Desktop Goose alternatives, from a cat who is not a goose.

Desktop Goose is by samperson. It is “a goose that lives on your desktop” that steals your cursor, tracks mud, and drags memes and notes onto the screen. The latest Windows version is 0.31 (October 2022). The Mac build is older. It is still pay what you want, it still runs on Windows and macOS, and it is fun. About 2,000 ratings on itch.io average 4.8/5. The Desksquattaz vs Desktop Goose page is the longer note, and the download is on itch.io.

The alternatives below are for Windows. They are not geese. They are what people open when they want a desktop pet in the same room as that joke, with a different job. Prices and platforms below are from each app's official page, checked October 2026.

Shimeji-ee

Shimeji-ee is little desktop companions that run around your screen. You pick from characters drawn by artists around the world. It requires Java and runs only on Windows. It is free and open source. On this list it is the chaos pick: characters running around the screen. See Desksquattaz vs Shimeji or the official project page.

Bongo Cat

Bongo Cat is made by Irox Games and was released on Steam in March 2025. A cat sits on your taskbar and hits a drum for every key press and click. You collect points and hats. It is free on Steam. Optional paid cosmetic packs are about $5–$10 on the US store, and hats are earned through item drops. It runs on Windows and macOS. It is instant and tiny, it reacts to every keystroke, and it has a huge community. Over 100,000 Steam reviews call it Overwhelmingly Positive. It is the typing pick, not the chaos pick. See Desksquattaz vs Bongo Cat or the official Steam page.

Sill Cats

Sill Cats is made by SQOOL and was released on Steam on 12 May 2026. Tiny realistic cats walk along the tops of your windows, nap, bat at your cursor, and get zoomies in the middle of the night. Up to two cats on screen. The base app is free with two cats, Abyssinian and Tuxedo. Extra breed and toy packs are about $1.99 each. It runs on Windows. It is the real-cat pick: very faithful real-cat behaviour, and several breeds. See Desksquattaz vs Sill Cats or the official Steam page.

My Desktop Cat

My Desktop Cat, by hirsch-dev, was released on Steam on 1 October 2026 for Windows. It lives behind your windows, you can feed, pet and brush it, and it grows to level 100. See Desksquattaz vs My Desktop Cat.

Pets Therapy

Pets Therapy, by Csquared Digital, is free on macOS, Windows and Linux, with 100+ pixel pets that talk to each other. See Desksquattaz vs Pets Therapy.

Desksquattaz

Desksquattaz is a desktop pet for Windows 10 and 11. Toastah is one deadpan lilac box cat. He roams, naps, and moves desktop icons. He never deletes them. He goes on trips that leave souvenir files. His food bowl, litter box, and My Stash are real folders. He has his own computer, the Meowputer, and he plays co-op games with you: Battle City and a dungeon crawl. Free is $0 forever, no ads, no card. Cat Plan is $4.99 a month or $39 a year, with a 7-day trial and no card. He is not on Steam. Download him from desksquattaz.com, or read the goose comparison if you are still deciding.

Pick the goose if you want the goose. It is still there, it is still pay what you want, and version 0.31 from October 2022 is still the latest Windows build. Pick one of the four above if you want the desk occupied by something else. Shimeji-ee for characters running around. Bongo Cat for a drum on every key. Sill Cats for realistic cats. Desksquattaz for a cat with Tamagotchi-style care and a computer full of games you can play together.