Taming

Tamed wolves with dyed collars.

A cat and a wolf sitting on the carpet.

Taming is a game mechanic that allows the player to domesticate and tame a wild mob.

List of tameable mobs

Cat	Donkey	Horse	Llama	Mule	Parrot	Skeleton Horse	Trader Llama	Wolf

Mobs that can trust

Axolotl	Fox	Ocelot

Mechanics

A tamed parrot in the player shoulder.

Each animal can be tamed by a different mechanics. Wolves can be tamed by giving the animal bones. Cats and parrots can be tamed by giving the animal its favorite food. Once tamed, these animals will follow the player unless told to sit. Tamed wolves will start fighting alongside their master. Tamed wolves and cats can be bred, and they stop hunting animals by themselves. Tamed parrots can ride on the player's shoulder and mimic nearby mob sounds.

Horses, donkeys, mules, llamas and trader llamas can be tamed by repeatedly mounting the animal until it stops bucking the player off. Feeding them their favorite foods makes taming them easier. Once tamed, these animals can be bred and given equipment. Tamed horses, donkeys and mules can be controlled while riding, but only if given a saddle.

Skeleton horses can be tamed by the player if the skeleton rider is killed. Zombie horses normally cannot be tamed, but they can be tamed using commands.

Trusting

Some animals can never be tamed per se, but the player can still gain their trust. Trusting animals stop fleeing from players, and they do not despawn.

A tamed fox with an egg inside its mouth.

An axolotl's trust can be gained by tempting them with a bucket of tropical fish, while catching them in a bucket prevents them from despawning. A trusting axolotl will follow the player into battle and grant them buffs if they help the axolotl fight.

A fox's trust actually can't be gained if the animal spawned naturally, but they can still be bred by the player. Fox kits bred this way will trust players. A trusting fox will defend the player against a number of mobs.

An ocelot's trust can be gained by feeding it raw cod or salmon.

Special items

These are the foods and other items that are helpful in taming animals or otherwise gaining their trust.

Mob	Items
Axolotl	Water Bucket Bucket of Tropical Fish
Cat Ocelot	Raw Cod Raw Salmon
Fox	Sweet Berries Glow Berries
Horse Donkey Mule	Sugar Wheat Apple Golden Apple Enchanted Golden Apple Golden Carrot
Skeleton Horse	N/A
Llama Trader Llama	Wheat Hay Bale
Parrot	Beetroot Seeds Melon Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Wheat Seeds
Wolf	Bone

Achievements

[hide]
Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other
		Leader of the Pack	Befriend five wolves.	This does not have to be in a single game, so multiple games or reloading old saves does count toward this achievement.	20	Bronze
		Lion Hunter	Gain the trust of an Ocelot.	—	15	Bronze
		Plethora of Cats	Befriend twenty stray cats.	Befriend and tame twenty stray cats found in villages. They do not all need to be tamed in a single world.	20	Silver
		Saddle Up	Tame a horse.	—	20	Bronze
		The Healing Power of Friendship!	Team up with an axolotl and win a fight	Be near​ to an axolotl when killing a hostile aquatic mob ​ while the axolotl is fighting it (not playing dead).	30	Silver

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Best Friends Forever	Tame an animal	Tame one of these 8 tameable mobs: Skeleton Horse and Zombie Horse can be tamed in the same way as a regular horse to gain this advancement with the ride command.

History

[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.4							Added Wolf. {"type": "java Beta", "version": "1.4", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite wolf.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Wolf|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Wolf article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Wolf</span>)</span>."}
[hide]Java Edition
1.2.1							Added Ocelot. {"type": "java", "version": "1.2.1", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite ocelot.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Ocelot|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Ocelot article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Ocelot</span>)</span>."}
							Cat was also added but was not a individual mob. {"type": "java", "version": "1.2.1", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite cat.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Cat|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Cat article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Cat</span>)</span> was also added but was not a individual mob."}
1.6.1							Added Horse, Donkey, Mule, Skeleton Horse and Zombie Horse. {"type": "java", "version": "1.6.1", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "(values exceeds 1000 characters...)"}
1.11							Added Llama. {"type": "java", "version": "1.11", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite llama.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Llama|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Llama article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Llama</span>)</span>."}
1.12							Added Parrot. {"type": "java", "version": "1.12", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite parrot.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Parrot|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Parrot article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Parrot</span>)</span>."}
1.14							Added Cat as a separate mob from ocelots. {"type": "java", "version": "1.14", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite cat.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Cat|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Cat article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Cat</span>)</span> as a separate mob from ocelots."}
							Added Trader Llama. {"type": "java", "version": "", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite trader-llama.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Trader Llama|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Trader Llama article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Trader Llama</span>)</span>."}
							Added Fox. {"type": "java", "version": "", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite fox.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Fox|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Fox article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Fox</span>)</span>."}
1.17							Added Axolotl. {"type": "java", "version": "1.17", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite axolotl.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Axolotl|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Axolotl article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Axolotl</span>)</span>."}
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0							Added Wolf. {"type": "pocket Alpha", "version": "v0.9.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite wolf.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Wolf|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Wolf article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Wolf</span>)</span>."}
v0.12.1							Added Ocelot. {"type": "pocket Alpha", "version": "v0.12.1", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite ocelot.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Ocelot|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Ocelot article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Ocelot</span>)</span>."}
							Cat was also added but was not a individual mob. {"type": "pocket Alpha", "version": "v0.12.1", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite cat.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Cat|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Cat article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Cat</span>)</span> was also added but was not a individual mob."}
v0.15.0							Added Horse, Donkey, Mule, Skeleton Horse and Zombie Horse. {"type": "pocket Alpha", "version": "v0.15.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "(values exceeds 1000 characters...)"}
[hide]Pocket Edition
1.1.0							Added Llama. {"type": "pocket", "version": "1.1.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite llama.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Llama|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Llama article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Llama</span>)</span>."}
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.2.0							Added Parrot. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "1.2.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite parrot.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Parrot|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Parrot article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Parrot</span>)</span>."}
1.8.0							Added Cat as a separate mob from ocelots. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "1.8.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite cat.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Cat|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Cat article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Cat</span>)</span> as a separate mob from (link to ocelot article, displayed as ocelots)."}
1.10.0							Added Trader Llama. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "1.10.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite trader-llama.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Trader Llama|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Trader Llama article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Trader Llama</span>)</span>."}
1.13.0							Added Fox. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "1.13.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite fox.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Fox|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Fox article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Fox</span>)</span>."}
1.17.0							Added Axolotl through experimental gameplay. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "1.17.0", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "Added <span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite axolotl.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Axolotl|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Axolotl article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Axolotl</span>)</span> through experimental gameplay."}
							Axolotl is now available outside the experimental toggle. {"type": "bedrock", "version": "", "exp": "", "snap": "", "content": "<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:EntitySprite axolotl.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Axolotl|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Axolotl article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Axolotl</span>)</span> is now available outside the experimental toggle."}

Issues

Issues relating to "Taming" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

• The skeleton horse is the only naturally hostile mob that can be tamed by the player.

Gallery

• 

  Three tamed wolves following the player around.

• 

  Many tamed wolves sitting.

• 

  A group of begging tamed wolves.

• 

  A tamed pup sitting.

• 

  Many tamed cats.

• 

  Many tamed horses.

• 

  Many tamed skeleton horses with saddle‌s.

• 

  A player riding a skeleton horse underwater.