Bongo Cat Guide: Fix Linux Issues and Automate the Grind

Last Updated on 25 September, 2026

Bongo Cat looks simple until the cat starts living inside a black box, ignores your keyboard, or lets every mouse click pass straight through it. The problem can be even more frustrating when you are dealing with millions of taps, repeated emotes, gift timers, chest stacking, or duplicate exchanges.

This guide tackles both sides of the experience, showing how to get Bongo Cat working properly through Proton on Linux and how to use AutoCat to cut down on repetitive tasks.

What Is Broken on Linux?

Running Bongo Cat through Proton can produce three frustrating problems. The first is visual. Instead of appearing directly on the desktop, the cat can sit inside a large black rectangle.

The cat stops listening

The second problem affects keyboard input. Bongo Cat can react while its own window is focused, then stop responding as soon as you switch to another program. Typing in Discord, for example, may produce no bongo response.

The mouse passes through

The third problem affects interaction. Your pointer can pass straight through the cat, preventing you from petting it, opening menus, or completing parts of the setup.

This fix addresses all three problems. It is intended for the normal Steam version running through Proton. There is also an official Linux beta in testing that requires an access code from the developers, but that is separate from the setup covered here.

What You Need

The Linux setup does not require a long list of software. You need Steam on Linux, the recommended Proton version, Python 3, and your account password for one permission change.

• Linux with Steam
• Proton Experimental
• Python 3
• Your password

Supported setups

The fix was tested on Bazzite with KDE and is described as working with Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, SteamOS Desktop Mode, and similar environments.

Steam Deck users

Steam Deck users need to use Desktop Mode. Game Mode cannot display desktop pets, so this setup is intended for the desktop environment.

Install the Linux Fix

The installation starts with a small collection of files from GitHub. Once extracted, a shell script handles the main setup and generates the launch option needed in Steam.

Step 1: Download the files

Open the GitHub repository, select Code, choose Download ZIP, and extract the archive somewhere convenient.

Step 2: Run the installer

Open a terminal inside the extracted folder. You can do this by right-clicking an empty area of the folder and choosing Open Terminal Here.

Run:

bash install.sh

Answer Y to the prompts. The installer will:

• Install itself under ~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/.
• Add your account to the input group so the cat can receive keyboard input.
• Ask for your password.
• Print a personal Steam launch-options line.
• Save that launch-options line in LAUNCH-OPTIONS.txt.

Steam Deck users who do not already have a password are told to create one first with passwd.

Step 3: Restart your session when required

Only log out and back in if the installer tells you to. Once that is done, test the keyboard reader with:

python3 ~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/keyreader.py --test

Press several keys while the test runs. A working setup should produce messages such as tap down left paw. Press Ctrl+C to stop the test.

Make the Cat Visible and Clickable

Once the bridge is installed, configure Steam to use Proton Experimental and add the launch option generated by the installer.

Use Proton Experimental

In Steam, right-click Bongo Cat and open Properties. Go to Compatibility, enable Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool, and select Proton Experimental.

Use Proton Experimental for this setup, not GE-Proton.

Add the launch option

Open Properties > General > Launch Options and paste the line generated by the installer. It should look similar to:

/home/YOURNAME/.local/share/bongo-bridge/bongo-launch.sh %command%

The line must begin with /. A wrong path can cause the game to close immediately.

Use F3 once

Launch Bongo Cat. If Steam claims that the game is already running during the first launch, press Stop and launch it again.

As soon as the cat appears, press F3 once. This activates Bongo Cat’s own Transparency Fix, which removes the black box and makes the cat clickable.

Do not press F3 twice. The second press makes the cat disappear.

Make Bongo Cat Hear Your Keyboard

Getting the cat to appear is only half the Linux setup. The other major problem is keyboard input outside the Bongo Cat window.

Why keyboard input fails

Wine normally listens for keys while its own window has focus. That causes the cat to stop reacting when you type in another application.

The bridge works around that limitation with a separate keyboard reader. Instead of sending your actual key presses to the game, the helper passes signals for the required actions, such as left paw or right paw.

Check the keyreader log

If the cat still ignores typing, open:

~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/keyreader.log

If the log says permission denied, repeat the installation and session-restart steps so the input-group change can take effect.

Answer the transparency question correctly

During setup, Bongo Cat asks whether the window is transparent. Choose No.

That answer still applies even after F3 removes the black background. Choosing Yes switches the game to a mode that Proton cannot display properly, and the cat can disappear the next time you launch it.

Run the three-part test

• Type in another application and check that the cat reacts.
• Click on the cat and check that it responds.
• Click beside the cat and check that the application behind it receives the click.

These checks cover keyboard input, direct interaction, and click-through behavior.

Back Up a Working Setup

Once everything works, make a backup before changing anything else. Do this after opening a chest because closing Bongo Cat resets the chest timer.

