The short answer
- First pet
- A Small Dog from Joanna’s main quest Notes From the Fauna in the Hanging Gardens. It opens during Kassim’s Field Research quest.
- What you need
- Find 5 dog tracks near Joanna, then fill the Pet Bowl under the big pink tree with 4 Lettuce and 2 Carrot. Grow them before you go.
- More pets
- The cat (Fur Real?, 10 clues) and capybara (Fur-ther Investigation, 30 clues) come from Joanna’s follow-up quests. Duck, Tortoise and Alpaca need 50 Location Pieces each from chests.
- Paid pets
- Waddle and Wheelie were Kickstarter rewards and Greeny comes with a paid bundle. Every other pet is earned in play.
- 5
- Dog tracks
- 4 + 2
- Lettuce and Carrot
- 9
- Pet types
- 6
- Earned in play
- Lv 5
- Friendship cap
- Nov 2026
- Checked on
Notes From the Fauna starts during Field Research in the Hanging Gardens
You cannot get a pet in Loftia City. Pets open up once the main story takes you to the Hanging Gardens. The chain that leads to Joanna runs like this:
- Finish the Loftia City main quests and A Call From the Gardens, which takes you to the Hanging Gardens.
- Do Kassim’s Fish Are Friends: craft the Collector Rod, show it to Kassim and catch three fish.
- Kassim then gives you Field Research. Complete one bundle at a Research Station and report back to him.
- Field Research now asks you to help three residents and collect their field notes: Joanna, Hazel and Kun. Joanna’s part is Notes From the Fauna.
Joanna is the pet caretaker. She lives near the entrance to the Hanging Gardens, in the area the map calls The Grove. One player’s route: walk past Herb, head up the hill, and turn right before you reach the Air Tram. Her house has pets around it, so it is easy to spot.
The Field Research bundle most players finish first is the four-fish bundle at the Central Lake Research Station, which also unlocks the level 2 Project Station recipe. You will want that station later, because the pet house you get from this quest is crafted on it.
The five clues are dog tracks around Joanna’s house in The Grove
Talk to Joanna and she asks you to look for pet tracks to find out where a runaway dog went. The quest tracker then shows Look around for clues on the dog’s whereabouts (0/5).
Each clue is a small patch of paw prints on the ground with a magnifying glass icon floating above it. Walk up and interact with it. Every track you check adds one to the counter, and the trail leads you on to the next one.
- Where they are: all five sit close to Joanna in The Grove, not spread across the district. You do not need to leave the area.
- Which way the trail runs: in one player’s run the first track is beside the house next to Joanna’s, and the trail climbs a set of stone steps toward the big pink-leaved community tree, the landmark you can see from most of The Grove. We could only check this route in one run, so if a track is not where you expect, look for the magnifying glass icon nearby.
- Finding a missed one: if the counter stops at 4/5, walk back over the area between Joanna’s house and the tree. Each track is marked in the world, so the one you skipped will still have its icon.
When the fifth track is done, a New Pet Location notice pops up with the Dog Location, and the quest step changes to Make sure the dog is well-fed. A dog face icon marks the spot. If you lose it, Joanna repeats the hint when you talk to her.
Feed the dog 4 Lettuce and 2 Carrot at the Pet Bowl under the big pink tree
The dog marker points to a small Pet Bowl at the foot of the big pink tree, close to where the tracks end. Interact with it and a feeding window opens with two slots: Lettuce and Carrot. Add 4 Lettuce and 2 Carrot and the window shows the rescue reward, the Small Dog.
The quest does not hand you the food, and nothing warns you until you reach the bowl. Grow both crops on your home island before you go, or keep a few back instead of selling your harvest.
Once fed, you name the dog (you can change the name later), then return to Joanna to finish the quest. The rewards are:
- Small Dog, your first pet.
- Basic Habitat recipe, a pet house for your island.
- Coastal Overalls, an outfit piece.
Loftia has nine pet types, and six of them are earned in play
The Loftia Codex lists nine pet types. Six come from quests or collections, three are paid. The Codex lists the exact food amounts; other players’ guides name the same foods.
| Pet | How you get it | Clues or pieces | Food at the bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Dog | Notes From the Fauna (main quest, Joanna) | 5 | 4 Lettuce, 2 Carrot |
| Shorthair Cat | Fur Real? (side quest, Joanna) | 10, from salvaging and foraging in Loftia City | 6 Cauliflower, 3 Watermelon |
| Capybara | Fur-ther Investigation (side quest, Joanna) | 30, from every district and activity | 10 Spinach, 10 Wild Greens |
| Duck | Collect Duck Location pieces | 50 | 20 Vines, 10 Fruit Salad |
| Tortoise | Collect Tortoise Location pieces | 50 | 15 Banana, 10 Ratatouille |
| Alpaca | Collect Alpaca Location pieces | 50 | 8 Straw, 10 Garden Salad |
| Waddle | Kickstarter backer reward | None | None |
| Wheelie | Kickstarter backer reward | None | None |
| Greeny | Growing Together Bundle (paid) | None | None |
Shorthair Cat: Fur Real?
Fur Real? unlocks after you finish the dog quest. Accept it from Joanna first, then salvage and forage in Loftia City until you have 10 clues on the cat’s location. Patch Notes #2 on November 10 updated Joanna’s hints so they point you to Loftia City for the cat. The Codex lists the clue as dropping from common city spots such as Berry Bushes, Tall Grass, Wooden Crates, Wire Piles and Abandoned Cars. Then follow the quest marker to the bowl and feed it.
