Quick answer: Tame a Turtle, Bear or Boar to tank while leveling, a Cat or Raptor for extra damage, and a Wolf for dungeon groups. Each of the 19 families has one unique ability.
Hunter pets in World of Warcraft: Forever follow the same basic idea as before. You tame a beast, and it fights next to you. Several rules have changed, though, and one new family has joined the roster. Your choice of family decides which unique ability your pet brings and which food you need to carry for it.
Hunter pet changes in WoW Forever
The biggest shift is how pets get stronger. In WoW Forever, your pet gains stats from your own gear, so upgrading your Hunter also upgrades the pet. Player buffs that raise stats no longer apply to pets.
- Foxes are a new pet family, and their unique ability is Trickster’s Dance.
- The family once called Owl is now Bird of Prey.
- Every family learns Bite or Claw, sometimes both, plus either Dive or Dash.
- Each family has exactly one ability no other family can learn.
- Blizzard’s design is for Hunters to rely on their pets to absorb damage when adventuring alone or with a small group.
Every family also shares the same pool of general abilities. That pool covers Cower, Growl, Great Stamina, Pet Hardiness, Pet Aggression, Pet Recovery, Pet Resistance, Fire Resistance, Frost Resistance, Shadow Resistance, Nature Resistance, Arcane Resistance and Natural Armor. Because these are universal, the unique ability and the diet are what set one family apart from another.
Blizzard plans a hotfix on 10 November 2026 that makes Hunter pets more durable as tanks, with a target of roughly matching their Classic Era effectiveness. No numbers for that change have been announced.
Every Hunter pet family
There are 19 tameable families, and each entry below lists its unique ability, its basic attacks and the food it will accept.
| Pet family | Unique ability | What it does | Basic attacks | Diet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bat | Sonic Blast | Damage and spellcasting slow on the target. | Bite, Dive | Fungus, Fruit |
 Bear | Swipe | Damaging attack that hits 3 targets. | Bite, Claw, Dash | Meat, Fish, Cheese, Bread, Fungus, Fruit |
 Bird of Prey | Mine! | Grabs an enemy's weapon with its talons, causing 10 to 12 damage and disarming them for 3 sec. | Claw, Dive | Meat |
 Boar | Charge | Charges to the target and immobilizes it; the next pet attack gains Attack Power. | Bite, Dash | Meat, Fish, Cheese, Bread, Fungus, Fruit |
 Carrion Bird | Demoralizing Screech | Blasts a single enemy for 7 to 9 damage and lowers the attack power of all enemies in melee range by 41. Effect lasts 30 sec. | Bite, Claw, Dive | Meat, Fish |
 Cat | Prowl | Stealth; the next attack from Stealth deals more damage. | Bite, Claw, Dash | Meat, Fish |
 Core Hound | Lava Breath | Breathes molten lava at 2 nearby enemies, instantly dealing 78 to 90 Fire damage and reducing the target's casting speed by 25% for 10 sec. | Bite | Meat |
 Crab | Pinch | Pinches an enemy's legs for 19 to 21 damage and reduces movement speed by 50% for 9 sec. | Claw, Dash | Fish, Bread, Fungus, Fruit |
 Crocolisk | Dismember | Viciously bites enemy appendages for 11 to 13 damage and reduces the effectiveness of any healing by 25% for 6 sec. | Bite, Dash | Meat, Fish |
 Fox | Trickster's Dance | Increases the pet's dodge chance and attack speed for 12 sec. | Bite, Dash | Meat |
 Gorilla | Thunderstomp | Damages enemies in an area. | Bite, Dash | Fungus, Fruit |
 Hyena | Tendon Rip | Tears at an enemy's legs for 12 damage over 9 sec and reduces movement speed by 50% for 9 sec. | Bite, Dash | Meat, Fruit |
 Raptor | Savage Rend | Bleed over time on the target. | Bite, Claw, Dash | Meat |
 Scorpid | Scorpid Poison | Inflicts 5 Nature damage over 10 sec. Effect can stack up to 5 times on a single target. | Claw, Dash | Meat |
 Spider | Web | Entangles an enemy in a corrosive web, immobilizing them and dealing 12 Nature damage over 4 sec. | Bite, Dash | Meat |
 Tallstrider | Dust Cloud | Your tallstrider kicks up an abrasive cloud of dust, reducing the target's Armor by 65 for 30 sec. | Bite, Dash | Cheese, Fungus, Fruit |
 Turtle | Shell Shield | Reduces damage taken and attack speed for 12 sec. | Bite, Dash | Fish, Fungus, Fruit, Raw Fish |
 Wind Serpent | Lightning Breath | Breathes lightning, instantly dealing 8 to 10 Nature damage to a single target. | Bite, Dive | Fish, Cheese, Bread |
 Wolf | Furious Howl | The wolf howls, increasing the melee attack power of all party or raid members within 15 yards by 5. Lasts 1 min. | Bite, Dash | Meat |
Best Hunter pets
These are our picks. Since every family shares the same general abilities, the unique ability decides each role.
Best pets for leveling and solo tanking
Turtle is the sturdiest choice, because Shell Shield cuts the damage it takes. Bear holds attention on several enemies at once, since Swipe hits 3 targets. It also eats almost anything, which makes feeding it easy while you level. Boar opens fights with Charge, rooting the target in place, and it shares the Bear’s wide diet.
Best damage pets
Cat starts each pull with a stronger hit out of Prowl. Raptor adds steady damage through the Savage Rend bleed. Hyena brings a bleed of its own through Tendon Rip, and that ability also slows the target.
Best pets for dungeons and groups
Wolf benefits the party by raising the melee attack power of party members within 15 yards with Furious Howl. Tallstrider helps the group by reducing targets’ armor with Dust Cloud. Carrion Bird eases pressure on allies, as Demoralizing Screech lowers nearby enemies’ attack power.
Best pets for PvP
Bird of Prey can take an opponent’s weapon away for 3 sec with Mine!. Spider locks a target in place with Web, and Crocolisk weakens enemy healing with Dismember. Crab and Hyena both apply 50% slows, which makes it hard for targets to escape. Core Hound is worth a look against casters too. Its Lava Breath slows casting by 25%, and the pet learns it at level 48.
Pet talents
Most pet-related talents sit in the Beast Mastery tree, and several of them now do more than they used to.
- Endurance Training now includes the old Thick Hide, so it raises both pet Health and Armor.
- Focused Fire is a new talent that raises all damage dealt by you and your pet while the pet is active.
- Intimidation also increases the pet’s critical strike chance by 100% for its next attack.
- Summon Hawk, a 16-point talent, calls a Hawk for 18 sec, with up to 2 out at once.
- Improved Mend Pet also makes Mend Pet cost less Mana.
Marksmanship goes the other way. Lone Wolf, an 11-point talent, gives you 20% more damage when you have no active pet.
FAQ
What is the new Hunter pet in WoW Forever?
The Fox. Its unique ability, Trickster’s Dance, raises its dodge chance and attack speed for 12 sec.
What is the best Hunter pet for leveling?
Pick a Turtle, Bear or Boar if you want the pet to tank. Pick a Cat or Raptor if you would rather kill enemies faster.
Do Hunter pets scale with gear?
Yes. A pet’s stats scale with its Hunter’s equipment, but player buffs that increase stats no longer affect it.
Can a Hunter play without a pet?
Yes. The Marksmanship talent Lone Wolf gives 20% more damage while you have no active pet.
What do Hunter pets eat?
Each family has its own diet, listed with that family above. Bear and Boar accept the widest range of food, covering Meat, Fish, Cheese, Bread, Fungus and Fruit.
