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This study explores the dynamics of human–animal relationships within the virtual farming game Hay Day and actual pet-keeping practice, juxtaposing interactions with actual and virtual animals in everyday life. Drawing from ethnographic data, the research employs the concept of ‘assemblage’ to analyse these relationships in a nuanced manner and examine interconnected practices between the actual and the virtual. This study demonstrates how the player navigates the desire to interact with animals under various constraints and how these intersections construct the player’s subjectivity towards animals. This study concentrates on a single case of an Indonesian player. Its main goal is to reveal new insights rather than ensure generalizability, providing a basis for further research. This research analytically and empirically contributes to the gaming discourse on human–animal relationships by incorporating virtual animals and calls for the analytical involvement of players who live on the periphery of gaming discourse.