Heartopia Animal Trough Guide (March 2026) All 8 Locations & Foods

Are you struggling to find all animal troughs in Heartopia? Want to maximize your bond levels with every adorable creature on the island? You’ve come to the right place! As a dedicated Heartopia player who has spent countless hours befriending every wild animal, I’m excited to share my complete guide to all 8 animal trough locations, their favorite foods, and the weather conditions that will help you level up your friendships faster.

Quick Reference: All Animal Troughs at a Glance

Animal	Location	Favorite Foods	Best Weather
Panda	Eastern forest bamboo grove near jump puzzle	Bamboo, Apple, Corn	Rainy
Capybara	Top of Onsen Mountain, west of Crater Lake	Tomato, Grapes, Raspberries	Rainy
Ferret	South of Rosy River before Home Lot 4	Eggs, Sea Bass, Goby	Rainbow
Bunny	Outside Art Street, southwest of central town	Weeds, Carrots, Strawberries	Sunny
Fox	South from Windmill Flower Fields Bus Stop	Meat, European Perch, Largemouth Bass	Rainbow
Alpaca	Southern Flower Fields near giant yellow duck	Blueberries, Wheat, Pineapple	Sunny
Sea Otter	South of Fishing Village Square by water	Common Shrimp, Oriental Shrimp, Mussels	Rainy
Sika Deer	North of Forest Bus Stop in Spirit Oak Pine Forest	Branches, Lettuce, House Salad	Sunny

How to Unlock Animal Care in Heartopia?

Before you can start befriending wild animals, you’ll need to unlock the Animal Care feature. Unlike other hobbies that unlock automatically through the main story, Animal Care requires manual activation:

1. Progress through the main story and upgrade your Developer Guild level to at least 7
2. Open the Town Guide menu and accept the Animal Care Quest
3. Receive a call from Annie, the NPC who handles animal care
4. Complete the tutorial quest by finding the Sika Deer trough (your first animal friend!)
5. Track discovered troughs using the Animals app on your in-game watch

Once unlocked, you can permanently track any trough you discover and start building meaningful relationships with Heartopia’s wildlife.

Complete Animal Trough Locations & Feeding Guide

🐼 Panda Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: The Panda Trough is located in the eastern forest bamboo grove, specifically near the Jump Puzzle area. Look for it close to the stairs leading up to the Jump Puzzle platforms – the trough is to the right of the stairs as you face them, shaded by bamboo plants and carved from what appears to be a giant bamboo stalk.

Favorite Foods:

• Bamboo (Harvest from Forest areas)
• Apples (Found on trees near your home plot)
• Corn (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)

Best Weather: Rainy days are perfect for panda bonding! Pandas are more active and receptive to feeding during rainfall, giving you bonus bond points.

Pro Tips: Pandas love their privacy, so visit during quiet hours. The bamboo grove location is beautiful but can be easy to miss – look for the distinctive bamboo-carved trough near the jump puzzle entrance.

🦙 Capybara Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: Find the Capybara Trough at the very top of Onsen Mountain, west of Crater Lake. You’ll recognize the spot by a pile of stones near where you first hunt for Flawless Fluorite. The trough sits at the edge of a crescent-shaped pool where capybaras often swim.

Favorite Foods:

• Tomatoes (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)
• Grapes (Found on fruit bushes near your home plot)
• Raspberries (Found on fruit bushes near your home plot)

Best Weather: Capybaras prefer Rainy weather, just like pandas. They become more social and playful during rainfall.

Pro Tips: The mountain location can be challenging to reach, so plan your route carefully. Capybaras often gather around the hot spring pools nearby – it’s worth exploring the area to find their favorite soaking spots!

🦊 Ferret Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: The Ferret Trough is one of the trickiest to find! Head south of the Rosy River before you reach Home Lot 4. Look for a tree stump near the northernmost windmill, close to some benches. The trough is further along the path leading away from the windmill as you approach from the bridge.

Favorite Foods:

• Eggs (Purchase from Massimo after unlocking the cooking hobby)
• Sea Bass (Can be caught in the ocean during any weather/time)
• Goby (Can be caught in the East Sea from 6 am to 6 pm, any weather – requires level 4 fishing)

Best Weather: Rainbow weather provides the best bonding opportunities with ferrets. These playful creatures become especially active and friendly during rainbow conditions.

Pro Tips: Ferrets have a larger roaming area than most animals, so if you don’t see them immediately, explore the surrounding Flower Field region. They’re curious and often investigate visitors!

🐰 Bunny Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: Bunnies are the only wild animals that make their home in the suburbs. Their trough is located just outside Art Street to the southwest of the central town area, between a pond to the south and the area bus stop to the north. You can also find it east of the Western Town Suburbs Bus Stop, off the path from plot number two toward town.

