Pet

A pet is a non-combat NPC loyal to a player that generally requires a certain level in Summoning to own. Typically, a player must raise a pet to maturity by having it follow them. Many pets can also be fed and interacted with. Most pets do not serve a purpose other than decoration, however, some pets are used in quests and have other additional benefits.

A player may only have one pet, familiar, or NPC (e.g. Zanik, or the Zanaris choir) following them at one time. Players can manage pets while active through the familiar interface, by using food on them, by left-clicking, and with direct interaction by right-clicking.

Pets that exist as objects may be stored in the bank or inventory, and follow the player when dropped. Other pets are automatically stored in the Hero interface and can be called to follow the player at any time. Players can store up to 25 pets in the Menagerie of a player-owned house (with the highest-level pet houses). Unlike familiars, pets may be brought into Summoning-free zones.

Summoning-related pets
Many pets require an appropriate Summoning level to be obtained, raised, and kept. With some exceptions, such as god birds for protection in the God Wars Dungeon, these pets have no real use other than decoration, or as a way to show off a player's Summoning level.

Caring for pets
When a pet is first obtained, it is in its lowest growth stage and grows as it follows the player, with the exception of several pets which only have one growth stage such as the Broav.

A player can monitor a pet's growth and hunger in the Summoning menu. Younger pets become hungrier faster than their adult counterparts, but the frequency of feeding does not affect a pet's growth rate.

Unlike other pets, kittens must be stroked and fed regularly or they run away. Once they reach adult stage, they no longer need to be fed.

At 100% growth, the pet matures into its next form. Pets can have up to three growth stages. Legendary pets obtained from Solomon's General Store can be interacted with and can be fed different types of food that can also be obtained from the store, which speeds up their growth significantly.

Pets that hatch from eggs need to be incubated before they hatch, which requires them to be placed in an egg incubator found in the Pet shops in Taverley and Yanille. Players receive a chat box notification when the egg has hatched. Any pet hatched in an incubator remains there until the player chooses to retrieve it. Pet shop owners are also the only NPCs that sell specific food for pets.

A player may speak with a pet once they are 10 or more Summoning levels above the required Summoning level to obtain that pet. Communication with pets above the level of 90 is possible, with the exception of the Baby dragon, which cannot be understood regardless of how high the player boosts their Summoning level. The Monkey can be spoken to if the player wears the Monkeyspeak amulet from Monkey Madness, and the TzRek-Jad is naturally capable of speech. Players with 99 summoning can communicate with a Chameleon after using the cape's right click "boost" option to temporarily achieve level 100 summoning.

Pets that are stored in the 'Hero' interface function differently from other pets. These are separated into five categories: Follower, Legendary, Companion, Boss, and Skilling. These do not need any feeding, although legendary pets can be given treats to make them grow more quickly.

Object pets
These pets exist as objects. When dropped, they follow the player. If a player dies while their pet is following them, it disappears and the player has to find a new one.

Summoning
These pets require a specific Summoning level to obtain, as well as other requirements.

Non-summoning
These pets do not have Summoning requirements and instead have other requirements.

Interface pets
These pets do not exist as objects. Instead, they are accessed through the 'Pets' tab in the Customisation interface.

Boss pets
Boss pets are generally pets obtained by fighting or achievements that have to do with bosses. Most are drops that unlock the pet, but some, such as the Mega ducklings and the Barrows Bobbleheads have different methods.

Soloman's Store Pets
Companion pets may have 16 colour variations and no growth stages. Most companion pets has a unique emote that can be performed by interacting with it by right-clicking the Summoning icon near the minimap. Companion pets are also able to override familiars.

Legendary pets
Legendary pets have several unique abilities, described below. Pets in the baby stage can have one active ability, adolescent pets can have two, and adult pets can have three. Abilities can be switched out at any time unless that ability is on cooldown. Active abilites are switched via the pet interface by clicking on the "Abilities" button at the bottom right corner.

Life saver, slayer finisher, repair item and fertiliser are not available for Ironman accounts.

Legendary pets gain pet points when they are summoned, at a rate of approximately 1 per minute. Another point, up to 30, is also "stored" in the pet and can be released by playing with the pet. 2400 points are needed for the pet to become an adult. These pets can be given a Tasty Treat, Jelly Treat or Growth Surge to make them grow to the next stage faster. There are 16 colour variations for these pets. Legendary pets are also able to override familiars.

Use and reception
When pets were first released, many players complained that pets still required food even when fully grown, unlike the cats, which required no feeding once a kitten had grown up. This was explained as stress on the server as having a pet or familiar out all the time would inevitably slow them down. This is also the reason why timers are implemented and no familiars are visible in high player density areas such as the Grand Exchange. Pets being high maintenance was too much bother to some players that would likely have the ability to own the higher level pets and wouldn't consider keeping them out other than for passive activities. This was especially true for pets with non-stackable food of which is currently the majority. Familiars however filled the gap that many thought pets would take, as skill/combat aids and beasts of burden, leaving pets largely ignored for lack of any ability.

As part of an update on 19 December 2012, pets no longer run away as a result of hunger, with the exception of pet cats.

Trivia

 * Initially, players could have mature God birds of differing Gods. Jagex limited God bird ownership to one bird for a time, but with the introduction of the Menagerie, it became possible to own all three God birds at once.
 * Zamorak hawks and Saradomin Owls prevent warriors from said allegiances attacking you while in the God Wars Dungeon. This can be extremely useful for players who do not wish to be forced to wear a particular armour showing allegiance to said groups.
 * Eek, the reward for completing the 2009 Hallowe'en Event, could be considered the first pet allowed to Non-members. However, because Eek won't follow you, she could be considered similar to a Pet rock or Pet fish. Eek can also be put into the menagerie, where the player has the option to 'Interact' with her, resulting in the same dialogue.
 * Players originally had a limit on the number of pets they could own. This started with 2 pets of different types at level 1 Summoning, along with 2 more for every ten levels starting at level 11. However, the limit on different types of pets was removed on 16 January 2012.
 * Prior to the introduction of Summoning, the only pets in Gielinor were cats, fish and pet rocks.
 * On 5 December 2016, a bug allowed multiple pets to be summonable. A hotfix made right-clicking pets without owners to be deleted.

Pet Pet