Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Mate Pet Creator agent skill

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The mate skill is an instruction package for an AI agent that designs an animated desktop companion, called a Mate pet, for the MiMo Desktop app. It is written for people who run MiMo Desktop and want a custom pet of their own. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for a pet, and how to load the result into MiMo Desktop.

Mate Pet CreatorXiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code · MIT Download the skill

Quick start

1Download and install the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
2Make sure MiMo Desktop is ready. Confirm you run MiMo Desktop with the Mate system, since the output only loads there.
3Ask for a pet in plain language. Describe the creature, style and colours, for example 'create a pet' or 'make a desktop companion'.
4Answer the agent's questions. The agent asks about the animal or character, the art style and any specific features before generating anything.
5Let the agent generate and convert the spritesheet. The agent generates a transparent sprite sheet and converts it to WebP using cwebp or sips.
6Copy the pet folder into MiMo Desktop. Place the folder in userData/pets/<pet-id>/, using Settings → Mate → Open Folder to locate it.
7Refresh and select the pet. Click Refresh in Settings → Mate, then choose your new pet from the list.

What the mate skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent reads when a task matches the skill's description. This one covers custom desktop pets. The agent asks about your character and art style, generates a sprite sheet (a grid of animation frames with a transparent background), converts it to WebP, and writes a manifest.json file that describes the animations.

The output is a folder with two required files: manifest.json and spritesheet.webp. You then place that folder in MiMo Desktop so the Mate system can load it.

Install the mate skill

You can install the skill in one of three places. Download the ZIP from the skill's page on this directory and unzip it into one of these locations:

Personal skills folder: ~/.claude/skills/
Project skills folder: the .claude/skills/ folder inside a project you work in
Claude apps: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need a special command. The skill's description lists phrases that should activate it, so ask in plain language. The source lists these examples: 'create a pet', 'make a desktop companion', 'design a mate character', 'generate a spritesheet for my pet', or saying you want to customize your desktop buddy.

The agent will then ask what animal, creature or character you want, which art style you prefer (pixel art, cartoon, flat vector or kawaii), and any colours or features you want included.

"Create a pet for my MiMo Desktop: a grey cat with a red scarf, pixel art style."
"Design a mate character based on my dog, cartoon style."
"Make a desktop companion that is a small blue dragon, kawaii style."

Understand the output files

The pet lives in a folder named with its pet ID. The manifest.json file holds metadata such as id, name, frame size, number of columns and an animations object that must include idle. Each animation lists a row, a frame count, a playback speed (fps, recommended 6 to 12) and whether it loops.

The spritesheet must use a transparent background, equal frame sizes, and WebP format with transparency. The recommended frame size is 240×240 pixels.

id: unique kebab-case identifier
frameWidth and frameHeight: size of each frame in pixels
columns: number of columns in the grid
totalFrames: total frames across all animations
animations.idle: required, plays by default when the pet loads

{
  "id": "my-pet",
  "name": "My Pet",
  "description": "A cute custom pet",
  "version": 1,
  "spritesheet": "spritesheet.webp",
  "frameWidth": 240,
  "frameHeight": 240,
  "columns": 8,
  "totalFrames": 16,
  "animations": {
    "idle": { "row": 0, "frames": 8, "fps": 8, "loop": true }
  }
}

Load the pet into MiMo Desktop

Once the agent has written the folder, copy it into your MiMo Desktop custom pets directory, which the source gives as userData/pets/<pet-id>/. In MiMo Desktop, open Settings → Mate and click "Open Folder" to find it if you are unsure. Then click "Refresh" in Settings → Mate and select your new pet from the list.

Tools the skill needs

The skill depends on several pieces. It needs the MiMo Desktop app with the Mate system, and an imagegen skill to produce the spritesheet image. For WebP conversion it uses cwebp (from libwebp) or, on macOS, sips. If you have neither, the source suggests installing webp with Homebrew (brew install webp). The SVG fallback path needs rsvg-convert.

MiMo Desktop app with the Mate system
imagegen skill for generating the spritesheet
cwebp (libwebp) or macOS sips for WebP conversion
rsvg-convert, only for the SVG fallback

brew install webp # provides cwebp

Safety notes: scripts and network

This skill runs scripts. The agent executes conversion commands such as cwebp or sips on files in your working directory, so review what it runs if you are cautious. The skill does not use the network, and its instructions say not to reference external URLs; all assets must be local files.

The source also says the agent must not silently rename a PNG to .webp. The file has to have valid WebP encoding, and if conversion cannot be done the agent should stop and tell you which tool to install.

Runs scripts: yes (conversion and rasterizing commands)
Uses network: no
Keep the total file size under 2MB for smooth loading

Tips for better results

Ask for a simple idle animation first, such as gentle breathing, blinking, a tail wag or bobbing, because the idle animation is required and plays by default. Ask for the character to stay centred with consistent sizing across frames, since frames must match in size. If you do not specify a style, the skill defaults to cute/kawaii.

If the pet fails to appear, check that the folder name matches the pet ID and that the pet ID is unique. The source says that if an ID conflicts with a preset (koala or panda), the preset wins.

Start with an idle animation only, then extend
Describe colours and features in specific terms
Use a unique pet ID that does not match koala or panda

What people use it for

Giving MiMo Desktop a personalised desktop buddy based on a pet you own
Making a simple pixel-art or cartoon companion without animation software
Prototyping a small looping character animation with a fixed frame grid
Creating several pets with different IDs to switch between in Settings → Mate

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the mate agent skill?

Download the ZIP from the skill's page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Is the mate skill free to use?

The source does not state pricing. It is published under the MIT licence, as listed for the item. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms.

What do I need to run the mate skill?

You need the MiMo Desktop app with the Mate system, an imagegen skill for the spritesheet, and cwebp (libwebp) or macOS sips for WebP conversion. rsvg-convert is needed only for the SVG fallback.

Where do I put the generated pet so MiMo Desktop can load it?

Copy the pet folder into userData/pets/<pet-id>/ in your MiMo Desktop custom pets directory. Then open Settings → Mate, click Refresh and select the pet.

Why does my pet not show up after I add it?

Check that the folder contains manifest.json and spritesheet.webp, that the spritesheet is valid WebP, and that the pet ID is unique. If the ID matches a preset such as koala or panda, the preset takes priority.

Can the skill create a pet for something other than MiMo Desktop?

Not as described. The output is a Mate pet format that only loads in MiMo Desktop, so it has no use elsewhere. For general image or animation work, use a different tool.

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Our verdict

Use the mate skill if you run MiMo Desktop and want a custom animated desktop pet without learning animation tools. Pick something else if you do not use MiMo Desktop, need a general image or animation tool, or require external assets, since the skill only produces local files for that app.

Download the skill