Favorite Foods:

• Weeds (Pull from your garden – free and abundant!)
• Carrots (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)
• Strawberries (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)

Best Weather: Sunny days are perfect for bunny bonding. These cheerful creatures are most active and playful during clear, bright weather.

Pro Tips: Bunnies are traditionalists when it comes to snacks – don’t underestimate the power of simple weeds! They’re also the easiest animals to visit regularly since they live close to town.

🦊 Fox Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: Find the Fox Trough by heading west to the Windmill Flower Fields. Take the road south from the Windmill Flower Fields Bus Stop, and you’ll find the trough at the base of the hill near the southernmost windmill, right across from some heart-themed swings.

Favorite Foods:

• Meat (Can be obtained through various means in the game)
• European Perch (Can be caught in various water bodies)
• Largemouth Bass (Can be caught in lakes and rivers)

Best Weather: Foxes absolutely love Rainbow weather! These clever creatures become more social and interactive during rainbow conditions.

Pro Tips: Foxes are intelligent and appreciate consistency. Visit their trough regularly, especially during rainbow weather, to build trust quickly. The heart-themed swings nearby make for great photo opportunities!

🦙 Alpaca Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: The Alpaca Trough is located just a few steps west of the bridge that connects the lighthouse area to Purple Light Beach. You’ll find it on top of a hill in the southern Flower Fields, near the area with the giant yellow duck (where daily jump puzzle events take place).

Favorite Foods:

• Blueberries (Found on trees near your home plot)
• Wheat (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)
• Pineapple (Can be grown or purchased)

Best Weather: Alpacas prefer Sunny weather and are most active and friendly during clear days.

Pro Tips: The location near the giant yellow duck makes this one of the most scenic trough spots! Alpacas are social animals, so you’ll often find them grazing together in groups.

🦦 Sea Otter Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: The Sea Otter Trough is appropriately located on a prominent rock in the harbor area, south of the Fishing Village Square by the water’s edge. It’s one of the easiest to spot since several sea otters will almost certainly be sitting in or around it.

Favorite Foods:

• Common Shrimp (East Sea – All Day during any weather)
• Oriental Shrimp (Can be found in Rivers at any time/weather)
• Mussels (Found in Suburban Lake during rain or rainbow at any time – requires level 3 fishing)

Best Weather: Sea Otters prefer Rainy weather and become more playful and interactive during rainfall.

Pro Tips: Sea otters are perhaps Heartopia’s easiest wild animals to locate since they have a very prominent hangout spot. They’re incredibly entertaining to watch as they play and eat!

🦌 Sika Deer Trough Location & Care Guide

Location: Find the Sika Deer Trough just north of the bus stop in Spirit Oak Pine Forest. It’s located at the middle of Forest Lake’s shoreline, very near the water’s edge at the lake’s easternmost curve and just across a path.

Favorite Foods:

• Branches (Can be gathered from trees)
• Lettuce (Buy seeds from Blanc’s gardening store)
• House Salad (Can be cooked using lettuce and other ingredients)

Best Weather: Sika Deer prefer Sunny weather and are more active and approachable during clear, bright days.

Pro Tips: As the first animal you’ll encounter (part of the tutorial), Sika Deer are gentle and easy to befriend. The forest location is peaceful and perfect for relaxing while you wait for them to appear.

Advanced Bonding Strategies & Weather Bonuses

Understanding Weather Mechanics

Weather plays a crucial role in animal bonding in Heartopia. Each animal has a preferred weather condition that provides bonus bond points:

• Rainy Weather Lovers: Panda, Capybara, Sea Otter
• Sunny Weather Enthusiasts: Bunny, Alpaca, Sika Deer
• Rainbow Weather Seekers: Fox, Ferret

Pro Strategy: Check your in-game weather forecast daily and plan your animal feeding schedule accordingly. Feeding animals during their preferred weather can significantly accelerate bond level progression.

Bond Level Benefits

As you increase your bond levels with animals, you’ll unlock:

1. Higher visitation probability – Animals will visit you more often when you’re nearby
2. Better interaction success – Increased chances of successful petting and playing
3. More frequent gifts – Animals leave valuable items at troughs for you to collect
4. Unique interactions – Unlock special animations and activities
5. Animal-themed furniture – Receive exclusive decorative items at certain milestones
6. Complete animal catalog – Progress toward 100% completion

Efficient Feeding Strategies

1. Prioritize Favorite Foods: Always use favorite foods when available for 3x bond points
2. Never Leave Troughs Empty: Even non-favorite foods maintain bond levels
3. Consistency is Key: Daily feeding, even with basic items, beats occasional favorite feeding
4. Weather Optimization: Save favorite foods for preferred weather conditions
5. Batch Processing: Visit multiple animals in one trip to save time

