nothing more interesting than a Common Mushroom but he has discovered other Mushrooms as well... Another reason for Adopting him now is the realisation that I may be able to win the Pet Contest next Spring if I begin to train him immediately. Every day that I remain petless in the interest of obtaining the White Cat is one more wasted day in terms of training...

In Animal Parade, as mentioned previously, there is an option to release any Pet back to the Wilds if you decide you would rather adopt another. If you attempt to adopt more than one Pet when your House does not meet the requirements in terms of space, the game will taunt you a little, giving you the option to declare that you wish to adopt another Pet but then telling you that you haven't the space for an additional Animal. This will go on and on until you finally admit defeat and choose one or the other...

As in other Harvest Moon games, you can show your Pet to other Characters when you go out for a walk with him/her. Each Character will remark upon the Pet, but I expect that the comment will not vary from Pet to Pet as the Character invariably refers to Kiffle simply as my 'Pet' rather than 'Squirrel'.

The only disappointment here is that you cannot take your Pet into any building to show him/her to Characters who remain indoors. When I tried to carry Kiffle into the local Shops or homes, he simply disappeared from my arms, awaiting me outside.

In many Harvest Moon games, you actually can gain Affection/Friendship Points with specific individuals by showing them your Dog or Cat. I do not know if this is the case in Animal Parade. It is difficult if not impossible to test as simply speaking to an individual raises Friendship Levels a little... There is no Love Bangle or other Accessory that will display precise point values in terms of Love or Friendship in Animal Parade. Heart Levels are displayed on the Friends page of the Farm Menu but only as full Hearts.

I still intend to adopt my White Cat one day, but for now, my life is immensely enriched by the presence of my Kiffle.

Later:

Incidentally,your Pet will find different items in different Districts and, unlike any Transport Animal, a small Pet can accompany you on the Mine Cart and on the ferry to Toucan Island. It's most satisfying! When he is in the Flute District or Garmon Mines District, Kiffle finds Common Mushrooms or Mushrooms (White). I wonder if he is able to find Fugue Mushrooms in Fugue Forest... That I need to confirm!

In Harmonica Town, the Church Grounds or on Toucan Island, he has been finding Green Herbs. I do not know if the colour of the Herb will vary, but again, something to confirm.

I expect that all Pets give a variety of items depending on where you take them for their 'walk'.

Vanishing Animals in IoH

So many players have had this problem that I have added a little section to my General Guide. It actually is something that can occur in almost any Harvest Moon game. One of your animals, whether a Pet, Cow or Sheep, either vanishes from the screen or becomes stuck in a wall. This can be very distressing to players, as one might imagine. Many players found that their cat or dog was immured in the wall or behind the furnishings when Gotz expanded their houses for the last time in HM DS. There was a problem with a vanishing cow or calf in AWL or AnWL (can't recall which from memory). Now there is a problem in IoH. When left outside, the dog or horse may disappear from the screen. You do not lose the animal but you neither can see it nor interact with it. Another problem is that of a Cow or Sheep that becomes stuck in the wall of the Barn. In this situation, you actually can see the poor creature, day after day...

What you need to do here first and foremost is to continue to FEED the animal daily. Make certain that a portion of food is left in the food tray each day whether you see the Animal or not. Remember that pets WILL eat their food even when kept outside in IoH.

There is a solution whichever animal is affected, thank God! In IoH, each type of Animal has a Festival once each year. On the day before the Festival, Mirabelle will come to the farm to ask if you wish to enter an Animal in the Contest. At that point, the Animal that you enter should appear next to Mirabelle. At the end of the Festival, she will return the Animal directly to its stable or Barn and the problem should be solved.

Another solution with respect to an Animal caught in the Barn wall was tested and confirmed by a player who experienced it. She bought Miracle Potion and impregnated the Animal, realising that a pregnant Animal would appear the next morning next to the Birthing Pen. This solution worked beautifully. The only difficulty is in positioning oneself correctly in order to be able to sprinkle the Potion over the Animal while it remains caught in the Wall.

A more drastic solution with respect to Livestock would be to sell the Animal back to Mirabelle. If you are impatient and cannot bear the sight of the creature in the wall, sell it back to Mirabelle and either purchase or raise another. Remember though, that ANY animal can be recovered at the appropriate Animal Festival.

