If you’ve spent any time wandering around the cozy world of Grow A Garden, you’ve probably seen players showing off their adorable Kitsune companion. It’s one of the most eye-catching pets in the game, thanks to its fluffy tail animations and magical vibe. But actually unlocking the Kitsune can be a little confusing if you’re new, especially since the game spreads the clues across different activities and areas. After a few runs and plenty of trial and error, here’s the clearest, simplest guide I can give to help you get your own Kitsune buddy as smoothly as possible.

What Makes the Kitsune Special

Before jumping into the steps, it’s worth knowing why so many players chase this little fox. The Kitsune isn’t just a cosmetic pet. It adds small but noticeable boosts during gardening tasks, and it tends to stick close during exploration, which makes everything feel more lively. I also found that it reacts to certain items differently than the other pets, which is a nice detail if you like collecting and interacting.

So if you’re aiming to complete collections or just want a companion that feels a bit more magical, this pet is absolutely worth the effort.

Step One: Clearing the Early Quests

To even start the unlock process, you need to complete a handful of early-game quests. These are the same ones that introduce the basics of planting, watering, crafting soil mixes, and exploring your first zone. The game doesn’t tell you directly that these quests are tied to pet unlocks, but finishing them opens access to the forest area where the Kitsune trail begins.

Most players finish this part without even thinking about it, but if you’ve skipped a quest or two, it’s worth backtracking. The Kitsune won’t appear until your character is recognized as having basic gardening skills.

Step Two: Finding the Forest Shrine

Once the early quests are done, head toward the deep forest area. In the center, there’s a small shrine covered in vines. The first time I saw it, I honestly thought it was just decoration, but interacting with it triggers the Kitsune hint sequence.

You won’t summon the Kitsune immediately; instead, you’ll get a short message about “bringing life back to the grove.” This is the game’s way of telling you to gather specific items. Most of them drop from forest plants or come from mid-tier crafting recipes, so don’t worry if you can’t do it all at once.

This is also the stage when some players start looking for shortcuts or optional purchases. If you’ve reached the point where you want to expand your pet collection faster or fill in missing creatures, some people choose tobuy grow a garden pets as a convenience option. It’s not required to unlock the Kitsune, but it can save time if you’re building a full roster.

Step Three: Collecting the Grove Offerings

The shrine will respond when you deliver these three items:

Forest Bloom

Soft Bark

Dewdrop Shard

The first two are pretty easy to gather by exploring and harvesting plants, while the Dewdrop Shard can be a little trickier. It appears most often after rain or early in the morning, so checking the forest at different times helps a lot. I missed it the first day because I kept visiting during the afternoon.

After bringing all three items to the shrine, you’ll unlock a short animation where a faint fox-shaped glow circles your character. This means you’re on the right track, but the pet is still not fully unlocked.

Step Four: Completing the Friendship Trial

The final step is one of my favorites because it’s more interactive. The shrine will open a glowing path on the ground. Follow it through the woods, and you’ll eventually reach an open clearing with floating lights. Your job here is to keep your lantern lit while gathering three wandering soul petals.

The catch: if your lantern goes out, you need to restart. It took me two tries because I was walking too slowly and didn’t notice the light fading. Tip: stay near the small glowing orbs scattered around the area; they recharge your lantern instantly.

Finish this trial, and the Kitsune finally appears in front of you. Interact with it once, and it becomes available in your pet menu.

Optional: Expanding Your Pet Collection

If you’ve unlocked the Kitsune and want to keep building your collection, this is where many players start looking at different ways to pick up extra companions. Some communities recommend ways to buy Grow A Garden pets from trusted sellers, though you should always be careful and stick to platforms people actually vouch for. I’ve seen U4GM mentioned often in discussions when players talk about safe options, especially for avoiding sketchy trades.

Again, this isn’t necessary for unlocking the Kitsune, but if you’re completing the full pet gallery, it can help streamline the process.

Small Tips From My Runs

After unlocking the Kitsune a couple of times across different saves, here are a few quick things I wish I knew earlier:

If the forest looks empty or items aren’t spawning, leave the zone and reenter. The game sometimes refreshes better after zoning.

Morning is the best time to search for rare forest items.

The trial isn’t timed, so play slowly and focus on keeping the lantern charged.

The Kitsune’s boosts are small but stack with other pet bonuses, which is great for farming events.

Once unlocked, the Kitsune shows up faster when summoned than most other pets. I’m not sure if that’s intentional, but it’s handy.

Why the Kitsune Is Worth the Effort

Even though unlocking it takes a bit more work than most pets, the Kitsune is one of those companions that adds personality to your garden runs. It doesn’t overpower anything, and the game stays balanced, but having it trot behind you makes the world feel more alive. I also noticed that some seasonal events include small reactions or hidden interactions when you bring this pet with you, which makes it even more fun.

If you enjoy collecting pets with unique animations and subtle perks, you’ll probably appreciate having the Kitsune around just as much as I do.