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Don’t Make These Errors:

1. Ignoring Weather: Missing bonus bond points by not checking weather conditions
2. Inconsistent Feeding: Letting troughs stay empty for multiple days
3. Wrong Locations: Wasting time looking for animals in wrong areas
4. Food Wastage: Using rare favorite foods during non-optimal weather
5. Forgetting to Track: Not using the Animals app to mark discovered troughs

✅ Best Practices:

1. Set Daily Reminders to check all animal troughs
2. Stock Favorite Foods in advance for weather opportunities
3. Create Custom Map Markers for easy navigation
4. Join Community Groups for weather sharing and tips
5. Experiment with Different Foods to discover additional preferences

Food Sourcing Guide

Easy-to-Find Foods:

• Weeds – Free from your garden (Bunny favorite!)
• Blueberries – Trees near home (Alpaca favorite)
• Apples – Trees near home (Panda favorite)

Store-Bought Seeds:

• Wheat, Lettuce, Carrots, Strawberries, Tomatoes – Available at Blanc’s gardening store
• Pineapple – Special item, check regularly

Fishing Requirements:

• Common Shrimp – East Sea, any time/weather (Sea Otter)
• Oriental Shrimp – Rivers, any time/weather (Sea Otter)
• Sea Bass – Ocean, any weather/time (Ferret)
• European Perch – Various water bodies (Fox)
• Largemouth Bass – Lakes and rivers (Fox)
• Goby – East Sea, 6am-6pm, level 4 fishing required (Ferret)

Special Items:

• Eggs – Purchase from Massimo after unlocking cooking (Ferret)
• Bamboo – Harvest from Forest areas (Panda)
• Branches – Gather from trees (Sika Deer)
• House Salad – Cook using lettuce (Sika Deer)
• Mussels – Suburban Lake, rain/rainbow, level 3 fishing (Sea Otter)

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Why aren’t animals appearing at the trough?

• Check if you’ve placed food in the trough
• Verify you’re at the correct location (use our guide above!)
• Consider the time of day – some animals are more active at certain times
• Weather conditions may affect animal activity

How long does it take to max out bond levels?

• With consistent daily feeding: 2-3 weeks per animal
• Using favorite foods during optimal weather: 1-2 weeks
• Inconsistent feeding: 1+ months

Can I have multiple animals visit at once?

• Yes! Animals of the same species often visit together
• Different species typically visit at different times
• Higher bond levels increase group visitation chances

What happens if I miss a day of feeding?

• Bond levels won’t decrease immediately
• After 2-3 days of empty troughs, bond levels may start to decline
• It’s easier to maintain bonds than to rebuild them

Are there seasonal variations in animal behavior?

• While weather affects daily activity, seasons don’t dramatically change animal behavior
• Some food items may be more abundant in certain seasons
• Plan your gardening around animal food needs

Advanced Tips for Expert Animal Care

🏆 Pro-Level Strategies:

1. Weather Manipulation: Some players report that certain activities can influence weather patterns – experiment with different actions during your play sessions
2. Food Preservation: Learn which favorite foods can be stored long-term versus those that spoil quickly
3. Community Coordination: Join Heartopia communities to share weather forecasts and coordinate feeding schedules
4. Photography Opportunities: Each animal location offers unique photo backgrounds – capture memories while building bonds
5. Economic Benefits: Some animal gifts can be sold for significant profit – consider this when planning your feeding schedule
6. Time Management: Create efficient routes between trough locations to minimize travel time
7. Resource Planning: Maintain a balanced inventory of favorite foods across all animal types

Final Thoughts

Building relationships with Heartopia’s wild animals is one of the most rewarding aspects of the game. Whether you’re a casual player who enjoys the peaceful routine of daily feeding or a completionist aiming to max out every bond level, this guide has everything you need to succeed.

Remember that animal care is a marathon, not a sprint. The joy comes from the daily interactions, the gradual building of trust, and the delightful moments when your favorite creatures finally start visiting your home or leaving you special gifts.

Related Heartopia Guides You’ll Love

Want to expand your Heartopia knowledge? Check out these comprehensive guides:

• Heartopia Pets Guide: How to Get, Adopt and Take Care – Master both wild animals and domestic pets
• 5 Heartopia Hobbies Guide: All Core Activities – Complete your hobby collection
• Heartopia Multiplayer Guide: Invite Friends & Co-op – Share animal care with friends
• How to Get Fertilizer in Heartopia – Grow better food for your animal friends
• All Mushroom in Heartopia: Locations Guide & Tips – Discover rare ingredients