Dessert Pet Care and You

     Over the years, I’ve owned a number of food based pets- From custard to jelly, and chocolate to biscuit, not to mention fruit Chias and strawberry pets! Even now, I find myself doing research to care for a candy pet. I’ve noticed a number of bad rumors going around about food based pets, and I’m here to clear those up and give you proper tips on the diets, grooming, and care of your food pets! In this article, I’ll be going over the care of Desert based pets! Keep an eye out for a future article on the care of your fruit and veggie pets!

    MYTHS

     First off, let’s dispel those pesky myths about your Desert pets! Some of these can range from silly conspiracies, to downright dangerous practices!

    "Your chocolate/jelly/custard pet will melt if you take it to warm places!" - This just isn’t true! The truth is, Desert pets do have some difficulty in heat, but they don’t melt- Chocolate pets sweat something similar to chocolate sauce, which is where the rumors come from! A chocolate, jelly, or custard pet in hot weather might be noticeably eating more sugary foods, at a high intake. This is because they consume high levels of sugar to maintain their form, and being in the hot weather speeds up their metabolism.

     "Desert/food pets are edible!" - Sorry for all those weirdos (who would eat pets?), but while chocolate pets are made of actual chocolate, it isn’t edible. The chocolate, whipped cream, sprinkles and other treats are all far too strong to be ingested- if you try to take a bite of a chocolate pet, you’re more likely to break your teeth then get something good to bite!

     As for jelly, it’s also inedible, but not for the same reasons! Jelly pet jelly can be poisonous, a defense tactic these pets have developed over the years. Custard pets are also inedible, for the same reason as jelly.

     And of course, this includes biscuit. Biscuit pets seem to follow a similar rule to chocolate pets, but depending on the health of your biscuit pet, it can crumble and even suffer cracks!

     "The chocolate factory is responsible for chocolate pets!" - I have no idea where this myth came from, but again, no it isn’t true. Plus if they did, wouldn’t they sell them?

     "Jelly pets come from jelly world!" - Don’t be silly...they come from the lab ray! Pets made of jelly sure, but an entire world?

     "You shouldn’t feed your Desert pets sweets!" - This myth isn’t just untrue, it’s dangerous! Desert pets’ diets almost entirely rely on sweets, sugar, and of course, chocolate and jelly! Make sure to feed your pets plenty!

     "Biscuit pets aren’t actual food pets!" - Another silly one, but can be dangerous if it causes care to be neglected. Biscuit pets are 100% food based.

     DIETARY NEEDS

     Chocolate pets

     How about we start off with the dietary needs of chocolate pets? As I said, chocolate pets require high levels of sugar and candy. Baked goods, chocolate treats, candy, ice-cream, and slushies can be good examples of this! However, if you live in the haunted woods or closer to there then Neopia central, certain spooky foods can be a good substitute for these foods! Just be careful not to feed them something that bites back.

     As for what not to feed your chocolate pets, there’s a lot! Fish, meat, and anything sugar free can be bad for your pets! While there seem to be some exceptions, such as a Grarrl or Skeith, for the most part these foods can cause sickness in your pets. If you live in Tyrannian, where most of the food is based on meat and fish, I wouldn’t recommend adopting a Desert pet anytime soon.

     As for sugar free foods, these are perhaps the most dangerous for Desert pets! Sugar free foods of any kind often have artificial sweeteners, which can make your pets very, very sick! Wouldn’t wanna risk a hospital visit, would we?

     Jelly pets

     Next up, jelly pet diets! Aside from the same rule as sugar free, most anything can go for a jelly pet! However, while they can eat about anything in a squeeze, it’s recommended you stick to the sugar based diet. This includes fruit and vegetables, to keep your jelly pet wobbly, bouncy, and shiny!

     Custard Pets

     And here we come to our goopy friends, and what to feed them! Custard pets follow a close diet to chocolate pets, which some small differences. You’ve probably noticed of course, custard pets can be sticky and goopy. However, this could be the result of too much warm, spicy, or mild food in their diet. While custard pets don’t melt, their bodies are more sensitive than most food pets- a diet of cooler, or even frozen food (such as slushies and snow food) is recommended for your custard pet.

     Biscuit pets

     These pets can be the most fragile and difficult of the Desert pets, both care and diet wise. Biscuit pets do best with a baked food based diet, some candy and sugar! Fish, meat, and frozen foods are not recommended. All meals should be warm, and fresh. This will help keep your biscuit pet soft to the touch, happy, and mobile.

     GROOMING

     And now for one of the more trickier sections, grooming your Desert pets! "I have to groom them?!" Of course! All pets need grooming! And it’s not standard grooming, either, so let’s get started.

