Do We Really Treat Neopets Like They’re Neopets?

Neopets aren’t real. I only feed them to keep them from making those faces, but I don’t groom or play with them – Newbie

What would be the point of joining a website about virtual pets if you don't want to take care of them? – 47 months

The point of the site, in my opinion, is to earn NP. – 35 months

I spend lots of time making neopoints, and I usually hoard it all, but I save up to get stuff to for my pets. – 53 months

My pets are fine. They’re fed and are happy, but I make neopoints and chat mostly. – 7 months

The older Neopians (47 and 53 months) seem to care about their pets more than the younger ones. I’m not saying that a person has to spend every single minute with their neopet, but they should be played with and groomed as well as fed. It scares me to think about how the people who neglect their neopets treat actual animals. I admit I’m happy to know that there are pets out there that are fed, but I don’t think they should remain bored. Ever hear the saying, “treat others as you want to be treated?” This applies to neopets as well. If your parents didn’t have to take care of you, does that mean they shouldn’t? No, and the same goes for your pets. Even though you don’t have to, take care of your neopets.

There are a few myths about taking care of neopets, but they are still common.

Myth 1: Neopets want expensive things and expect to be pampered.

This is very untrue. If neopets wanted expensive things all the time, they wouldn’t eat omelettes or play with keyrings. If they expected to be pampered, they would constantly complain when we don’t pay attention to them and beg for paintbrushes, which they don’t. Neopets don’t care how cheap or expensive an item is as long as they can use it. They don’t care what color they are when they’re created. In fact, most neopets care more about their color when they’re painted rather than when they’re unpainted unless it’s like one of the four basic colors (ex. pink). For example, a mutant pet looks scary and could have a hard time making friends while a green or purple pet could have a big group of friends. The sayings, “beauty is only skin deep” and “beauty lies within” apply to every neopet in Neopia.

Myth 2: Neopets are just decorations for user lookups.

If that were true, children would just be things to keep parents from getting bored. Neopets are not there just to “look pretty” on your user lookup. They’re there to be taken good care of. If you want decorations for your user lookup, find a petpage that offers premade ones or make one yourself. Whatever you do, don’t use your precious neopets for decorations. They’re not!

Myth 3: Neopets can’t die, so there is no point in feeding them.

Well, part of this isn’t a myth. Truthfully, neopets can’t die. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to overlook them. Would you want your parents to neglect you just because you were incapable of dying? Of course not! And there actually is a point in feeding and playing with your pet. Those sad, crying faces neopets make are so cute, any person with a heart would feel guilty for neglect their pet. If your pet is painted, there’s a rare random event that could turn it blue, red, or invisible. Nevertheless, all pets, painted or unpainted, should be well-taken care of.

Myth 4: Neopets try to be manipulative by making those sad faces.

This is one I haven’t heard in a while, but I’m sure it still exists. Think about real life animals. Doesn’t a cat meow when it’s hungry? Doesn’t a dog whimper when it’s frightened or lonely? Think about yourself. Don’t you become upset when you’re ignored? None of that is being manipulative. If it was, everyone on Earth would be spoiled. If you hate those sad faces, take care of your neopets. Do it, not only to keep those tears and frowns away, but also to see those sweet smiling face. Even grey neopets can be happy!

In your opinion, it may not be cruel to neglect your neopets, but in the opinion of many elder Neopians, it truly is. You don’t have to spend twenty four hours a day, seven days a week with your pets, but surely you can find at least ten minutes in the day to feed and play with your pets. They need you to take care of them, even though they are unable to say it. The inability to talk is no reason for neglect.

I get pleasure from taking care of my neopets. You don’t have to spoil and pamper them. Your neopet probably doesn’t care about the amount of toys it has or how much gourmet food (even royal pets might not!). From what I know, all neopets care about is being loved and well-taken care of. My neopets don’t have fancy possessions, but are very happy with what they do have. What every neopet wants most of all is the love and caring attention of their owner. You can buy your neopets all the fancy items in Neopia and, although they’ll appreciate it, they probably won’t care about fanciness as much as they care about your love.

So go ahead and feed your neopet. Play with it, groom it and take it for a walk. Do whatever you want except be neglectful of them. Love is the best gift any neopet can receive from their owner.