Create the backup

1. Close Bongo Cat.
2. In Steam, open Bongo Cat > Properties > Installed Files > Browse.
3. Go up two folders until you reach steamapps.
4. Open compatdata.
5. Find the folder named 3419430.
6. Copy it and rename the copy 3419430-good.

Restore the working copy

If the cat later disappears, delete the current 3419430 folder and rename 3419430-good back to 3419430.

That gives you a known-working copy without repeating the entire setup.

Linux Troubleshooting

When something breaks, the symptom usually points to the part of the setup that needs attention. Check these fixes before rebuilding the entire installation.

Game closes instantly

Check the Steam launch option. Copy it again from LAUNCH-OPTIONS.txt and make sure the path begins with a forward slash.

The black box returns

Alt+Tab to Bongo Cat and press F3 once.

The cat vanished

You may have answered Yes to the transparency question or pressed F3 twice. Restore 3419430-good, or remove compatdata/3419430 and repeat the relevant setup steps.

The cat is invisible for another reason

Press F8 immediately after launching. F1 resets the cat’s position.

The cat ignores keyboard input

Check ~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/keyreader.log. A permission denied message means you should repeat the installation and log-out steps.

A menu behaves strangely

Restart Bongo Cat.

Gaming Mode click behavior is different

The fix keeps the cat clickable. If you want Gaming Mode to block clicks again, open:

~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/config.env

Then set:

CLICK_MODE=hover

Still stuck?

Leave a comment or open a GitHub issue and attach the relevant logs from ~/.local/share/bongo-bridge/.

Unofficial fix disclaimer

This is an unofficial fan fix and is not affiliated with the Bongo Cat developers. It does not touch the game files and instead runs next to the game.

The setup was tested on Bazzite with KDE and Wayland.

How the Linux Fix Works

The Linux setup uses several pieces working alongside the game rather than changing the game itself.

Removing the black background

Bongo Cat’s F3 fix paints the background using one color. Wine then cuts that color out of the window, producing the see-through effect around the cat.

Passing keyboard input to the cat

Wine normally hears keyboard input only when its own window has focus. The bridge uses a small script to read the keyboard separately and sends only the required paw action to a helper running next to the game.

The bridge does not send the actual key presses. It passes actions such as left paw and right paw instead.

Handling mouse clicks

Bongo Cat makes itself click-through and only turns that behavior off when it sees your mouse. Linux can prevent the game from detecting the pointer while another application is in front, so the helper removes the click-through setting for it.

The transparent area remains a real opening in the window, which allows clicks outside the cat to continue through to the application underneath.

Keyboard Access and Privacy

Being in the input group lets programs running under your account read keyboard input. This permission allows the keyboard reader to detect keys even when Bongo Cat is not the active window.

The project is open source on GitHub, including the source code for the small executable helper.

Remove the input-group membership

If you no longer need that access, use:

sudo gpasswd -d $USER input

This removes your account from the input group.

What AutoCat Can Do

AutoCat reduces repetitive interaction with Bongo Cat. It started as an auto clicker and expanded into a utility that also handles reusable emotes, gifts, chest stacking, duplicate exchanges, and temporary cosmetic items.

Automation features

• Auto Clicking
• Auto Emoting
• Auto Collect
• Auto-slot + Exchange
• Insta Gift
• Unlock All

What the tool does not do

AutoCat does not replace game files. Temporary Unlock All items do not become permanent account unlocks, and the utility cannot create the Steam tokens used for gifts.

The application also includes its own settings, theme controls, display handling, keyboard bindings, and logs.

You can download AutoCat from GitHub and run autocat.exe without an installer.

Set Up AutoCat

AutoCat does not require an installer or separate setup routine. It runs from its executable while Bongo Cat is open.

Quick start

1. Open Bongo Cat.
2. Run autocat.exe.
3. Enable the features you want.
4. Press Home.

Home pauses or resumes automation. Insert hides or shows the AutoCat window.

Updating the utility

To update AutoCat, close both AutoCat and Bongo Cat, replace the old autocat.exe with the newer version, and launch it again.

Your settings carry over, while leftovers from older versions clean themselves up.

Auto Clicking and Auto Emoting

The core AutoCat tools handle taps and reusable emotes separately, allowing each activity to run at its own rate.

Auto Clicking

Enable Auto Clicking, choose a rate, and press Home. The normal range runs from 1 to 200 clicks per second.

Click the number beside the slider when you want to enter an exact value instead of selecting a position on the slider.

At 200 clicks per second, reaching 25 million clicks from zero takes about 34 hours and 43 minutes.

Auto Emoting

Equip a reusable emote in Bongo Cat, enable Auto Emoting, and select its rate. Emote automation runs separately from clicking and supports a range from 1 to 100 per second.

Consumables are ignored, and AutoCat may slow itself down if Bongo Cat starts dying.

