Unfortunately, you can’t get a pet back through the adoption system once Social Services takes them away for neglect. The pet is removed from the household and won’t appear on the adoption list.
There is one way to get your pet back, though, as long as you have an older save.
If Social Services has already taken your pet away, don’t save over your current game.
Instead, load a save from before the pet was taken away. Your pet should still be part of the household in that save.
If you’ve already deleted or overwritten your older saves, there’s unfortunately no reliable way to get that particular pet back.
If you can’t recover your old save, you can always adopt another cat or dog or create a new pet in Create a Sim.
be sure to keep an eye on your new pet’s needs. Socialize with them, play with them regularly, and deal with their misbehavior when necessary.
Pets can sometimes refuse to eat on their own, which can make it look like their hunger needs aren’t being taken care of. If this keeps happening, call your pet over to the food bowl.
An automatic feeder can also help make sure your pets have access to food.
You can prevent Social Services from taking your pets.
Having multiple pets with the Independent trait can help because the pets can keep each other company when your Sims are busy.
Still, don’t rely entirely on pets to entertain themselves. If you have a large household, your Sims may get distracted and completely forget about the animals.
Make sure someone regularly checks on your pets, feeds them, socializes with them, and takes care of their needs.
If you’re struggling to keep your pets happy, cheats can also be used to remove negative moodlets and improve their mood.
One other thing to keep in mind is that pets will be removed from the game when their owner dies.