Cats

Cats are domesticated animals with a long history of being referenced across the Grand Theft Auto series, though they were only physically modeled in the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online, and they are set to be featured again in Grand Theft Auto VI. In their prior appearances they wander the urban streets and alleys of Los Santos and Blaine County, generally behaving as passive background wildlife that ignores the player unless provoked or startled by gunfire. Their return alongside Leonida's setting suggests a similar role as low-key street-level ambiance.

Cats are confirmed as animals set to appear in Grand Theft Auto VI. No trailer timestamp, screenshot, promotional image, Leonida location, coat type, or interaction specific to the game is identified. Their GTA VI confirmation should therefore be kept separate from the fully documented cat behaviour and locations in Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online.

Earlier physical depictions use several coat patterns, but the cats appear to be moggies rather than distinct named pedigree breeds. In the enhanced edition of Grand Theft Auto V and in GTA Online, they serve as passive animals: they commonly roam built-up parts of Los Santos and Blaine County, rest in alleys, or perch on walls while watching nearby activity.

They normally pay little attention to the player. Gunfire or other provocation can make them flee, and their escape routing can send them into traffic, where vehicles frequently kill them. When Franklin Clinton walks Chop, nearby cats also flee from the dog. Dogs and birds are named alongside cats as animals the player can become through peyote in the enhanced version.

The 24/7 store in Sandy Shores is a reliable cat location under the right conditions. During daytime dry weather, one cat appears on the wall beside the building. Up to two further cats may be present, either moving around nearby or lying in the alley.

The wall-sitting animal has a placement error: it spawns a little too far to the right and appears to hover. Another scripted encounter occurs at the beginning of Franklin and Lamar in the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V. A cat starts on a wheelie bin in the alley leading toward the 9F Cabrio and Rapid GT, then hops down and leaves as the player approaches.

Peyote plants allow the player to take the form of a cat in the enhanced release of Grand Theft Auto V. The collectibles later arrived in GTA Online as part of the continuing content associated with The Diamond Casino & Resort update.

GTA Online also lets players buy a cat for a mansion through the A Safehouse in the Hills update. The purchase price is $15,000. This is distinct from the free-roaming animals found outdoors and from the peyote transformation.

Before the enhanced Grand Theft Auto V release, cats were mainly heard, mentioned, or pictured rather than seen as modeled animals. A meow closes the Pets Overnight commercial in Grand Theft Auto III. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas includes a picture of a white cat in Carl Johnson's bedroom at the Johnson House; the image may imply a former Johnson family pet, although identical pictures also appear in other homes and in Rockstar's Manhunt.

Grand Theft Auto IV includes missing-cat notices in apartment buildings across Northwood, North Holland, and East Holland. Their wording uses a sexual double meaning for “pussy.” Katt Williams says he has never encountered either cats or dogs in Liberty City, while Eddie Low says that his cat is named Boo Boo Wilkins. In the original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto V, cats and dogs could be heard in ambient audio but could not be seen physically.