Capybara: Fur-ther Investigation
This one comes much later. It needs the main quest Mending What’s Broken first, then 30 clues on the capybara’s location from all the districts and activities. The Codex lists 45 gathering spot types that can drop a capybara clue, so normal play in every district fills it over time.
Duck, Tortoise and Alpaca: 50 Location Pieces each
These three have no rescue quest. You collect 50 Location Pieces of that animal, and the pieces combine into its location. The Codex lists them dropping 2 to 3 at a time from the Treasure Hunt chests (the regular hat, shirt, pants and shoes chests and the Golden Treasure Chest). Each also has its own extra source in the Codex:
- Duck: also from Lockbox Hammer and Lockbox Pruner spots and from Office, Residential and Underground Artifact spots in the urbex areas.
- Tortoise: also from an A (1400+ points) or S (1600+ points) rank at the Community Farm.
- Alpaca: also from Cloud adventure rewards at tiers 4 and 5.
These are long collections, and drops are not guaranteed from any single chest. Pick the animal you want most and spend your keys with that in mind. Our Loftia money guide covers earning the Dew that Chest Keys cost.
Waddle, Wheelie and Greeny are the three paid pets
Waddle (a small outdoorsy robot) and Wheelie were Kickstarter backer rewards. Greeny comes with the Growing Together Bundle on Steam, which the launch post priced at US$54.97 during the launch discount, together with nature-themed cosmetics and the soundtrack.
Since Patch Notes #2, Kickstarter and DLC pets have no friendship levels. They come fully unlocked. The developers say 93% of the cosmetics at Early Access launch are unlocked through gameplay rather than the Backer Boutique, and all six animal pets above follow that rule.
Pets follow you, level up friendship to 5 and find items in a habitat
Pets are mostly companions. Here is what they do:
- Follow you. Your active pet travels with you between maps. Patch Notes #2 fixed pets getting stuck after map travel.
- Grow friendship. Friendship rises as you spend time and do activities with your pet. Pets you earn in play cap at friendship level 5 since Patch Notes #2. The Codex lists the levels at 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 and 3,000 XP.
- Unlock tricks and outfits. Each level gives a pet emote or a clothing piece. For the dog the Codex lists Beg, Adventure Goggles, Bark, Adventure Harness and Spin, and players on Steam confirm the goggles come before the harness. The cat gets Chic Sunglasses and a Fluffy Jacket, the capybara Capybara Earmuffs and a Capybara Sweater, the alpaca an Alpaca Bucket Hat and Alpaca Poncho.
- Dress up. The Pets menu has tabs for style (colour variants), clothing and accessories. Some pet accessories and styles are sold in the Backer Boutique.
- Find items in a habitat. Move a pet into a habitat on your island and it turns up items over time. Players report Bloom and even a Golden Chest Key from pet houses, and that more pet houses mean more Bloom. The Codex lists the finds as 3 to 5 Bloom, 3 to 5 Chest Keys and 1 Golden Chest Key.
Your first habitat slot is free. The Codex lists more slots through the Pet Habitats permit: a second for 500 Dew, a third for 2,500 Dew and 10 Bloom, and a fourth for 5,000 Dew and 25 Bloom. We have not confirmed these permit prices a second way.
Mistakes that slow down your first pet
- Mistake: Looking for pets in Loftia City. Fix: Joanna is in the Hanging Gardens, and her quest only appears inside Field Research.
- Mistake: Selling all your Lettuce and Carrots. Fix: Keep 4 Lettuce and 2 Carrot for the bowl.
- Mistake: Hunting cat clues before accepting Fur Real? Fix: Take the quest from Joanna first, then salvage and forage in Loftia City.
- Mistake: Leaving the pet out of a habitat. Fix: Craft the Basic Habitat from the quest recipe so the pet can find Bloom and keys.
FAQ
How do you get a pet in Loftia?
Reach the Hanging Gardens, start Kassim’s Field Research, and help Joanna with Notes From the Fauna. Find 5 dog tracks near her house, then feed the dog 4 Lettuce and 2 Carrot at the Pet Bowl under the big pink tree.
Where is Joanna in Loftia?
In the Hanging Gardens, near the district entrance in The Grove. Her house has animals around it.
Where are the dog clues for Notes From the Fauna?
All five are paw-print patches with a magnifying glass icon, close to Joanna’s house. The trail leads toward the big pink tree, where the Pet Bowl is.
How do you get a cat in Loftia?
Finish the dog quest, accept Fur Real? from Joanna, collect 10 cat clues by salvaging and foraging in Loftia City, then feed it 6 Cauliflower and 3 Watermelon.
How do you get the capybara?
After the main quest Mending What’s Broken, Joanna’s Fur-ther Investigation asks for 30 clues from every district and activity, then 10 Spinach and 10 Wild Greens.
Do you have to pay for pets in Loftia?
No. Six animal pets are earned in play. Only Waddle, Wheelie (Kickstarter rewards) and Greeny (paid bundle) cost money.
What is the max pet friendship level?
Level 5 for pets you earn in play, since Patch Notes #2. Paid pets have no friendship levels.
Checklist
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Source & credit
Loftia is developed and published by Qloud Games and is in Early Access on Steam. Quest steps, rewards and pet requirements were checked against the Loftia Codex (a fan-made database at loftiacodex.com, not affiliated with the developer), the official patch notes on Steam, Steam community discussions, and player walkthroughs by VelvettB Gaming and ComfyQuesting. Details only one source shows are marked as such. Screenshots are from the official Steam store page and official trailers.
