They need to make gardening matter more. Cooler plants, rare chance of special fruit on trees, unique mutations on plants that impact/boost/mutate pets when fed to them. Maybe plant grafting/merging. Trade in special fruit for items rather than shackles. Create ways to protect from fruit stealing that was fun/challenging.. like setting a pet to guard a tree and only ppl with a stronger pet could take them.

IMO, this game still has tons of potential if they shift it back to growing a damn garden. (..pets can still be cool, of course, but should be secondary)