Royal Pet Ownership

Becoming a Royal pet is more complicated than visiting the Rainbow Pool with a paintbrush in hand. There are some lifestyle changes that need to be anticipated and prepared for, such as the intensive grooming regime, busy social life and the acquirement of suitably monarchical items. For your Lady, Lord, Prince or Princess to fit in with their peers they should brush up on their etiquette and read the following guide . . .

Grooming

Grooming should feature highly on a Royal Pet's daily routine as it takes a lot of work to stay in prime condition. A Royal should present a look of effortless beauty and grace, which can be achieved in different ways depending on the species. If you visit the Grooming Parlour, the friendly Usul shopkeeper is sure to advise you on which product suits your pets' hair or skin type.

As a brief overview those with fur and manes will need shampooing, conditioning and brushing with stray hairs fixed in place with elegant adornments such as the Water Faerie Hair Clip.

King Altador even released a brush to celebrate Neopia's 10th birthday and there is a brush specifically for Royal Girl Scorchios. Make sure to brush your pet's hair every day - if you work hard enough their hair could be as elegant as Lady Osiri's.

Scales and skin will benefit from soap and gentle sponging or brushing. There are now so many deluxe soaps on the market for your pet to choose from: Lavender, Cucumber, Herb Infused, Coconut or even Honey. Whichever they pick they're sure to smell great.

A touch of subtle make-up will enhance your pet's natural beauty and a squirt of some sweet-smelling perfume before they go out the door will ensure they turn heads. Princess Amira and the Faerie Queen both have their own special scents available for purchase so you can even smell like royalty!

There are a multitude of compacts available to be kept in pockets for quick checks before greeting other Royals - you wouldn't want to get caught with spinach in your teeth or a hair out of place.

To the onlooker it may seem that royalty look good in any situation – the truth is that they always have a bottle of Fyoras Magic Hairspray handy. Don't let your pet leave the Neohome without it!

Clothing

When garment shopping for your Royal look out for capes such as the Elegant Princess Amira Cape and the Luxurious Purple Cape. These fine items both look fantastic and are practical as they protect clothing underneath.

When painted with a Royal paint brush every species, except the already adorned Peophin, receives a majestic headpiece. These range from crowns and tiaras to circlets and conical hennins.

If you can't afford tailor-made outfits for your pet, there are a number of off-the-peg designs that have the expected flair and attention to detail. As you would expect most of these are species-specific to flatter different shapes but there are some that suit everybody. Whilst your pet gets to grips with their new Royal look a few basic outfits will tide them over whilst they develop their own individual style. The Fancy Brightvale Gown and the Fancy Pink Gown both have the expected level of finery with the added benefit of a loose fit and adjustable belt to cope with all those banquets . . .

For boys the Ornate Fur Trimmed Robe will certainly give your pet a regal air or alternatively the Regal Black Robe will not only impress but serve as protection against any ne'er-do-wells.

Even a simple frock can be made to look special with the right accessories. A subscription to Neopian Fashion Trends Magazine will help give you and your pet ideas on how to put together the perfect item. You can't go far wrong with something refined yet simple such as the Pink Tiara or for the more natural look the Koi Shell Tiara.

Background/Foreground:

To set the scene there are a number of locations fit for a King or Queen. There are castles situated in Meridell, Maraqua, even in the clouds! You can use a Usuki Dream style castle, or for spookier pets Hubrid's 'Nox Castle Silhouette Background'.

There are currently nineteen Throne type backgrounds and items ranging from floral to pirate, including the Throne Rooms of King Roo, Prince Jazan and King Skarl. Princesses may want to sit in the Enchanted Tower and wait for their Prince while wearing their Tower Princess Wig. If none of those appeal you can use the Royal Box Foreground to give a sense of occasion.

Petpets

Petpets are a must-have companion for the aristocratic pet. They can be a loyal and true friend, keeping secrets and helping them cope with the stress of royal life – although this does depend upon the temperament of the individual petpet.

If you choose to use a Royal Petpet Paint brush their miniature friend will be wearing the sort of attire one would expect to see on a Royal Pet's companion. There will be a plethora of crowns, tiaras, and fur lined capes.

There are currently 29 Petpets that can be painted Royal, these include: Razumi, loyal Petpets that love to bring items to their owner; Gallion who love to be the centre of attention; adorable Seece and the sleepy yet regal looking Mauket. This writer would advise against a Sludgy if you want to display a professional appearance and keep your Neohome slime free.

