Companion Animal describes the family of animal personas — most commonly domestic Pets such as puppies, kittens, rabbits or similar creatures — whose defining register is companionship rather than labour, competition or performance. The Companion Animal frame emphasises affection, presence, comfort and shared routine within the dynamic.

The distinction between Companion Animals and Working Animals emerged as Petplay and Ponyplay traditions developed distinct vocabularies and expectations around what kinds of scenes and dynamics each supported.

The distinction is descriptive rather than prescriptive. Many Pets take on both companionship and task-oriented facets, and communities differ on how strictly the categories are applied.