If you have spent enough time surviving inside the GATE Cascade Research Facility, you have probably realized that Abiotic Factor is not just about crafting bases, fighting monsters, and escaping dangerous portal worlds. One of the most surprisingly deep systems in the entire game is the pet system.
At first, pets might seem like simple companions you carry around for fun, but the deeper you go into the game, the more powerful and useful they become. Some pets can tank entire enemy groups. Others provide healing support, elemental attacks, utility effects, or even help protect you from terrifying creatures like the Leyak and Krasue.
The system is much deeper than most players expect. Pets can level up, mutate into entirely new forms, gain stronger attacks, become specialized for combat, and even generate resources for your base. Some mutations completely change how the creature behaves in battle.
Abiotic Factor Pets Guide 2026 – Pet Taming, Level Up
Pets in Abiotic Factor are tamed versions of hostile creatures found throughout the facility and portal worlds. Once tamed, they can become permanent companions that follow you, fight enemies, and help during exploration.
Unlike many survival games where pets are mostly cosmetic, pets here become genuinely powerful as they level up.
A level 20 companion can become dramatically stronger than its original wild version. Some evolved pets are capable of killing heavily armed enemies almost by themselves.
There are currently three major pet categories:
- Pests
- Peccaries
- Skinks
There are also summon-type companions tied to armor sets, but those cannot be directly interacted with like regular pets.
Preparing Before You Start Taming
Before you begin collecting pets, you should prepare a few important things first.
Pet Beds
Pets need safe places to stay. Beds protect them and prevent them from wandering around your base.
There are three pet bed types:
- Small Pet Bed
- Pet Bed
- Luxury Pet Bed
Small beds work for Pests and Skinks.
Peccaries are too large and require the larger beds.
An important thing many players do not realize is that pets resting in beds cannot be harmed. Even large enemy attacks and base invasions will not kill sleeping pets.
Beds can also be painted, although only the soft fabric portions change color.
Important Crafting Stations
Several advanced mutations require crafting stations.
Distillation Device
Used for crafting specialized distillates.
Chemist Bench
Required for advanced chemical recipes and pheromone flasks.
These stations become extremely important later because many advanced mutations rely on crafted chemicals rather than simple feeding.
How Taming Works
Different creatures require different taming methods.
Taming Pests
Pests are the easiest pets to obtain.
There are two main methods.
Method 1: Pest Trap
Craft a Pest Trap and place it near a Pest.
Once trapped, the Pest becomes tame immediately when picked up.
This is by far the easiest method.
Method 2: Pheromone Flask
Throw a Pheromone Flask at the Pest, then feed it three Anteverse Wheat.
After the third feeding, the creature becomes tamed.
Taming Peccaries
Peccaries are far more dangerous than Pests.
These creatures are aggressive, tanky, and capable of killing unprepared players very quickly.
To tame one:
- Throw a Pheromone Flask
- Feed it three Anteverse Wheat
Once fed enough times, it becomes loyal.
Taming Skinks
Skinks are slightly more annoying to tame.
You have two options:
- Trap them using a Pest Trap and feed them
- Shoot them repeatedly with a Net Launcher
The Net Launcher method usually requires several successful hits before the Skink becomes tame.
Feeding and Leveling Pets
Pets become hungry roughly every 8 in-game hours, which equals about 16 real-world minutes.
When hungry, they can be fed directly using the Offer interaction.
Pets gain EXP from food.
Better food means:
- More EXP
- Faster leveling
- Stronger companions
Leveling increases:
- Health
- Damage
- Physical size
Maximum level is 20.
A fully leveled pet becomes dramatically stronger than its original form.
Simple foods like Anteverse Wheat work, but advanced cooked meals level pets much faster.
Good leveling foods include:
- Burgers
- Pies
- Cosmic Salad Rolls
- Advanced cooked meals
Some players waste huge amounts of time leveling with basic crops. High-quality meals speed things up enormously.
Pet Mutations Explained
Mutations are one of the most interesting mechanics in the game.
Certain foods or crafted items trigger transformation paths.
Every mutation requires feeding the required item three times.
When a mutation starts progressing, you may notice a sparkle effect during feeding.
Most pets can only mutate from their base form, meaning mutated variants usually cannot evolve further.
Some mutations completely change:
- Appearance
- Combat style
- Abilities
- Damage types
- Utility functions
PESTS
Normal Pest
Health
- 650 HP
- 975 HP with Companion buff item
The standard Pest is simple but useful.
It flies toward enemies and attacks in melee range.
While weak compared to advanced forms, it serves as the foundation for most Pest mutations.
Electro Pest
Health
- 650 HP
- 975 HP with Companion buff
Creation
Crafted using:
- Pest
- Capacitors
- Scrap electronics
- Power Cell
Abilities
Before attacking, it creates an electrical explosion.
It is immune to electricity.
A fun detail many players overlook is that electrical attacks actually recharge it instantly.
This makes Electro Pests surprisingly effective in electrical combat zones.
Volatile Pest
Health
- 450 HP
- 675 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Plutonic Blood
Abilities
This Pest explodes suicidally when attacking enemies.
After exploding, it enters a downed state and must be revived manually.
It deals massive burst damage but requires constant babysitting.
Snow Pest
Health
- 650 HP
- 975 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Frozen Essence items
Abilities
Applies freezing effects during attacks.