Finally, a tip when any Animal in the wall becomes stressed or cannot be milked or sheared. If you set Red or Blue Wonderfuls in any Ranch Tool, you will increase its range in the same way that the range of any Farm Tool would be expanded. You then may be able to use the Brush, Milker/Clippers on the Animal caught in the Wall, preventing it from feeling neglected!

27 October: More players have experienced the 'vanishing animal' situation now. A chicken has disappeared twice now in one player's game. In the player's own words: 'It disappeared before the day after a storm (typhoon), but I found it wandering around my farm. Well, no storm in awhile and one day it's gone. It's been a week (in the game)... I've looked around my farm about 20 times each day on the game.'

At least a chicken will find its own food outside, as the player noted. In my own game, I have experienced a rather bizarre situation with respect to chickens left inside their pens in the field. Safely ensconced in the pen at night, I have found them wandering OUTSIDE the pen the next morning on occasion. Fortunately, no stress was suffered. There must be some programming in the game that moves animals randomly. It can be rather disconcerting.

Walking your Dog in Harvest Moon

In many Harvest Moon games, you actually are able to 'walk the dog' by taking it with you when you visit people. You do not 'walk the dog' per se but carry it and when you speak to any individual while holding your dog, he/she will respond to it.
In many games, when you speak to any character who likes dogs, heart levels will increase, but when you speak to some one with a horror of canines, heart levels will drop.

In HM DS/Cute DS, many players make the rounds of every house in the Valley with their dog or cat early in the game when they are not rich enough to afford gifts. It is an easy and inexpensive way to boost heart levels.

There are characters whose fear or abhorrence of dogs persists from game to game. Popuri is one of these. In Island of Happiness, Gannon's fear of dogs is almost an Island legend. Chen pokes fun of the 'mountain of a man' who is terrified of the tiny creature.

It is not only Main Characters who respond differently to your dog in IoH but Subsidiary Characters as well. Most individuals love animals and will respond effusively, telling you how 'cute' or 'adorable' your dog is. Others, however, like Gannon, will respond with fear or even detestation. As always, save your game BEFORE you approach any one with your dog in order to avoid a negative result.

It is interesting to discover that, although most children are enthusiastic about your Dog, their Guardians or Parents often will ask you to keep the animal away from the Child, behaving over-protectively. As you can see in the screenshots displayed here, Thelma will ask you to keep the dog away from Rita. I believe Robin behaves in a similar fashion.

You can put your dog down on the ground anywhere outside your farm in Island of Happiness. In fact, you can leave him at another house or building and go home without him. If you leave him in another building overnight, he will reappear in your field the next morning.

A final point needs to be made about 'Pets' in Island of Happiness. When your Dog and/or Horse reach 10 Hearts, do not be complacent. Neglect can lower their heart levels quite easily. It is vital that you feed both Horse and Dog daily by leaving a portion of Pet Food for each in the Stable even if the animal is kept outside. The food will be eaten. If you fail to feed either Animal for a couple of days, you can lose as much as a full heart level.

You need to brush the Horse from time to time if you are not riding him regularly in order to maintain maximum heart level. Once you have a Teleport Stone, the horse may appear less attractive as a means of transport, but remember that the Teleport Stone takes you only to the entrance to any area and does not provide 'door to door service'. There is a way to use both Horse and Teleport Stone by combining both in a journey. The Horse is particularly useful in the Forest where there are many twisting paths and destinations such as the Church and Witch Princess Hut that cannot be reached via Teleport.

The upcoming 'Tree of Tranquility' for the Wii is one game where you actually can 'walk' any pet. You need to tame an animal by raising its friendship level before you can take it home as a Pet, but once an Animal becomes a Pet, you will have a choice of options whenever you speak to it. One of these options is to go for a walk. The same option exists with respect to your Child when he/she reaches a specific stage of growth. It is one of the most charming aspects of ToT, actually. I loved to walk through the Island with my cat running at my heels! (Your pet can be as exotic a creature as a Turtle or Penguin.) You will find all details about Pets, your Child and every other aspect of ToT in the BradyGames Guide.