As with your pet, they will be accustomed to the finer things in life and you may find yourself having to provide extravagant items to keep them happy. For example plush beds, bathtubs, play equipment and toys. The Luxury Castle Petpet Bed is sure to make them feel at home, there is even a Regal Litter Tray (Which will be emptied by the staff of course). Scratching posts are a must for petpets with claws to prevent them damaging the furnishings in your pet's palatial Neohome.

Food

Royalty love to have banquets - tables heaving with many wondrous delights. King Skarl is known for his appetite and often enjoys medieval meals including marrow, cheese and meats covered in rich gravy. Turtum Shell Salad is one of the gourmet foods from Meridell. Gourmet foods have a rarity of between 90 and 100 and pets with a record for eating a diverse assortment gain a trophy.

Gourmet food eating is an acceptable hobby for royals; it mixes fine dining with spending extraordinary amounts of neopoints!

Kelp Restaurant is the place to be seen in Maraqua. This exclusive restaurant offers fine dining away from the riffraff.

Toys/Instruments

A well balanced pet is expected to learn at least one instrument, it is said to be good to give them something to practice improving and will provide a charming show piece at social gatherings, if they play well that is. Music created by Royals should be of the classical variety so try to avoid Accordions and percussion instruments like Drums. Harps, Violins and the Piano are favoured instruments.

If your pet starts to moan about having to practice and neglects their lessons try taking them to the Neopian Philharmonic Orchestra for inspiration, they play in the Tyrannian Concert Hall on the 2nd of each month.

Suitable Toys for young Prince and Princesses may include Meridell and Brightvale Castle Building Blocks, a Royal Gelert Yoyo or plushie forms of King Kelpbeard, King Roo and even the fearsome King Terask who features in Neoquest II. If the weather conditions are suitable allow your pet outside to play with the Royal Uni Kite, just be sure not to get to close to the turrets! Another outdoor activity is archery - King Altador has even seen fit to endorse this pastime by producing his own archery set.

Books

A well-read pet is a respected pet. A broad range of subjects should be covered from the history of Neopia and Kreludor to Science and Mathematics. Your pet should be familiar with classics such as Cybunny Down and A Tale of Two Lupes. There are a number of books in publication to ensure your pet is up to date on the who's who in Royal circles such as A History of Royal Scorchios, Qasalan Royal Lineage and The Marriage of Prince Jazan. A working knowledge of these tomes will ensure you pet can keep up in conversation with other Royals.

In order to understand the Royal mind-set there are a couple of titles that describe what it is really like. These include Being a Princess, The King of the Desert and The Mighty Royal Uni book.

Society

Simply being painted Royal isn't enough – no matter how regal your pet looks, if they don't have someone to vouch for their credentials, they won't be accepted into Society. The best way to achieve this is to find befriend an established Royal who can then introduce your pet to others.

A good place to start is a game of Cheat! Not only will this help your pet learn to control their emotions and present a regal air they will also meet Princess Fernypoo. Away from the competitive Cheat! circuit Princess Fernypoo is rumoured to be much more approachable. If your pet shows they've put in the effort to learn her beloved game the Princess may well decide to take them under her wing and introduce them into society. A similar approach is to attend a few Dice-a-Roo tournaments - your pet is bound to run into King Roo at some point and this genial fellow will gladly accept the company of someone who shares his love of dice.

If your pet isn't particularly interested in games there is another, slightly more risky, approach. This involves trying to make friends with Nabile. The risky part is that whilst she is of Royal descent there are those who look down on her lowly origins and association with thieves. The advantage of a friendship with Nabile is that she knows exactly what it's like trying to fit in as an outsider and her experience will be of great value to your pet.

When your pet is still learning Royal etiquette it is important they don't aim their sights too high. Rushing over to talk to Queen Fyora without an introduction is likely to lead to an awkward snub and it will take a long time for your pet to recover from such a social faux-pas. Likewise not all Royals are equal and striking up an acquaintance with King Skarl won't help you to mix with the likes of King Altador or King Hagan.

Hopefully this guide will help you and your pet make the transition into Royal circles. If your pet can master the basics of this guide they will have more confidence when meeting other Royals as they will look the part and be able to carry a conversation. This will help them to relax and their inner majesty will shine through.