Cover Your Cough - 9 Ways of Avoiding the Neoflu

1 - Don't eat anything you find off the floor – If your pets are like mine, they're finding foods off the floor all the time. In fact, one time, my pet found a whole turkey dinner off the floor! Hey, that's great, free food, right? Wrong! You don't know where that food has been. That food could be loaded with germs, snot, dung, or anything that your pets stepped in and then walked around with. Sell it, and use those neopoints on quality food from the shops. As an added note, it is especially wise to avoid avoid dump diving for similar reasons.

2 - Avoid getting in fights with Meuka – If you hate the idea of being sneezed on, then nothing should make your throat scratchier than the idea of battling Meuka himself. It takes a little more than a sneeze guard to keep yourself clean in a battle against a Meerca made of snot. Doing battle with Meuka is like doing battle with the flu itself. You always end up being covered in it afterwards. So as much as you really want that avatar, wait until flu season is over.

3 - Keep those transparent pets wrapped up – Have you ever imagined what your transparent pet would look like if it caught the sneezles? Being able to see the internal organs of your pet leaves little to the imagination. It's not a pretty sight. Being transparent, they are doubly susceptible to illness. First off, things can easily pass in and out of their bodies, including those germs. Secondly, they are missing half of their internal organs! They have bones, a heart, and a giant purple intestine, and that's it. So suit up! Wrap up your transparent pets tight this holiday season.

4 - Spend more neopoints on your Neopets Vacations – A little goes a long way. Spending a little bit extra each month can keep your pet healthy and happy. Yes, Cockroach Towers is delightfully cheap, but if the cockroaches don't make them ill, the stress from just staying there will. Aside from the obvious bug problems, how often do you think they change the linens there? Choose a hotel with a bit more class; one that you know changes the linens each day and is bug free. All of a sudden, you'll see a whole new attitude towards your pets vacations. Your pets will no longer cling to your feet as you walk away to leave them at their hotel vacation.

5 - Carry hand sanitizer to those Dailies – While the Wheel of Excitement may be run by Faerie magic, the Wheel of Monotony is run by pets that regularly use dung as furniture. Do you know how many hands touched your favorite wheel today? The answer may surprise you. Unfortunately, you don't know where they've been, or how many of those pets washed their hands before playing with the wheel, so make sure your pets stay safe this season by carrying hand sanitizer at all times. For apple bobbing, consider investing in and carrying some mouthwash before and afterwards. It sure doesn't seem to me like Bart takes the effort to change the water. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but probably not one covered in muck.

6 - Limit your Lab Visits - A trip to the lab ray can really wear down that immune system. All that stress on your pet can't be good for its health, going in hoping to become that dream colour, and winding up turning from a small Aisha to a giant Skeith. Adjusting to the changes, and the new wardrobe, can be super stressful on a pet that isn't used to it. Not to mention, there are so many dietary changes to adjust to. Your new Skeith pet requires a lot more fiber than that tiny little Aisha. Why do you think they're always eating those precious nonfood items? You might want to avoid the petpet lab ray too. It can be equally as stressful to watch your favorite little petpet turn into a pile of soot as it can to be changed on your own.

7 - Catch some time in the Sun – Vitamin D is necessary for strong bones, healthy teeth, and a healthy immune system, but you certainly aren't going to get enough naturally if you spend your days in Kreludor all the time. If you are really feeling a deficiency in Vitamin D, book some time in the Lost Desert. The sun and the heat will make you feel better in a jiffy. Just make sure to carry enough water with you!

8 - Check the weather reports – Preventing an illness can be as easy as checking your daily news. Be vigilant about checking your local weather, and you won't find yourself stuck in the pouring rain or freezing cold temperatures on what is supposed to be a nice outing. Always prepare for any inevitable change in weather by carrying along extra clothing too. Ten sweaters may seem excessive to all of your neofriends, but it will be well worth it when you are the one not stuck in bed the next day.

9 - Visit your local soup faerie – Nothing makes you feel better on a chilly day than a hot bowl of Minestrone Soup. Prevent the chills this holiday season by keeping yourself warm, outside and inside. If you're lacking in neopoints to make your own, your local soup faerie always has a hot bowl waiting. Just make sure to be choosy about your soups. I hear the vegetable soup is nice, but there always seems to be floating dung in it. Where on earth does she get her soup from?