     Jelly pets

     Let’s start with jelly pets, as they’re actually the easiest! Jelly pets simply seem to pick up anything they stick to while out and about, so a simply rinse down in a shower or tub should be plenty for them. This goes for fur, scaled, or any jelly pet!

     Chocolate pets

     A little trickier now. Regular soaps can cause damage to a chocolate pet’s skin/scales/fur, so it’s not recommended! Same goes for tooth paste. While it’s a little more expensive, you can ask specifically for food based grooming items at the grooming parlour! Examples include the peanut butter face mask, vanilla lotion, Chokato soap on a rope, and honey soap! Yes, fruit based grooming products also work. Make sure to rinse your chocolate pet properly, if they have fur properly brush and wipe down thoroughly with a towel after, to make sure no lingering soap remains in the fur, scales, or on the skin.

     Custard Pets

     Surprisingly, another easy one. Custard pets, much like jelly, tend to pick up things in their goopy fur, skin, or scales. However, water nor dust agrees with them, so a simple wipe down with a slightly damp towel until all dirt and grime is eliminated is enough. Follow up with a combing if pet has fur.

     Biscuit Pets

     Perhaps the trickiest of them all. A biscuit pet can be very sensitive, but I’ve found myself a method of cleaning that most often works. Get yourself a sandy body wash, this can be used without getting the pet or wash wet. Rub down gently and carefully, taking your time. Wipe off thoroughly and gently with towel after. If your pet has fur, follow up with sand-away hair gel.

    GENERAL CARE

     Perhaps the most important section of this article! There are a multitude of elements to the general care of these pets, and signs to look for in poor health. Sleeping arrangements, environment, and exercise routine are all important manners in each of these pets.

     Biscuit Pets

     I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, biscuit pets can be the most difficult to take care of when it comes to Desert pets. Biscuit pets cannot survive in the cold, as their bodies get cracked and stale, causing them to lose mobility and even make movement painful for them! Mildly warm climates are recommended for biscuit pets, such as Roo Island and Neopia central! Too warm of a climate can also have the same result as a cold one, so it’s important to find a location with a good mix!

     Another rule about biscuit pets...Keep them out of water at all cost! Rain, baths, pools, etc. are bad news for these sensitive pets! If they must go out in the rain, make sure their body is completely covered with a poncho or coat, rain boots, gloves, etc.

     Sleeping arrangements are recommended with a small personal heater, or electric blanket to keep these pets warm through the night. A warm night’s rest is the key to a bright, chipper, and energetic biscuit pet in the morning!

     Things to look out for: if your biscuit pet starts to show cracks, melty chocolate chips, or stiffness despite following these guidelines, please take your pet to the doctor! It could be a sign of something such as illness or injury, or even stress.

     Chocolate pets

     As long as their dietary and grooming needs are well taken care of, a chocolate pet can be surprisingly adaptable. Aside from locations such as mystery island(small visits are fine) and Moltara, they can live comfortably just about anywhere!

     Recommended sleeping arrangements include plenty of bed space, and easy to clean bedsheets, as risk of sweating in the night has ruined more than one bedspread for my pets! A well ventilated room is recommended.

     Things to look out for: Drooping whipped cream, extreme amounts of sweating when not in high heat, and falling off sprinkles can be bad signs for your pet. Arrange a doctor visit as soon as possible, as this could be extreme stress or even illness.

     Jelly Pets

     The most adaptable of the pets in this article, jelly pets can tolerate any kind of weather! However, it is recommended you supply them with jelly based, or plastic furniture. Jelly pets tend to stick to fabric that hasn’t been treated to accommodate them! While this is standard for most clothing, same doesn’t go for furniture. A bed isn’t so great when you can’t get out of it!

     Things to look out for: Jelly pets can be hard to decipher health wise, but one thing I’ve learned to look out for is clouded jelly. Jelly pets are commonly transparent, so clouded jelly could be a sign of illness!

     Custard Pets

     Cold climates, such as Terror Mountain, are recommended for this pet. They can survive fine in places such as Neopia central and Kiko Lake, but it isn’t recommended they stay outside long in the summer.

     Sleeping arrangements are where things get tricky. Custard pets suffer the same as jelly pets, to a much worse degree. However, items such as the snow chair seem to agree with them, and of course the snow bed! A personal air conditioner, a powerful one, in their room is recommended.

     Things to look out for: Excessive dripping, and extra stickiness. This can be a sign of a fever, or possibly other ailments.

     FINAL WORDS

     And there you have it! Basic care for your Desert pets. I apologize for not including candy, but too little is known about them to add proper care advice to this article. Perhaps in the future, we can give proper advice to caring for these sweet pets!

     In short conclusion: Beware myths, watch your pet’s diet, and make sure to groom and accommodate them properly! Pets aren’t objects to be collected, and you need to think carefully about adopting one of these pets before you do.