Can an animal companion's support benefit be triggered by a cantrip?

Question

Many of the support benefits contain the condition

"Until the start of your next turn, your Strikes that deal damage to a creature that your companion threatens"

(pp. 215-216).

Strikes are defined as (pg 471)

"You attack with a weapon you're wielding or with an unarmed attack"

implying that only weapon or unarmed attacks count as a Strike, but not spells. Neither the "Cast a Spell" action nor the "Spell Attacks" section indicates that a spell is a Strike, and the Attack tag explains that it could be "a Strike or ... another attack action."

All this leads me to believe that the cantrips available do not count as Strikes for triggering the support benefits of an animal companion. I just want confirmation, or someone to point me to something I may have missed, since this significantly reduces the utility of animal companions for druids, since weapon use is not a strong suit of theirs.

I'm not interested in builds that make this viable (well, I am if it's awesome, but that isn't the purpose of this question) - I am aware of Order Explorer (Wild) and/or Shillelagh making it somewhat viable.

Answer 1

Spell Attacks are usually not Strikes

The sidebar on Strikes states (CRB p. 447)

Strike is an action that has the attack trait and that allows you to attack with a weapon you’re wielding or an unarmed attack (such as a fist).

From the glossary, the Attack trait (emphasis mine)

When a creature tries to harm another creature, it makes a Strike or uses another attack action.

This implies that not all actions and activities with the Attack trait are Strikes. Many cantrips and other spells have the Attack trait, but unless they attack as a weapon or involve an unarmed strike as stated in Strike, they are not Strikes.