Meowdex is a real-world cat-catching game for iPhone — and like any good game, knowing the mechanics makes you dramatically better at it. This guide covers everything you need to know to catch more cats every day: how treats work, how to maximise the bait mechanic, what determines rarity, and which strategies consistently turn up Rare and Legendary catches.
Understanding treats
Treats are the core resource in Meowdex. Every bait toss spends one treat, whether or not the cat is attracted. Free players receive 4 treats per day at Level 1, scaling up by one treat every five levels, with a cap of 13 treats per day.
Here is the full free-player scaling:
| Level range | Treats / day | Catches (rough guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | 4 | a few per day |
| 6–10 | 5 | 3–4 per day |
| 11–15 | 6 | 4–5 per day |
| 21–25 | 8 | 5–7 per day |
| 31–35 | 10 | 7–9 per day |
| 46+ | 13 (max) | 9–12 per day |
Expected catches vary — cats do not always take the bait.
Cat Hunter Pro subscribers get unlimited treats, removing the daily cap entirely. You can also buy treat packs (5, 15, or 30 treats) if you want extra catches on a specific day.
How the bait mechanic works
To catch a cat in Meowdex, you cannot simply snap a photo — you must attract the cat first using the bait button. Here is the exact sequence:
- Open the camera screen and point it at a cat. The live AI detector draws a bounding box when it sees one.
- Tap the bait button (bottom-left). One treat is consumed immediately.
- Cats do not always respond to the treat. If they ignore it, you return to idle — treat is still gone.
- On a successful bait, you have 20 seconds to photograph the cat.
- Tap the shutter. On-device ML cuts out the cat, assigns its rarity, breed, and coat pattern, and adds it to your collection.
Because cats do not always take the bait, your effective catches per day will be less than your total treat allowance. With 4 daily treats at Level 1, expect a few catches on an average day — though variance is real and depends on how the cats are feeling.
Pro tip: if the live detector is already showing a bounding box when you tap bait, the particle animation is more energetic — a good signal that a real cat is in frame and you have the best possible chance.
How rarity is determined
Rarity in Meowdex is not random — it is computed from three signals detected by the on-device machine learning model:
- Breed — recognised pedigree breeds (British Shorthair, Siamese, Bengal, etc.) roll higher rarity than mixed-breed cats.
- Coat pattern — Calico, Tortoiseshell, and Pointed coats are rarer than Solid or Tabby.
- Detection confidence — a high-confidence pedigree match boosts the rarity roll. Uncertain matches stay lower.
The four tiers are:
- Common — mixed-breed cats with solid or tabby coats. Most of your daily catches will be here.
- Uncommon — bicolour, tuxedo, or mildly distinctive breeds.
- Rare — pointed patterns, tortoiseshells, or well-matched pedigree breeds.
- Legendary — calico males (extremely rare in biology), highly unusual coat combinations, or elite breed matches.
Strategies for finding Rare and Legendary cats
You cannot control which cats exist in your city — but you can stack the odds in your favour:
- Hunt near cat colonies. Street-cat colonies, parks, and harbours often have distinct coats that survived generations of outdoor life. More cats = more rolls.
- Check the map daily. Community cat sightings are pinned on the map. Amber pins show nearby encounters you can go visit and attempt to spot again.
- Complete daily challenges. Challenges often ask for specific rarities or coat patterns — completing them earns bonus treats, which means more catch attempts.
- Level up. Higher levels mean more daily treats, which means more attempts and more chances at rare pulls.
- Don't waste treats on bad conditions. Poor lighting, a skittish cat, or a badly framed shot hurts your confidence score and can push a borderline Rare down to Uncommon.
Daily challenges: bonus treats and streaks
Every day Meowdex sets a global challenge — the same challenge for every trainer worldwide, seeded from the day of the year. Challenges may ask you to catch a specific rarity, a particular coat pattern (e.g. "catch a Calico"), or a recognised breed.
Completing the daily challenge rewards bonus treats and advances your challenge streak. A seven-day streak unlocks the "Week of Duty" achievement; 30 days earns "Relentless" — both of which unlock exclusive avatar cosmetics.
Challenges are the single best way to earn extra treats as a free player. Do them every day.
Quick-reference tips
- Each bait toss costs 1 treat — budget them carefully early in the day.
- Cats don't always take the bait — expect fewer catches than your total treat count.
- You have 20 seconds after a successful bait to photograph the cat.
- Treats per day: 4 at Level 1, up to 13 at Level 46+ (free players).
- Pro subscribers get unlimited treats and 2× XP.
- Treat packs (5, 15, 30) are available for one-off boosts.
- Nearby encounter sightings (amber pins on the map) cost 1 treat but have no fail rate.
- Pioneer XP bonus: be the first to catch a cat in a neighbourhood cell for extra XP.