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Desktop pet vs Tamagotchi. He is both, and neither will admit it.
A Tamagotchi is a handheld virtual pet you feed and clean up after. A desktop pet is a character that lives on your computer screen. Desksquattaz combines the two: Tamagotchi-style care in real folders on your Windows desktop, plus a retro computer full of games. Unlike many virtual pets, he never dies.
Last updated: 17 October 2026
Tamagotchi is a trademark of Bandai. Desksquattaz is not affiliated with Bandai.
We make Desksquattaz, so we're biased.
| Desktop pet (general) | Tamagotchi-style pet (general) | Desksquattaz | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | On a computer screen | A handheld you carry | Your real Windows desktop |
| Care loop | Sometimes none. Sometimes feeding. | Feed it and clean up after it | Real-folder bowl and litter, plus a kibble bank |
| Can it die | Depends on the app | Often, if you neglect it | No. He never dies. |
| Games | Not the usual point | Mini-games, sometimes | 12 games, on his computer and your desktop |
| Plays with you | Usually reacts | You look after it | 5 local co-op games, one keyboard |
| Price model | Often free | You buy the toy | Free cat. Cat Plan for chat. Some games are one-time or kibble. |
The first two columns are the general idea. They are not a review of any one product, price, or year.
What a desktop pet is
A desktop pet is a character drawn on top of your other windows. It walks, naps, or reacts while you work. The classic ones chase a cursor or climb a window. They are company for a screen, not a device in your pocket. Some are free. Some are a single joke that never grows a schedule.
Desktop pet and virtual pet game for Windows. That is the shelf Desksquattaz sits on, and then leaves, because the cat also has folders and a computer.
What a Tamagotchi-style pet is
A Tamagotchi-style pet is the handheld idea: you feed it, you clean up after it, and neglect has a mood. The trademark belongs to Bandai. This page does not describe a specific Bandai model, price, or release date. The pattern is the pattern. Hunger, mess, and a pet that notices when you vanish.
Many of those pets can die, or reset, if you stay away. That is the guilt loop. It is also why people still remember them.
Where Desksquattaz fits
Toastah lives on the Windows desktop, which makes him a desktop pet. His bowl and litter box are real folders, and he keeps a kibble bank, which is the care loop. He never dies. On top of that he owns the Meowputer, and 5 games put you and him on one keyboard. Free is the cat. Cat Plan is when he chats. Some cartridges and worlds cost money or kibble. None of that is a Bandai toy.
Read the folder rules on the care page, the games on the games page, and the computer on the Meowputer page.
Other desktop pets with care
My Desktop Cat, on Steam, is a Windows cat you feed, pet and brush, with thought bubbles and mini-games, and it grows to level 100. VPet-Simulator is a free Windows care sim with feeding and Workshop mods. Pets Therapy has food you drag onto pets, and pets that talk to each other. Facts checked October 2026 from their official pages.
Desksquattaz vs My Desktop Cat · Desksquattaz vs VPet · Desksquattaz vs Pets Therapy
Facts about other apps checked October 2026 from their official pages. Something wrong? Tell us at hello@desksquattaz.com.
Pick a handheld if you want a device that fits in a pocket and a pet that can end. Pick a desktop pet if you want something on the screen you already stare at. Pick Desksquattaz if you want the care loop without the death, and a cat who also has games. The comparisons above are the nearest care-shaped desktop pets we checked. They are not a ranking, and they are not affiliated with this cat.
Questions
What is a desktop pet?
A character that lives on your computer screen while you work. It is not a handheld toy.
What is a Tamagotchi-style pet?
A virtual pet you feed and clean up after. The name Tamagotchi belongs to Bandai. Desksquattaz is not that product.
Which one is Desksquattaz?
Both ideas, on Windows. Care is in real folders. There are also 12 games, 5 of them co-op with the cat. He never dies.