A Brain-Free Life of Spardel

Spardels are joyful dog-like little creatures, always ready to play with you and have fun. Their favourite toy is, of course, the super bouncy and super silly Green Spardel Ball, with the image of this lovely petpet’s face printed on it. Do not bother buying any board games for a Spardel unless you don’t mind winning all the time with your little blue furry opponent. Spardels cannot comprehend the rules of the board games and usually swallow the dice, convinced that it’s exactly what the game is about; some owners even reported me that their petpets have eaten the board. Such behaviour may be annoying at times, but when you look into your Spardel’s lovely blue eyes, trust me: you will forgive everything.

This way we have finally reached the topic of food. What do Spardels eat? Well, the answer is simple – everything. Of course, swallowing dice and eating board games is not healthy at all, but Spardels do not seem to take that into account. Some Spardels prefer carpets and rugs, others enjoy eating exotic fruit like Screlons or Icky Fruit – they even swallow the pips. Please be reasonable, however, and try to keep dangerous items out of your petpet’s reach. This includes everything rotten, weapons (Mechaberry Bombs in particular! You wouldn’t want your Spardel to explode, would you?) and potions (the morphing and transmogrification potions as well).

When visiting the Petpet Supplies shop, do not forget to get your Spardel a Blue Spardel Bowl – it costs only 555 NP and will bring the petpet a lot of joy. If you are ready to spend a bit more, you could also have a look at the Spardel Print Sleeping Bag - your petpet will sleep snug and warm inside it. Spardels often snore, but YOU do not mind, do you? After all they are... they are just so adorable!

If you can spend some neopoints on a Maraquan Petpet Paintbrush and paint your Spardel, you will become a proud owner of a... um... cool-looking big-eyed fish with its tongue sticking out... Um... It is really good-looking! Well, maybe not really THAT good-looking... Maybe it’s not even cute at all. Forget what I said. Once you get a Spardel, just forget that the Maraquan Petpet Paintbrush even exists!

Now, look at your Spardel’s lovely blue eyes... Well, it is true that each of its eyes looks in a different direction, but isn’t it cute? There are always two different images going straight to its br... um... empty cute head. One problem, though, is that a Spardel can only see objects placed to its right and to its left – it cannot see things that are straight ahead. For that sole reason (yes, the only reason – the lack of brain has nothing to do with it!) Spardels sometimes collide with other petpets or even trees, so do not forget to place a Herder Paddock in your Neogarden (actually, you could win one in an AAA challenge in March) – it will make the garden a safe place for your petpet.

Do not forget to get some grooming items for your Spardel. Let us start with a shampoo to keep its fur neat and clean: you could use either a Herbal Shampoo or a Super Shiny Shampoo. Some Spardel owners also claim that the Doglefox Shampoo works just as well, but I must admit that I have never tried. I have, however, tried the normal Shampoo, the cheapest one of them all, and after washing my Spardel with it, its fur... well... my Spardel became hairless – yes, BALD! So better pay a little bit more and be sure that your Spardel won’t end up like mine, at least you will still be able to use a comb and have fun.

As for the comb, there are a few really nice ones available in Neopia and they are very cheap – actually, you do not even have to buy them, just answer a question at the Lunar Temple and you might be lucky enough to win one! The ones you can win are the Snazzy Moon Comb and the Golden Moon Comb – the latter is truly adorable, so what are you waiting for?

For all you Spardel fans out there, there are many Spardel-themed items in Neopia so you can finally start your collection! A ‘must-have’ is certainly the Blue Spardel Tent which you can get for approximately 1200 NP and, of course, the book entitled ‘Caring for your Spardel’ which describes everything any responsible owner needs to know about looking after those lovely petpets – you can grab it at the Bookshop. The Toy Shop, on the other hand, offers a Red Spardel Yoyo with moving eyes (no kidding!) and there is a Spardel Plushie waiting for you at the Plushie Palace (did you know that it squeaks when you pull its tongue?). Your Neopets won’t be able to keep the smiles off their faces if you give them a Spardel Balloon together with the plushie.

If you wish to furnish your Neohome Spardel-fashion, visit the Neopian Furniture shop. It offers various Spardel posters, such as the Hugged A Spardel Poster for 609 NP or a bit more expensive Spardels Rule Poster that will certainly make your walls look great. If you prefer paintings, however, you can choose between the Christmas Spardel Painting and the Blue Spardel Painting – a rather unusual artist portrayal of a Spardel, quite expensive, though – you can have it for 3000 NP.

So, now that you know everything about Spardels, visit the Petpet Shop and buy one. I am sure you will love it as much as it will love you. Spardels are a bit naive and very sensitive petpets, so be careful not to hurt their feelings. Never leave them alone in your Neohome and never abandon them; once they get used to you, they will be your friends forever!