---
title: "Add an animated pet"
content_type: tutorial
url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/add-an-animated-pet?language=en"
language: en
container_type: pathway
container_title: "Unity Essentials"
container_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials.md?language=en&version=6.0"
unit_title: "2D Essentials"
unit_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials?language=en&version=6.0"
standalone_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/add-an-animated-pet.md?language=en&version=6.0"
previous_title: "Complete your 2D Puzzle Game"
previous_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/complete-your-2d-puzzle-game?language=en&version=6.0"
previous_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/complete-your-2d-puzzle-game.md?language=en&version=6.0"
next_title: "2D Essentials: More things to try"
next_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/2d-essentials-more-things-to-try-1?language=en&version=6.0"
next_markdown_url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/2d-essentials-more-things-to-try-1.md?language=en&version=6.0"
difficulty: foundational
duration_minutes: 15
unity_version:
  - "6.0"
supported_unity_versions:
  - name: "2022.3"
    url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/add-an-animated-pet.md?language=en&version=2022.3"
  - name: "6.0"
    url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/add-an-animated-pet.md?language=en&version=6.0"
  - name: "6.3"
    url: "https://learn.unity.com/pathway/unity-essentials/unit/2d-essentials/tutorial/add-an-animated-pet.md?language=en&version=6.3"
last_updated: "2026-08-04T14:22:08.000Z"
---

# Add an animated pet

Use the Sprite Editor to animate a 2D cat or dog and place the character in your room scene.

Use the Sprite Editor to animate a 2D cat or dog, then add it to the room.

## 1. Overview

[Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20240515/videos/ba36b4b6-74bf-48fd-9050-0ad6cbbbe03b_5.3.1_-_Overview.mp4)

In this tutorial, you’ll use the **Sprite Editor** to make an animated 2D cat or dog, then add your new pet to the living room. This more dynamic element will help bring your scene to life a bit more.

## 2. Open the sprite sheet in the Sprite Editor

[Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20240719/videos/862758d1-ee24-432c-9772-3568693011f7_5.3.2_-_Open_the_sprite_sheet_in_the_Sprite_Editor_U6.mp4)

2D sprites are often animated using sprite sheets. A **sprite sheet** is a large image containing many smaller images (sprites). As you might know, an animation is just a series of image frames played one after the other — and a sprite sheet is useful for holding all of those individual frames in one place.

Unity has a built-in tool called the **Sprite Editor** that helps you work very efficiently with sprite sheets.

In this step, you’ll open either the dog or the cat sprite sheet in the **Sprite Editor**.


**Instructions**

**1.**  In the **Project** window, navigate to **\_Unity Essentials** > **Sprites** > **Animated.**

**2.**  Select **Sprite_Sheet_Cat** or **Sprite_Sheet_Dog** to preview the sprite sheet at the bottom of the **Inspector** window.

**3.**  In the **Inspector** window, change the **Sprite Mode** property from **Single** to **Multiple,** then select **Apply**.

This will allow you to slice the sprite sheet into multiple individual sprites.

**4.**  Select **Open Sprite Editor** to view the sprite sheet in the **Sprite Editor** window.

## 3. Slice your sprite sheet

[Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20240716/videos/d40dcdc8-3d40-4d77-964b-65d9bb9e370c_5.3.3_-_Slice_your_sprite_sheet.mp4)

**Instructions**

**1.**  From the **Slice** dropdown, keep the default **Automatic** options, and select **Slice.**

**Note:**  If you get a warning about a **Potential loss of Sprite data,** don't worry. Select **Yes** to continue.

You’ll see new gray rectangles around the individual sprites.

**Note:**  If the **Slice** dropdown is grayed out, you might have missed the instruction in the last step to set the **Sprite Mode** to **Multiple.**

**2.**  Select **Apply** to save your changes, then close the **Sprite Editor** window.

**3.**  In the **Project** window, expand the **Sprite_Sheet_Cat** or **Sprite_Sheet_Dog** assets to reveal the individual sprites that make up the sprite sheet. Use the arrow keys to flip through the sprites to get a sense of the animation in the **Inspector preview** window.

## 4. Animate the sprite sheet

[Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20240515/videos/adc275de-5312-4295-beaf-aa94226e1dfe_5.3.4_-_Animate_the_sprite_sheet.mp4)

With your sprite sheet now neatly sliced into individual images, you just need to create an animation file that controls how these frames will be animated in the scene.


**Instructions**

**1.**  Use the **Shift** or **Ctrl** (macOS: **Cmd**) keys to select all eight of the individual sprites for either the dog or cat (0 through 7), then drag them together into the **Hierarchy** window.

**2.**  A dialog will open that asks you to save a new Animation file in your assets. Name the new animation file either “Dog.anim” or “Cat.anim”, then select **Save.**

This file controls how to cycle through the frames of the sprite sheet.

**3.**  In the **Hierarchy** window, rename **Sprite_Sheet_Cat** or **Sprite_Sheet_Dog** to “Cat” or “Dog”, then move the animated pet to an open spot in the living room.

**4.**  Just like with the furniture, set **Order in Layer** to **10** so the pet is always on top of the rugs.

**5.**  Enter **Play** mode to see your animated pet in action.

The player will be able to pass right through the animal right now — you’ll fix that next.

## 5. Make the pet interactable

[Video](https://connect-mediagw.unity.com/h1/20240515/videos/8c2a8223-a84b-4f2b-a536-7c0db531eab9_5.3.5_-_Make_the_pet_interactable.mp4)

Just like you did with the furniture, you’ll need to configure the physics on this animal so you can push it around.


**Instructions**

**1.**  With the pet selected, add a **Circle Collider 2D** component and **Rigidbody 2D** component so that the player can interact with it.

**2.**  Configure the **Rigidbody 2D** properties appropriately:

- Increase the Mass.
- Increase the Linear Drag and the Angular Drag.
- Set the **Gravity Scale** to **0.**

**3.**  Enter **Play** mode again to test the interactivity.

If you want, add the other animated animal to bring even more life to your scene!

## 6. Review and proceed to the next tutorial

Congratulations on using the **Sprite Editor** to bring a pet to life in your living room.

Here are some of the things you learned along the way:

- Define sprite sheet.
- Explain how a sprite sheet can be used to create animated 2D objects.
- Slice sprite sheets into individual images using the **Sprite Editor**.
- Make an animated sprite sheet that loops through frames.

**Instructions**

Proceed to the next tutorial, which includes optional challenges to further develop your skills, explore new concepts, and improve your project.