To unlock the highly coveted Cat Lover achievement, you must find a black cat on the world map and place it in the back of your cart before starting a puzzle. This Do You even Forklift cat locations guide details exactly where these feline companions spawn between stages. Because the game doesn't hold your hand, many players reach the ending screen only to realize they missed a cat in the early levels. Remember, you must grab a new cat from the overworld after finishing every single level for the achievement to track properly.
Do You even Forklift cat locations guide: How the Mechanic Works
Do You even Forklift? is a deceptively simple, physics-based puzzle game set in a beautifully rendered, Ghibli-inspired Japanese industrial town. While your main job is sorting Kei cars, managing electric vehicle charging cables, and occasionally cooking ramen with a forklift, completionists have their eyes set on a much more elusive goal: the "Cat Lover" achievement. Worth 100 Gamerscore on Xbox and a Gold Trophy on PlayStation, this accolade separates the casual drivers from the true forklift masters.
The achievement description reads simply: Finish all levels with a cat in the back of the cart.
What trips most players up is that cats do not spawn inside the puzzle levels (Levels 1.0 through 18.0). Instead, they are scattered across the game's seamless overworld map. As noted by the developers in Devlog #3, the map was significantly expanded during development to accommodate all the level entrances, adding bonus areas and moving pieces that make navigation a puzzle in itself.
Your mandatory gameplay loop for this achievement must be:
- Complete a puzzle level.
- Spawn back into the overworld.
- Locate a black cat roaming the map.
- Use your forklift to gently scoop the cat and drop it into the back of your cart.
- Drive into the next level entrance trigger with the cat securely in tow.
If you enter a level without a cat in the cart, you void the run for that specific level and will have to replay it from the hub.
Overworld Spawn Points: The Starting Lot to the Pachinko District
Because the overworld map is large and filled with distractions—like ramen bowls for the "OMNOMNOM" achievement and streetlights to knock down for the "Harvester" achievement—finding the cats can feel like a chore if you don't know exactly where to look.
The Starting Lot (Levels 1.0 - 3.3)
When you first boot up the game and learn the basic controls, you are placed in a tranquil parking lot filled with pastel-colored Kei cars. The first few cats are relatively easy to find, acting as a tutorial for the game's physics engine.
- Levels 1.0 to 1.3 Special: The very first cat spawns directly behind your starting garage. You don't even need to extend your forks; just drive backward (which the developer notes is often easier to manage) and scoop it up.
- Levels 2.0 to 2.3 Special: Look near the first hidden ramen bowl location. The cat usually wanders near the concrete barrier separating the parking lot from the main street.
- Level 3.0: Before entering Level 3.0, drive toward the newly unlocked street section. A cat will be sitting on top of a low brick wall. You will need to raise your mast slightly to scoop it off the ledge without knocking it over the other side.
The Pachinko District (Levels 4.0 - 7.3)
As you progress deeper into the town, the aesthetic shifts to narrow alleys and neon lights. This area is infamous for the "Pachinko" achievement (where you must hit red with red), and the visual clutter makes spotting a small black cat surprisingly difficult.
- Levels 4.0 to 5.3: The cats in this zone tend to spawn near the bright red Pachinko parlor signs. Be careful not to knock down too many streetlights while maneuvering, unless you are actively grinding the 100G "Harvester" achievement.
- Levels 6.0 to 7.3: You will find several fire hydrants in this area. While you might be tempted to launch yourself to get the "Hydrant Fly!" achievement or wash a car for "Hydrant Wash!", prioritize grabbing the cat first. The cat for Level 7.0 reliably spawns in the alleyway right behind the second fire hydrant.
Do You even Forklift cat locations guide: The Harbor and Industrial Park
The difficulty of the puzzles ramps up significantly in the back half of the game, and the overworld reflects this by placing the cats in much more precarious locations.
The Harbor (Levels 8.0 - 12.3)
This zone introduces bodies of water, which are the absolute bane of a Cat Lover run. The game features an achievement called "Make A Splash" for dumping 10 things into the water. You do not want the cat to be one of those things.
- Levels 8.0 to 9.3: The cats spawn near the shipping crates on the docks. You will need to carefully navigate the narrow piers. If you drop the cat into the water, it will respawn at its original location, but you lose valuable time and risk resetting your forklift.
- Levels 10.0 to 12.3: This area is wide open, making it the perfect spot to grind the "Speedboat" achievement (traveling 100 meters with the cart in one go). However, driving at top speed with a cat in the back of your cart is a recipe for disaster. The game's physics engine will launch the cat out of the tray if you hit a bump too hard. Drive slowly. The cats here spawn near the concrete ramp leading down to the water.
