Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Cats and Ocelots in Minecraft: Taming and Gifts
Tame a stray cat by feeding it raw cod or raw salmon: each fish has a 1 in 3 chance. Cats live in villages and swamp huts, come in 11 looks, scare away creepers and phantoms, and may leave you a gift after you sleep. Ocelots live in jungles and cannot be tamed, but feeding them fish makes them trust you.
How do you tame a cat?
Stray cats run from players, so hold raw cod or salmon and stand still: a cat walks up slowly, and if you turn too fast it runs off. Feed it until hearts and a collar appear. A tamed cat follows you, never despawns, sits when you right-click it, and heals 2 HP per fish. Two tamed cats fed fish breed a kitten, which takes 20 minutes to grow up. See taming pets.
Where do cats spawn?
- Villages: Java spawns stray cats when there are at least 5 claimed beds nearby and fewer than 5 cats; Bedrock keeps 1 cat per 4 owned beds, up to 5. See villages.
- Swamp huts: every hut generates one black cat beside the witch; see swamps.
- The 11 looks are Tabby, Tuxedo, Red, Siamese, British Shorthair, Calico, Persian, Ragdoll, White, Jellie and All Black.
Why keep a cat?
- Creepers stay 6 blocks away from cats and phantoms keep 16 blocks away, even while chasing you.
- Gifts: a tamed cat sleeps on your bed and has a 70% chance to leave an item next to you when you wake up at night.
- Cats can see players who are invisible, and take no fall damage.
- They sit on chests (which stops the chest opening), beds and lit furnaces.
What is the difference between cats and ocelots?
Ocelots spawn in jungles and bamboo jungles, are the same size as cats, and are wild animals: you cannot tame them. Feeding one raw cod or salmon makes it trust you, so it stops running away. Ocelots hunt chickens and baby turtles, and creepers avoid them too. Breed two trusting ocelots with fish to get a kitten.
Are there ocelot mobs on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
What do cats eat in Minecraft?
Raw cod and raw salmon, used to tame, heal and breed them.
Can you tame an ocelot?
No. Since 1.14 feeding an ocelot fish only makes it trust you; tame cats instead.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.