I'm playing a class with a animal companion for the first time. My cat companion just died, and I have chosen to bring in a mastadon it will be level 4. Any suggestions for feats, tricks and equipment would be awesome.
Picking up a few Dire Collars is always nice http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/dire- collar
Oh thats nice I like it any other ideas out there?
I recommend you put your 4th-level ability score increase for your pet into Constitution. That will raise it up to 14 for extra HP and For save. Also see if your race has a favored class option for animal companions; it might be worth it.
I recommend putting the attribute increase into Intelligence.
At 3 intelligence you animal companion is no longer limited to Tricks and can pick any feat or skill they/you want.
So, you could put one of it's skill points into Linguistics and have it learn your favorite language. It wouldn't be able to speak it (without magic) but it could understand you just fine and follow more detailed or complicated instructions, and could even communicate back in some sort of elephantine sign language or audible code.
Advanced Class guide:
Feats:
Spirit's Gift-Choose Life spirit, your animal companion now has Fast Heal 1!
Evolved Companion-Your animal companion gets an evolution point to play with, I would increase its natural attack dice...
If you don't choose Mastodon, and go with Dog or Cat instead...
Advanced Race Guide:
Feat:
Huntmaster (Human)-Adds one level to Animal Companion.
Also, get Mithril Chain Shirt barding.
Increasing your Animal Companions INT gives it access to all kinds of Feats, totally worth it.