Starfield fans are perplexed by the absence of cats and dogs

Starfield presents a rather realistic depiction of how the world would appear if humanity were to venture into space and leave Earth behind. It chooses to disregard some of the more outlandish elements of the science fiction genre and instead opts for a NASA-punk aesthetic that suits it well. However, there is one aspect of Starfield that fans find a bit unrealistic, namely the complete absence of cats and dogs throughout the inhabited systems.

If you have ever owned a dog or a cat, you are likely willing to run into a burning building to save their lives, if necessary. Even if the event that wiped out all life forms on Earth in Starfield was some kind of cataclysmic occurrence, and humanity had to evacuate as quickly as possible, I can guarantee that some of you would secretly smuggle a dog or two under your coats. That's why it confuses fans quite a bit that there are no cats, dogs, or pets of any kind.

This topic was initiated by u/Hbimajorv on the Starfield subreddit, who referred to the absence of good guys as "the most unrealistic thing about Starfield." With over 1,000 comments at the time of writing, it can be said that a significant number of fans agree with this statement. There are also many others who are simply puzzled as to why there are no animals, considering that previous Bethesda titles made a deliberate effort to include them.

The unspoken topic in this conversation is obviously Dogmeat, the best boy from the Fallout series, who somehow manages to survive a nuclear apocalypse to accompany you on your journey. You'll even find the occasional domesticated dog in both Skyrim and Oblivion, making Starfield the only recent title from the developer that lacks any kind of pets.