Desktop pets — little animated buddies that live on your screen — are one of the nicest ways to make your Mac feel more personal. This page covers the best way to get them on macOS, what to expect, and answers the common questions.
Why Pets Therapy on Mac
- Rated 4.8/5 across 3,600+ Mac App Store ratings worldwide.
- 100+ pets included — cats, dinosaurs, apes, dogs, birds, fish and more, all with real animations.
- Native on Apple Silicon and Intel — smooth and lightweight, no Java or workarounds.
- Custom pets — design and import your own characters, with full export/import support on macOS.
- Pets sit on your windows — animals walk along window borders and birds land on them.
- Free on the Mac App Store — sandboxed, notarized, and auto-updated.
How to install desktop pets on your Mac
- Open the Pets Therapy listing on the Mac App Store.
- Click Get / Install.
- Launch the app — your first pet appears on the desktop immediately.
- Use the menu-bar icon to add more pets, adjust size and speed, or create your own.
Looking for Shimeji on Mac?
Shimeji is Java-based and clunky on modern macOS. Pets Therapy gives you the same "cute characters living on my desktop" feeling as a native Mac app, with 100+ built-in pets and custom-pet support. See our full Shimeji alternatives guide and the best desktop pets apps comparison.
FAQ
Do desktop pets slow down my Mac?
They use a small amount of resources while animating, but Pets Therapy is designed to stay lightweight during normal use. You can reduce the number of active pets any time from the menu bar.
Which macOS versions are supported?
Pets Therapy supports recent versions of macOS on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Check the Mac App Store listing for the exact minimum version.