Excellent for slowing enemies and controlling crowds.
Carbonated Pest
Health
- 850 HP
- 1275 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Soda cans
Abilities
Creates shockwave-style explosions when attacking.
This version is much tankier than standard Pests and surprisingly effective in groups.
Rattus Pestis
Health
- 570 HP
- 855 HP with buff
Creation Recipe
- Pest
- Rat Suit
- Memory Brick
- Leather Scraps
Abilities
This strange mutation may steal items from enemies during combat.
Testing suggests it can disarm lootable objects from humanoid enemies.
The effect does not work on body parts or dismantle materials.
Enlightened Pest
Health
- 450 HP
- 675 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Shadowberries
Abilities
This is the first true ranged Pest.
Instead of melee combat, it fires purple energy beams from a glowing forehead crystal.
It also contains a built-in hardlight shield.
Despite low HP, it stays safer than other Pests because it prefers ranged positioning.
Magma Pest
Health
- 650 HP
- 975 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Boiling Distillates
Abilities
Deals fire damage and periodically triggers fire explosions.
Strong against grouped enemies.
Leyak Pest
Health
- 850 HP
- 1275 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Strange Meat Pie slices
Important:
You must feed slices, not full pies.
Many players waste materials because of this mistake.
Abilities
This is widely considered one of the strongest pets in the game.
The Leyak Pest:
- Floats
- Moves quickly
- Teleports to enemies
- Deals brutal melee damage
- Causes bleeding
- Can scare away Leyaks and Krasue
- Warns players about nearby Leyaks with screams
It is absurdly strong.
Some players report it killing high-tier enemies in seconds at higher levels.
Its behavior resembles the real Leyak enemy AI.
It even reacts negatively to X-Ray and Blacklight exposure.
This pet alone can carry difficult combat encounters.
SKINKS
Health
- 700 HP
- 1050 HP with buff
Abilities
Consumes radioactive material.
Can be transformed into an organic weapon.
It spits explosive radioactive projectiles that stick to surfaces.
Charged attacks launch larger slime blasts.
One funny detail is that Skinks produce huge amounts of glowing waste while active.
Magma Skink
Health
- 700 HP
- 1050 HP with buff
Mutation
Inject:
- 3 Boiling Distillates
Abilities
Spits fire projectiles instead of radioactive slime.
Leaves pools of fire behind.
Unlike normal Skink projectiles, fire shots do not stick to surfaces.
Excellent for area denial and crowd control.
PECCARIES
Peccaries are the true tanks of the pet system.
These creatures have enormous HP pools and brutal melee attacks.
Standard Peccary
Health
- 3580 HP
- 5370 HP with buff
A balanced frontline fighter.
Uses charging attacks and melee swipes.
Peccary Alpha
Health
- 4300 HP
- 6450 HP with buff
Massive and extremely durable.
Found rarely among Peccary groups.
Much larger than standard variants.
Very effective for frontline combat.
Peccary Sow
Health
- 3780 HP
- 5670 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Cosmic Lettuce leaves
Abilities
Can fire projectiles from its tail.
Can also be milked periodically using a Test Tube.
Produces Vials of Milk for crafting.
Mushroom Peccary
Health
- 4080 HP
- 6120 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Carbuncle Mushrooms
Abilities
Applies dangerous spores to enemies.
Can periodically generate mushrooms.
Also provides a healing bonus aura to nearby players while resting or equipped.
This passive support effect is extremely valuable during multiplayer.
Snow Peccary
Health
- 3580 HP
- 5370 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Frozen Essences
Abilities
Uses freezing attacks and explosive tail projectiles.
Can accidentally chill nearby players, so warm gear is recommended.
Electro Peccary
Health
- 3580 HP
- 5370 HP with buff
Creation Recipe
- Peccary
- Capacitors
- Electronics
- Power Cell
Abilities
Attacks using electrical discharges from back-mounted coils.
Volatile Peccary
Health
- 3180 HP
- 4770 HP with buff
Mutation
Feed:
- 3 Plutonic Blood
Abilities
Faster and more aggressive than normal Peccaries.
Uses acidic charge attacks.
Tareccary
Health
- 5480 HP
- 8220 HP with buff
Mutation
Inject:
- 3 Colossal Solutions
Abilities
The absolute monster of the pet system.
Huge HP pool.
Massive melee damage.
Bleeding effects.
Life-stealing attacks.
Unlike other Peccaries, it does not rely on charge attacks.
This actually makes it more reliable against fast enemies because normal Peccaries often miss their charges.
Many players consider this the strongest pure combat pet in the game.
Companion Slot Mechanics
Pets placed inside the Companion slot gain special protection.
If downed:
- They enter a wounded state
- They can be revived
- They do not permanently die
Pets outside the Companion slot can die permanently.
Always use the Companion slot for valuable pets.
Abiotic Factor’s pet system is far deeper than most survival games. What starts as a simple taming mechanic slowly becomes an entire progression system involving mutations, chemistry, combat roles, leveling, support effects, and advanced utility.
Some pets become stronger than fully geared players. Others provide unique abilities that completely change exploration and combat.
Experimentation is part of the fun. Even weaker pets can become surprisingly effective once fully leveled and properly mutated.
And honestly, once you start traveling through dangerous portal worlds with a giant mutated monster fighting beside you, it becomes very hard to go back to playing alone.