The Xweetok: a Guide to Caring for this Adorable Pet

The first thing you notice when you look at a Xweetok is its silky fur. This long coat is very important, for it enables the Xweetok to survive in cold weather and also protects it from the scorching summer sun in places such as the Lost Desert and Tyrannia. If a Xweetok’s fur is left neglected, it will become tangled, matted, and dull, making the Xweetok unhappy. It is necessary to groom them at least once a week to ensure that they are comfortable. For the body and tail, you can use a red, green, or blue long hair brush. Use careful strokes that extend from the neck to the tail, but try to apply little pressure to ensure that the skin underneath won’t be scratched. Your Xweetok may also enjoy a light massage with a pea comb, which also helps remove unnecessary hair. Xweetoks are usually not very picky about being pampered, so for the face and feet, you can use a cheap comb, such as an Illusen’s comb, but for the wealthy owner a dual Kyrii comb is much better. The Xweetok’s hair remains the same length throughout the year; so trimming is unnecessary and increases the chance of hurting your pet. Because of their high metabolism, they can get a bit crabby when forced to sit in one place for too long; therefore, any other type of grooming (example: makeup, nail varnish, dressing them up, long baths) might make them unhappy. Another necessary procedure to maintain a glistening coat is a bath. Most Xweetoks loathe water, so make bath time more enjoyable with some entertaining bath toys or sponges! Also, try to make it as quick as possible and avoid the face and ears. Xweetoks have a natural instinct to clean their faces after every meal, so you can skip this area. Some soaps and bubble baths may irritate their skin, so it is best to just rinse them with water, working your hands though their wet fur to loosen dirt and oils. Another clever way to get them clean is to provide a pond in your neohome garden. Because their natural habitat is the outdoors, falling water can be very enticing to them. Sometimes they will bathe themselves if given the opportunity, so don’t have a Corrupted Pond in your backyard if you own one of these fuzzy pets!

The next thing you probably see are those huge eyes that are constantly alert, following every movement and always on the lookout for predators. If your Xweetok complains of having trouble seeing or reading, you may want to get them a pair of glasses. There are many different styles of glasses to chose from, such as the adorable heart shaped glasses, so let your Xweetok choose the one that lets them express themselves. Another way to help your Xweetok’s eyes is to feed them some of the many carrot items available. Carrots are full of Carotene, which helps pets see better in the dark. Because they are vegetarians who forage for food, it is easy to integrate this orange eye helper into their diet. Xweetoks love to read almost as much as they love to scamper through the trees with their Usul and Yurble friends, so on a rainy day, help them to take advantage of their large orbs by buying fun books for them. Besides giving them something to do, books make Xweetoks very intelligent, giving them better grades in neoschool. Their favorite novels are stories about adventure; keep this in mind when you go book shopping.

The other striking features of a Xweetok are its teeth and claws. These help fend off attacking predators, such as Lupes and Hissies. They also help the Xweetok eat its food, dig burrows or holes in trees, and gather tasty roots from deep within the often frozen ground of their natural habitat. Their nails are retractable, so they won’t cause damage to your furniture with a little bit of training. Because they like to climb, you can get them a scratching post, which will help keep their nails healthy and will make your Xweetok much happier. In the wild, they use their claws to climb trees and dig, wearing them down, but in a neohome they will grow, and it is necessary to trim them about every three months, or when the nails begin to curl. This can easily be done with some Kougra or Fyora nail clippers, but don’t cut them too low, or this will cause the Xweetok minor pain. On the other hand, a Xweetok’s teeth need nightly maintenance with a toothbrush and toothpaste. A Xweetok will do this by themselves if given the necessary tools, but you can encourage them even more by letting them pick out a brush and paste that they like best.

A Xweetok’s ears are the easiest part of a Xweetok to take care of. After a Xweetok spends a day at the park or an afternoon romping around in the forest, you should do a quick check for foreign objects in their ears by gently grasping the outer flap and pulling it back, exposing the inner ear. Also, avoid loud concerts or noises, as this may damage a Xweetok’s sensitive hearing.

The inside of a Xweetok is just as important as the outer appearance. In order to keep you fuzzy friend in its prime, provide it a nourishing diet of fresh, organic vegetables, avoiding gross foods and meats. Although they are omnivores (able to eat vegetables and meat) they would much rather have broccoli than a Blumaroo steak. Also, make sure to always have a supply of fresh water available for them. If your Xweetok contracts some sort of illness, treat it as soon as possible either by buying the medicine, or repeatedly taking it to the water faerie until it is fully healed. If an illness is prolonged, side effects can be: lack of interest, lethargy, and loss of appetite, making a very unhappy Xweetok.

Besides keeping your Xweetok healthy, there are many ways to keep it happy. They love to spend time outdoors, so try to provide them with a garden or take frequent excursions outside. There are plenty of things to do, such as Mystery Island tours, Merry-go-round rides on Blumaroo Island, fishing in Maraqua, visiting Coltzan’s shrine in the Lost Desert, and playing Kacheek Seek in Neopia! A Xweetok also enjoys a hug and being petted, especially around their ears. This helps increase the bond between Xweetok and owner; therefore this should be done as often as possible.

If you aren’t with your Xweetok very often, or just want to make it happier, you can buy them a petpet. There are hundreds of these little creatures, so let your Xweetok pick one out for themselves, or surprise them with a pet of their own for a special occasion. For even more fun, you can purchase a petpetpet, but beware, if you remove a petpet with a petpetpet attached, the petpetpet will disappear! If you are gone for a long time, put your Xweetok in the Neolodge to ensure that it will be well fed.

If you enjoy the Battledome, a Xweetok will be your best sidekick. They enjoy battling, and with a little training and some Xweetok battle items, they can make worthy opponents.

Last but not least, if you own a Xweetok and are proud of it, or want to show your love of the adorable pets, you can use the default avatar by going to chat preferences and selecting it from the drop-down list. Because the Xweetok has just been discovered, this is all I can tell you about the cute pet, but you will soon be hearing much more about the fifty-first neopet in the neopets news! Remember, a Xweetok is not a toy; they are loving little creatures that come with responsibilities, so think twice before creating one!

Note: This is my first article; I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks to all the people on the avatar boards who inspired me, your thoughtfulness is really appreciated!