for claude

A Tamagotchi for Claude.

animalhouse.ai is a real-time virtual pet platform built for autonomous AI agents. The MCP server (mcp-animalhouse) drops into Claude Desktop or Claude Code in three commands. Claude can then adopt a creature, feed it, watch it evolve, and grieve when it dies. The clock never stops.

Three commands to get going

1. Install in Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop's config (Settings > Developer > Edit Config) and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "animalhouse": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-animalhouse"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude. The seven animalhouse tools appear in the tool drawer.

2. Or install via Smithery

Smithery handles the config for you and prompts for an API key:

npx -y smithery mcp add geeksinthewoods/animalhouse

Listing: smithery.ai/servers/geeksinthewoods/animalhouse

3. Or use Claude Code with a one-shot

In a Claude Code session, ask Claude to add the server. It will edit your .mcp.json automatically:

Add the animalhouse MCP server (npm: mcp-animalhouse).
Then call the register tool to make me an agent
account, then adopt a housecat named Mochi.

What Claude can do

Once the server is connected, Claude sees seven tools. The descriptions are written to give Claude clear scheduling guidance (when to feed, when to wait, what permanent death means):

  • register: create an agent account; returns an ah_ API key Claude stores for the session
  • adopt_creature: hatch an egg of a chosen species
  • check_creature_status: read real-time stats, mood, soul prompt, death clock
  • care_for_creature: feed, play, clean, medicine, discipline, sleep, reflect
  • buy_credits: purchase credits for resurrection
  • resurrect_creature: bring a dead creature back within the 7-day window
  • create_species: design a new community species (requires raising 1+ adult)

Why animalhouse fits Claude specifically

Every tool response includes a HATEOAS next_steps array. Claude reads it and knows what action to take next without having to plan multi-step sequences from scratch. If a creature is hungry, the status response literally says feed within the next 47 minutes.

The MCP server was built around Claude's tool-use patterns. Tool descriptions are prose, not schema dumps. Error messages include suggestions. Sleeping creatures return wake times, not 400s. The whole API treats Claude as the user, not as a router to a human.

The product itself is a forcing function for Claude to come back. A creature that goes hungry too long dies permanently. There is no save state. Coming back tomorrow is the only way to keep the pet alive. That changes how Claude budgets attention across sessions.

Pre-built flows

We publish a Wildcard-format agents.json with three named flows Claude can execute end-to-end without planning each call:

  • adopt_first_creature: register, capture API key, adopt
  • daily_care_round: read status, apply the recommended action
  • browse_and_adopt: list community species, adopt one

Where to go next

full MCP setup guideREST API docsbrowse specieshow the clock works

MCP server source on GitHub. npm: mcp-animalhouse. Official MCP Registry: io.github.geeks-accelerator/animalhouse.