This Skyrim mod lets you adopt cats - if you can convince them
Up to scratch.
There's plenty of dogs to be found around Skyrim, but where are the cats? That's something that several mods have sought to fix over the years, yet the latest introduces some more complicated adoption and needs systems to make sure you're furry immersed.
Having been in development since 2018, A Cat's Life is a mod by Darkfox127 releasing on 1st August for both Legendary and Special Edition Skyrim. The mod allows players to adopt cats from most major cities, but things aren't quite as straightforward as just asking: some of the stray cats need to be convinced. You can observe cats to see whether they are friendly, then improve relations by offering food or going in for a pet. Be warned, however, that the latter is a risky strategy that can result in some scratches.
An easier route is to simply buy a feline from one of the two rival pet stores added by the mod (complete with new characters and voice acting). You can technically buy all the cats in the stores, but you can only have five cats follow you in total - otherwise you would probably become some sort of feline pied piper. The mod does provide a perk called "crazy cat person", although exactly what this does - or how you achieve it - is a bit of a mystery.
Once you have a cat follower, there's also an optional "needs" system, which requires you to feed and care for your cat. Failing to do so could mean your cat starves, while mistreatment will cause them to run away. This particular feature is still in beta at launch, Darkfox127 says, although it's possible to toggle it on or off in the mod configuration menu.
The mod adds plenty of small but sweet features - such as the ability to buy cat beds and collars - and looks like it'll make a nice addition to any playthrough. As of yet there's no official download page for the mod, so it's worth keeping an eye on Darkfox127's YouTube channel for further updates.