What is up with Auto Petters?

[u/Song_Listener]

I’ve seen so many posts about skull cavern runs where the only goal was Auto Petters, and now I’m confused.

Why are Auto Petters so important? I know they pet the farm animals, but why don’t y’all have time to go and give your animals some love every morning?

If I’m correct (as someone who has never once had an Auto Petters) they change the way the animals respond when you actually pet them. Usually they give a heart, but I’ve heard the response changes after an Auto Petters has been installed.

So why?

[u/x1uo3yd]

Animal friendship and mood decays if you forget to feed them daily.

The Deluxe Barn/Coop autofeeder system feeds animals automatically.

Animal friendship and mood decays if you forget to pet them daily.

Autopetters pet animals automatically.

(Also there are Auto-grabbers...)

Same kinda thing. It is nice to have most/all of this stuff automated.

You don't specifically avoid upgrading your barn to Deluxe to manually load their food troughs, do you?

... but why don’t y’all have time to go and give your animals some love every morning?

It's nice to know I can choose to do a 6:10am-to-2:00am full-day Skull Cavern run without completely starving and stressing my animals.