Once you’ve completed the main story in Animal Well, you’ll start to wonder exactly where every Egg is and what those items you haven’t unlocked yet are. Key to one of those items are the cats you’ll find in cages, and you’ve got to figure out how to rescue them.
The cats in Animal Well are all trapped in cages, and at first, I thought they were part of the game’s environmental storytelling, but they’re actually much more than that. These cats can be released to give you a powerful new item, the Wheel, but you’ll need to find and use five hints around the game’s map if you want to do this. Spoilers for Animal Well puzzles and reveals will follow.
How to rescue all cats in Animal Well
To rescue all the cats in Animal Well, you must find five codes that correspond to directions while playing the Flute. They’re all located in the blue region of the map, which is occupied by the Ostrich boss and looks a bit like an old sewer. I’ve listed every cat’s location and the code you’ll need to play to release it below.
Cat #1
Cat #1 and Cat #2 are in the same location in Animal Well, the room next to the Ostrich boss puzzle and its Flame. The codes for each are close to this location as well, so you don’t need to travel far.
The code for Cat #1 is in the room where the Ostrich was running in its wheel. You’ll need to solve the puzzle to release the boss and deal with it in the intended way to get this code. As you can see above, the song you must play is: Down + Right, Up, Down + Right, Down + Right, Left. Play this in the room with Cat #1 and Cat #2, and you’ll release one of them.
Cat #2
Cat #2 is right next to Cat #1, but its code is to the right of the Ostrich boss puzzle area. It’s in the same room you’ll find the Flame after completing the puzzle. You’ll need to use the Slink on the platform on the right-hand side of this room to turn on the fan to reach it. Then, use the Bubble Wand to get up and into the passage blocked by vines.
The code you need to play to release Cat #2 is: Left, Down, Down + Left, Down + Right, Up. This will release the second cat in the room, which means you can move on to the second room with three Cats inside cages.
Cat #3
Cat #3, Cat #4, and Cat #5 are all in the same room in Animal Well which can be reached pretty early on in the blue section of the map close to the mouse in a wheel controlling the moving platforms.
To get the first code for Cat #3, you need to go down the mouse platforms to the very bottom and make your way left on the red platforms. The room at the end has a fish that will eat bubbles to transport you, but you want to look at the wall opposite it. Use the top on the ledge to carve out a path and find the code inside the room. That code is: Up + Left, Up + Left, Down + Left, Down + Left, Down.
Cat #4
To get the code for Cat #4, you now need to change the direction of the mouse to move the platforms up. Follow them up into the top room and work your way around it. Use the Top to destroy the spikes on the ledge on the left-hand side of this room, where a platform will move up every 2 seconds or so. You can now go to the left past where the spikes were to reach the code. This code is: Down + Right, Left, Up + Right, Down + Right, Right.
Cat #5
You must find the room with the dog in a wheel for the final code. To the left of this is a room that opens up into a long drop. The code for Cat #5 is found in the room along the walkway in the top right-hand corner of this area. The code is: Right, Up + Right, Up, Up + Left, Down.
What do you do when you’ve rescued all the cats in Animal Well?
Once you’ve rescued all the cats in Animal Well, you need to visit their mother. She’s located on the right-hand side of the room with the mouse in a wheel, which allows you to change the direction of the platforms using the Yo-Yo.
Use the Top to break through the floor on the right-hand side of this room and follow the path. When you’re inside, the mother cat will sing a song and unlock the final cage. There’s a chest inside, and the Wheel is inside that chest.
The Wheel allows you to roll over spiked floors that you can’t destroy. This room alone can yield two Eggs, but the Wheel can now also help you access others.
