gently holds
With gently holds, players can pick up mobs with an empty hand and place them back into the world, a function this mod adds to Fabric and Quilt.
What it does
Players who crouch and right-click, or use the item-use key while crouching, pick up a mob and carry it. Only animals below a configurable size, measured as 2x2 blocks, can be picked up, and the player's hands must be empty. Placing the mob back is done on the ground, and the drop behavior can be set in the configuration. Players cannot be picked up. A bonus effect lets a carried mob be worn on the head.
Client and server installs share the configuration so both sides match and visual glitches are avoided. Gently holds requires Fabric API and runs on the client and the server. McQoy is an optional dependency that adds a configuration GUI when present, and MidnightLib is bundled inside the mod. The code is open source under the MIT License, and the mod is published for Fabric and Quilt across 13 release versions, 1.20.1 – 26.3, with snapshot builds also published.
Key features
Carrying mobs
Crouch and right-click, or crouch and use the item key, to pick up a suitable mob while holding nothing.
Placing mobs back
A carried mob is placed back on the ground, and the drop rules can be adjusted in the config.
Size and hand limits
Only small animals below a set size can be carried, and the player's hands have to be empty.
Head wearing bonus
A carried mob can be worn on the player's head as an extra action.
Shared configuration
Client and server options match so that both sides behave the same and visual glitches are avoided.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.21.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.20.x1 of 1 version with builds
This mod also publishes snapshot builds. Snapshots are not shown in the matrix.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Optional 1
Use cases
Moving animals
Players can relocate small animals such as chickens or cats around a base without leading them.
Who it’s for: Players who want to carry small animals around a base, and server owners who need matching client and server settings.
How it compares
Through the lily pads, gently is a server-side only mod for Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt, open source under the MIT License, with files for 1.19.2 – 26.3. Click Mobs is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, for Fabric and NeoForge, and the server must run it while clients may skip it. Villager Pickup is server-side only, open source under CC0 1.0 Universal, and supports 1.19 – 26.2 on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gently holds | Fabric and Quilt | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Client and server | 2026-09-14 |
| Through the lily pads, gently | Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.19.2 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-10-14 |
| Click Mobs | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.20 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2026-09-20 |
| Villager Pickup | Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.19 – 26.2 | Server-side only | 2026-08-30 |
Questions
Does gently holds need Fabric API?
Do both the server and players need gently holds?
Can gently holds show a configuration GUI?
Which versions does gently holds support?
In the catalog
gently holds is one of 4,058 Storage mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,474 Storage mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from ThePotatoArchivist
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What the author says
Allows you to pick up mobs as items by Shift+right clicking them (crouch+use). You can place the mob back in the world by using it on the ground, or dropping it (configurable).
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/gently-holds
- Owner
- ThePotatoArchivist
- Published
- 2025-02-23
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-14
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15