One of the most satisfying parts of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is completely customizing an island to suit a specific aesthetic. Throughout the game, players are able to acquire a wide array of furniture, including tables, beds, and more, to kit out their homes, but only recently have some players discovered the true function of one of these decorative items: the pet bed.

The pet bed looks like a little basket with a toy and would be perfect for a small furry companion and many assumed it was purely decorative, putting the likes of a puppy plushie next to it to create the feeling of having a pet, but the true purpose of the pet bed was largely a mystery for one Redditor, Lymairoz, until they were paid a visit by one of the island's villagers, Goldie.

As noted by Lymairoz on the r/AnimalCrossing Subreddit, the dog villager, Goldie - who seems to be a mix between a Labrador retriever and a golden retriever - will happily sit on the pet bed, using it instead of one of the game's normal chairs. Lymairoz went on to share several images of Goldie comfortably sitting down in the pet bed and reading a book next to a puppy plushie decoration.

The True Purpose Of The Pet Bed Makes Perfect Sense

To An Animal, A Pet Bed Would Naturally Serve As A Place To Sit

Animal Crossing doesn't let players have pets, largely due to the fact that the islands' inhabitants are mostly animals themselves, so for a while, the need for a pet bed did seem to be a mystery, other than the aforementioned purpose of decorating the area around it with plushies that look like they could resemble one. However, its purpose as a chair makes perfect sense.

While the villagers in the Animal Crossing series are anthropomorphic and seem to behave more like people by walking on two legs and conversing in the players' preferred language, they are still essentially animals at their core. Therefore, to a dog like Goldie, it's only natural that she would treat a pet bed as any other place to curl up when visiting, and as pointed out by PositivelyKAH, all the characters prefer to sit in the pet bed rather than the couches or other "human spots."

So, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons may not let players have their own pet, it seems like nearly every villager they invite over could fulfill this role, taking up a spot on the pet bed to complete this aesthetic. It's also worth noting that players' characters can sit on the pet bed too, so essentially, players who have acquired one just have an extra chair around their homes.