Critters and Companions Mod | Friendly Animal Mobs

Meet the Critters and Companions animal mobs

Critters and Companions is a vanilla-style Minecraft mod that populates your overworld with friendly, real-world inspired animal mobs. Each creature has its own behaviors, taming methods, and small rewards, so they feel like genuine companions rather than scenery. The mod covers land, water, and air, from river otters that dive for pearls to red pandas that nap through the day and shoo away hostile neighbors.

Every creature the mod adds

The roster spans ten distinct animals spread across the biomes you already explore. Below is what each one does, where to find it, and the perk it brings.

Otter: Otters spawn in rivers and open clams to search for pearls. You get clams by fishing in rivers, then the pearls they yield craft into a pearl necklace that grants the wearer a helpful effect.

Ferret: Ferrets spawn in plains and forests. Tame one with raw rabbit and it will help you hunt chickens and rabbits. A fed ferret can also dig for loot, with a short cooldown between digs.

Koi fish: Koi spawn in rivers and can be scooped up with a bucket. Keep a group together and they grant you a luck boost.

Dumbo octopus: Dumbo octopuses spawn in deep oceans and are bucketable. If you start drowning nearby, a dumbo octopus will rescue you with a temporary bubble helmet.

Sea bunny: Sea bunnies spawn in oceans and can be picked up with a bucket. Their slime, gathered with a glass bottle, crafts into sea bunny slime blocks.

Dragonfly: Dragonflies hover over rivers and tame with spider eyes. A tamed dragonfly can wear dragonfly armour, crafted from ingots in a diagonal line of three, which boosts its durability and damage.

Leaf insect: Leaf insects spawn in forests and dance when music plays nearby.

Red panda: Red pandas spawn in jungles and snooze through the day. Breed them with bamboo or tame them with sweet berries. Once tamed, a red panda scares away most aggressive neutral mobs.

Shima enaga: These tiny long-tailed birds spawn in snowy biomes and tame with seeds.

There is also a jumping spider. Tame it with dragonfly wings and it will protect you, dropping jumping spider silk that crafts into a silk leash and a silk grappling hook.

How to install Critters and Companions

Installing the mod takes a few minutes if you already run a modded profile.

1. Install a compatible loader first. If you have not set one up, follow our Minecraft Forge, Fabric, or general how to install Minecraft mods walkthroughs.
2. Download the matching JAR for your loader and drop it into your mods folder.
3. Launch the game with the modded profile and explore a river, jungle, or forest to start spotting new animals.

No required dependencies are listed, so a clean loader install is enough to get started.

Playing with your new companions

Taming is the heart of the mod. Stock the right food for each animal (raw rabbit for ferrets, spider eyes for dragonflies, sweet berries for red pandas, seeds for shima enagas, dragonfly wings for jumping spiders) and you build a small entourage that hunts, defends, and fetches loot for you. Water mobs like koi, dumbo octopuses, and sea bunnies are bucketable, so you can move them between bases or build dedicated ponds. The pearl necklace, sea bunny slime blocks, and silk grappling hook give the mod a light item-progression layer on top of the cosmetic appeal.

Pair it with other creature mods

Critters and Companions plays well alongside other mob overhauls from the same studio. If you enjoy the art style, try Creeper Overhaul for redesigned creepers or Enderman Overhaul for a fresh take on endermen.

---

Frequently asked questions

Is Critters and Companions still being maintained?

The last release shipped in October 2025. Check the project page for current status and any newer builds before you build a world around it.

Do the new mobs replace vanilla animals?

No. Every creature is additive, so vanilla passive mobs, breeding, and spawns continue to work exactly as in a normal world.

Are any of the animals hostile?

None of them attack the player. The red panda and jumping spider are defensive, meaning they protect you or chase off threats once tamed.

Can I move the water creatures to my base?

Yes. Koi fish, dumbo octopuses, and sea bunnies can all be picked up with a bucket and placed wherever you like.