Extreme Rates

Extreme Rates is available under Misc when the normal 200 clicks per second range is not enough. The actual speed still depends on the game and your PC.

Gifts, Exchanges, and Automation

AutoCat can also handle repetitive management tasks that have nothing to do with rapid clicking.

Auto Collect

Auto Collect claims normal and emote gifts when they are ready. It continues working even when the main automation toggle is paused.

It can also be paired with Insta Gift when you have banked tokens and want to process multiple claims without the usual local wait.

Auto-slot + Exchange

Auto-slot + Exchange fills exchange slots with eligible duplicate items and starts a complete batch.

You need enough duplicates to fill the available slots. Temporary Unlock All items are ignored, while items you placed manually remain untouched.

Once an exchange is completed, it stays completed after AutoCat closes.

Insta Gift and Chest Stacking

Insta Gift focuses on a specific frustration: returning to Bongo Cat repeatedly just to use gift tokens after waiting through the local timer.

How the tokens work

Steam provides normal and emote tokens at intervals. Each balance can hold up to 10 tokens.

When tokens accumulate because you have not checked the desktop cat every 30 minutes, you normally still have to wait through the gift timer after each claim. Insta Gift removes that local waiting period.

Pair it with Auto Collect

Enable both Insta Gift and Auto Collect. Auto Collect submits the claims, while Insta Gift lets AutoCat use the tokens already in your balance one after another. That allows the resulting chests to stack instead of forcing you to return every 30 minutes.

One normal token gives one normal gift claim, while one emote token gives one emote gift claim. You still need enough tap funds, and Steam still approves each request.

Example token balance

A balance showing:

• Normal: 2
• Emote: 2

gives four possible gift claims without a 30-minute wait between each one, assuming the other requirements are met.

After Steam confirms a claim, the matching counter drops by one.

What Insta Gift cannot do

AutoCat cannot create tokens, refill them, change their interval, or increase the 10-token cap. It can only spend tokens Steam has already provided.

Temporary Unlock All Items

Unlock All adds temporary items to the currently running Bongo Cat session. After enabling it, open the normal game menus and choose the cosmetic items you want.

Those items do not become permanent account unlocks.

Disable Unlock All, unload AutoCat, or restart the game and the temporary items disappear. Anything you unlocked legitimately stays unchanged.

The feature affects the current session rather than permanently changing your collection.

Theme and Display Options

AutoCat also gives you control over how its own interface looks and scales.

Accent color

Open the Theme tab to choose an accent color with the color wheel or enter a hex code directly.

The selected color affects the .xyz, tab underline, checkboxes, and sliders. A reset option returns the interface to the original peach color.

Display scaling

The AutoCat window follows Windows scaling and screen resolution. If you change either while the utility remains open, the window resizes itself.

If it does not catch up after switching monitors or changing resolution, restart AutoCat.

Bindings, Settings, and Logs

AutoCat stores its controls, settings, and diagnostic information separately, making it easier to customize or troubleshoot the utility.

Keyboard bindings

Insert shows or hides the AutoCat window. Home pauses or resumes automation.

Click a binding to change it. Press Escape while choosing a new key to clear the binding.

Settings

AutoCat saves settings automatically to:

Documents\AutoCat\settings.xml

Reset Settings turns every feature off, restores the defaults including the accent color, and pauses automation. It does not affect actual game progress.

Unload AutoCat stops the utility and removes temporary Unlock All items.

Logs and diagnostics

Logs are stored in:

Documents\AutoCat\logs\

Right-click the footer to open the log folder, copy the session ID, or copy a short diagnostic summary.

Nothing is uploaded automatically. The logs remain available locally when something goes wrong.

AutoCat Troubleshooting

AutoCat’s most common problems can usually be traced to the game not running, the utility being paused, or the interface being hidden.

Waiting for the game

Open Bongo Cat before starting AutoCat.

The menu disappeared

Press Insert. Launching AutoCat again also reopens the existing window.

Nothing is happening

Check whether AutoCat is paused. The footer can also provide status information.

Auto Emoting requires a reusable emote to be equipped in Bongo Cat.

The window is the wrong size

The interface follows Windows scaling and display resolution. If the size does not update after changing monitors or resolution, restart AutoCat.

The utility is actually broken

Use the GitHub issue tracker and include the features you had enabled along with the information shown in the footer. Logs can also help diagnose the problem.

Before posting logs publicly, read them first rather than pasting everything without checking what they contain.

Conclusion

Bongo Cat can become much easier to use once the right fixes and tools are in place. On Linux, the bridge setup addresses the black background, keyboard input outside the game window, and mouse interaction, while the backup provides a way to restore a working configuration if something goes wrong.

AutoCat tackles a different problem: repetition. Its clicker, reusable emotes, gift collection, duplicate exchanges, Insta Gift system, chest stacking, and temporary cosmetic options handle many of the tasks that otherwise require constant manual input.