The Care and Keeping of Slorgs

So you've gone to the petpet shop and purchased a slorg for your pet (or your pet's brought one home!), now what?

The most basic items you will need to keep a happy slorg are: slorg treats, a slime-proof petpet bed and some slime-proof toys. Avoid cloth bedding and toys at all costs. It would be a complete waste of your neopoints to buy a designer cotton petpet bed, only to have your new slorg soak it through after its first nap! Cloth toys are also a bad idea for the same reason. While slorg slime is water-soluble and washes out of most fabrics with a little soap and water, it can be a real hassle to have to wash toys and bedding every day. Try a hard plastic petpet bed and rubber toys instead. They can be easily rinsed off after use. And don't worry about your slorg's comfort, since their slime acts as a natural cushion.

Slorgs love playing outdoors, especially in grassy areas. But be careful to keep an eye on them or they might glide right out of your yard! Even if you have a fence around your property, you should never leave your slorg outside unattended. It takes much less time than you would think for a slorg to slide up and over a fence.

Unless your slorg has gotten into a mud puddle, there should be no need to give your petpet a bath. They have no fur or hair, so don't need to be brushed (though they do love to be petted!). They don't have nails or claws that need to be trimmed either. Overall, slorgs are extremely low maintenance petpets in the grooming department.

But what about all the slime?

It's true that slorgs leave behind slime trails wherever they roam. Many Neopians cite this as a reason that they are more pest than petpet, but slorg lovers know that slime is a small inconvenience.

It is a good idea to have tile floors in your neohome instead of carpeting for ease of cleaning. Slorg slime is easily wiped up with a damp washcloth or paper towel. Make sure that your walls aren't made of anything porous as well, since slorgs enjoy gliding up walls sometimes.

Many slorg owners bottle slorg slime and sell it for profit. It is a very useful potion ingredient and has a decent amount of demand depending on the season. It is best to keep slorg slime in a glass bottle with a rubber stopper. Cork stoppers are too porous and will allow the slorg slime to dry out in a matter of days. Slorg slime has a shelf life of up to six months if bottled correctly. It should be noted that only clean slorg slime is acceptable as a potion ingredient, and should be free of lint, dirt, grass or any other contaminants. It is also a good idea to measure how much slime is in each bottle before attempting to sell it.

Still other Neopians use slorg slime as a food garnish or light snack. Many slorg-owning Skeiths claim slorg slime is very delicious with a dash of salt or as a spread on toast. It is also often paired with peanut butter and raisins on celery stalks for a more "swampy" version of frogs-on-a-log.

Whatever it is you decide to do with your slorg's trails of slime, just know that it is a manageable aspect of life with a happy little slorg!

So, what about petpetpets?

As with slorgs themselves, there are two schools of thought regarding petpetpets. Some see them as mere pests, while other Neopians have found their petpets actually caring for the little critters and consider them friendly.

Many slorg owners debate over whether or not slorgs are subject to petpetpet infestations. It seems unlikely that any petpetpet would find a slorg's squishy skin and sliminess to be an inviting home. However, there have been reports of slorgs having severe glyme infestations. It seems that glymes have a similar makeup to that of slorgs, and find them to be perfect hosts. While this may be a rare occurrence, it isn't a bad idea to check your slorg once a month for glymes.

If your slorg does manage to get a petpetpet infestation you should wash it with a diluted mix of Petpetpet-B-Gone and water. Unfortunately Petpetpet-B-Gone has a tendency to upset the natural pH balance of a slorg's slime and can make them rather ill. So be sure not to use the product directly on your slorg's skin without diluting it first.

If, however, you don't mind your petpet playing with petpetpets, then you should have nothing at all to worry about.

And what kind of things are neohousehold dangers to slorgs?

Salt should be kept locked away at all times! It is harmful to slorgs as it dries out their delicate skin, and if ingested can do even worse damage to your little petpet. Sharp objects, cleaning supplies and vacuum cleaners should also be hidden away from your slorg, as with any petpet. Also sandboxes are not good places for slorgs to play since the sand might cake to their skin.

But what is the single most important thing about slorg care?

Above all? You should help your pet give your slorg the love and happiness it deserves! Provide your slorg with a loving home and it won't want to stray out of your neogarden. Once a slorg has bonded with its family, it remains a friend for life!