The Industrial Park (Levels 13.0 - 18.0)
The final stretch of the game involves complex puzzles with electric vehicles and delicate charging cables. The overworld leading to these levels is cluttered with obstacles.
- Levels 13.0 to 15.3: You will find cats hiding between parked electric vehicles. You must use precise fork control to extract them without snapping the cables or setting off any car alarms. If you set off an alarm and get busted in the overworld, your forklift resets, and you will drop the cat.
- Levels 16.0 to 18.0: The final levels require you to bring a cat into the most difficult puzzles in the game. The cats spawn near the large warehouse doors. Before you enter the final level (18.0) to view the ending screen and unlock "Forklift Certified," ensure the cat is securely in your cart.
Step-by-Step Level Prep for the Cat Lover Achievement
Knowing where the cats are is only half the battle. The physics engine in Do You even Forklift? is intentionally silly and slightly unpredictable. Successfully transporting the cat requires a specific, practiced technique.
- Lower the Forks: Always approach the cat with your forks completely lowered to the ground. If they are even slightly raised, you risk punting the cat across the map.
- The Scoop: Drive forward slowly. Once the cat is securely on the forks, immediately stop moving the chassis.
- Tilt the Mast: Tilt the mast backward. This is a crucial step in real-life forklift operation and is just as important here. It prevents the cat from sliding off the front of the tines.
- Raise and Drop: Raise the mast until the forks are positioned over the rear cart tray. Tilt the mast forward to gently drop the cat into the tray.
- Drive Backwards: As mentioned in the developer logs, driving backwards is often much easier to manage in this game, especially when carrying a delicate load. It gives you better visibility and prevents the cat from bouncing out if you hit an obstacle head-on.
- Enter the Trigger: Slowly back into the glowing level entrance trigger. Do not rush this step, or you might clip the edge of the trigger and knock the cat out right as the level loads.
Common Mistakes When Transporting Cats
Even the most seasoned virtual forklift drivers make mistakes. Here are the most common ways players ruin their Cat Lover runs:
- Reusing the Same Cat: This is the number one reason players fail the achievement. When you complete a level, the game resets your cart. You cannot simply carry the same cat from Level 1.0 all the way to Level 18.0. You must explore the overworld and find a new cat before entering the next puzzle.
- Ignoring the Physics: The Ghibli-inspired visuals might make the game look cute and relaxing, but the physics engine is unforgiving. Taking corners too fast, bumping into Kei cars, or driving over curbs will bounce the cat right out of your cart. The isometric camera angle can also make depth perception tricky, so always double-check your alignment before moving.
- Prioritizing Other Achievements: It is very tempting to try and knock out the "New Shine" (repaint the cart) or "OMNOMNOM" achievements while transporting a cat. Don't do it. Repainting the cart will often glitch the cat out of the tray, and trying to collect ramen bowls with a cat in the back is just asking for a physics collision disaster. Focus on one task at a time.
FAQ: Do You even Forklift cat locations guide
Can I go back and replay a level if I forgot the cat? Yes. The overworld map allows you to drive back to any previously completed level entrance. If you realize you completed Level 4.3 without a cat, you can simply grab a new cat from the Pachinko District and drive back into the 4.3 entrance to overwrite your completion status.
Do the cats look different in each zone? No. All the cats required for the achievement are identical black cats. This design choice fits perfectly with the game's Studio Ghibli aesthetic, strongly resembling Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service.
What happens if the cat falls out during the puzzle? The achievement requires you to finish the level with the cat in the back of the cart. If the cat falls out while you are moving electric vehicles or avoiding car alarms, you must pick it back up and place it in the cart before you trigger the puzzle's completion state.
Does the cat help solve puzzles? No. The cat is purely a physical object you must manage. It does not interact with switches, distract enemies, or provide any gameplay advantage. It exists solely to add an extra layer of physics-based inventory management for completionists.
Is there a way to track which levels I've completed with a cat? Unfortunately, the game's UI does not currently have a checklist for the Cat Lover achievement. You must keep track manually. It is highly recommended to do the Cat Lover run sequentially from Level 1.0 to 18.0 to avoid confusion.
Sources
- Garage 5 / Take IT Studio! - Do You even Forklift? Devlog #3
- TrueAchievements - Do You even Forklift? Achievement Guide
- Steam Community - Do You even Forklift? Global Gameplay Stats