Common Petpets and How to Care for Them

Have you ever found yourself struggling to keep your Neopet entertained, while going about your day-to-day business in Neopia? Some Neopets, especially the more intelligent ones, are hard to keep happy because they quickly become bored unless you play with them regularly. But many Neopians have tight schedules and plenty of other things to do, such as restocking or playing games. Fortunately, there exists a simple solution to this common problem: giving your Neopet a pet of its own! Petpets need to be cared for and entertained, just as Neopets do, and this task will keep even the smartest Neopet occupied for hours while you are away.

But perhaps you're on a budget, and you don't want to empty your Neopian Bank account for a cute little critter to keep your Neopet company. It's a good thing, then, that there are a variety of Petpets that are extremely common, and very cheap. But it's important to remember that these Petpets can still be very demanding, despite their low cost. This guide will teach you how to take care of the most common Petpets in Neopia, and help you decide which one of these creatures is right for you.

- SLORG -

Rarity: 45

Price: 3,100 NP

The Slorg is found all over Neopia, living anywhere that has plants to eat and a moderate temperature, but they are sold in the Spooky Petpet Store in the Haunted Woods. They are most famous for their voracious appetite, their slime trails and the wide variety of colours in which they can be painted. Slorgs are slow-moving and very messy, but not as unintelligent as they appear. Indeed, they can think of a clever way around any obstacle that stands between them and a tasty leaf. They can even be taught to do tricks for food rewards, providing your Neopet with a huge amount of enjoyment and satisfaction. As well as the challenge of training, a Slorg will offer a lot of love to its owner. Slorgs will eat just about any kinds of grass and leaves, with the notable exception of the Cheops leaf, which is toxic and will make them ill. Most garden plants will suffice; but if you want to give a Slorg a real treat, they love TeaLeeves, which can be obtained for a low price by taking pieces of the leaf from TeaLeef Sandwiches.

- ABOMINABLE SNOWBALL -

Rarity: 45

Price: 500 NP

These little guys are mainly found in the pine forests around Happy Valley, and in the Ice Caves near the Snowager's lair. They feed only on snow and ice, which makes them very easy to cater for as long as you own a fridge. The ideal temperature for an Abominable Snowball to live in is close to the freezing point of water, or zero degrees Celsius - which most Neopets find too cold for comfort. Above 15 degrees Celsius, they will start to suffer from heat stress (melting), and will need to be transferred to a cooler or a refrigerator immediately. As a result, this Petpet is ideal for Neopets who prefer cold climates. (The exception is an Abominable Snowball painted in the colour Fire, which gives the Petpet heat resistance but makes it susceptible to damage by water.) In the right conditions, this little creature will thrive, offering your Neopet plenty of fun. Abominable Snowballs are curious, likeable little chaps that make up for their slightly dim-witted intelligence with lots of love and entertainment.

- SLUDGY -

Rarity: 45

Price: 1,100 NP

Friendly but not at all hygienic, this Petpet is not recommended for any Neopet who does not thoroughly enjoy playing with goo. Similar to the Slorg in a number of ways - their sluggish pace, the messy trails they leave, their abundance in almost all regions of Neopia, and the fact that they stock in the Spooky Petpet Store - there are clear differences between this Petpet and the one described above. While Slorgs are very intelligent, the Sludgy's wit is as slow as its movements; and this Petpet is a lot more gross to handle than the equally jolly Slorg, which may put off some Neopets. Even more off-putting is the fact that they are eager to be handled, and they always seem to want to give their owner a very messy hug. Sludgies are extremely easy to feed, as they will eat just about anything - give them any expired leftovers you have, and they'll be perfectly healthy. But unless your Neopet is one who loves to handle mud and slime, the Sludgy is not an ideal Petpet.

- WADJET -

Rarity: 46

Price: 1,500 NP

This little critter is native to the Lost Desert. The Wadjet is a relative of the caterpillar and loves to climb branches, eat leaves, and curl up around the wrists or neck to give your Neopet the equivalent of a hug. While some Neopets think of Wadjets as "creepy crawlies", they are actually surprisingly cute, particularly as they have a habit of lifting their heads and watching those close by with adorable curiosity. They also love to perch on your Neopet's shoulder and take a ride as the Neopet walks around. They will eat any type of leaf - but unlike the Slorg, the Wadjet is immune to the Cheops Plant's poison, so Cheops leaves can be fed as well. Water is not a problem, because Wadjets can survive solely on the water content of the leaves they eat. They will thrive if left to their own devices in a garden, as long as the temperature is not too cold - but they may get lost this way, so it is best to let them sleep in a large tank with some sand, twigs and stones inside it. The Wadjet is a good companion for inquisitive Neopets who will be entertained by simply holding and watching their Petpet.

- SPYDER -

Rarity: 46

Price: 850 NP

Spyders are extremely common all around Neopia, and stock in the Neopia Central Petpet Shop. Often feared and nearly always misunderstood, the Spyder is not a popular Petpet with most Neopets, mainly because its bite upsets the mind and causes severe nervousness and anxiety. (The antidote to this affliction is Spyder Juice Elixir, which is in fact made from Spyders' webs.) The truth is that Spyders rarely attack unless they are roughly handled, so as long as your Neopet treats them well, there is no reason to fear being bitten. In fact, they are very useful around the house, because they capture and eat small bugs that would otherwise be a nuisance. However, this does not make the Spyder an ideal Petpet, for one simple reason: Spyders are completely solitary, and they will not offer their owners any love whatsoever. No Neopet who wants to stave off boredom will gain any pleasure from looking after a Spyder, because the Petpet will ignore them entirely, concentrating instead on the vibrations it feels through its web as it waits for food. As a result of this, the Spyder is not recommended for any Neopet who desires enjoyment and affection.

- BUZZER -

Rarity: 48

Price: 950 NP

Found in the meadows and plains surrounding Neopia Central, the cheery little Buzzer is an insect-like creature that flits about in gardens collecting nectar from flowers, while making a very loud buzzing sound with their four wings. The wings of a Buzzer beat up to 160 times a second, which is the reason why they make such a distinctive noise. They are so loud that they can be heard from a considerable distance away, but when they are inside a house, the sound of their wings changes as they only cover short distances and no longer have to fight the wind. In flight, they can vary the speed of their wingbeats to produce a series of notes that could (very vaguely) be called music. A Blue Scratching Home is a great place for a Buzzer to sleep - not only is it comfortable, but it also muffles the noise of the Petpet's wings. Buzzers have a great sense of fun, and will play games such as chase and tag with your Neopet as long as there is enough space to run around. They may fly away if a sweet-scented flower in a neighbouring garden catches their attention, but they can easily be lured back home with their favourite food: honey. An ideal Petpet for very young and energetic Neopets.

- ANGELPUSS -

Rarity: 50

Price: 2,100 NP

The Angelpuss is almost always described as "sweet". While there are other Petpets that look cuter than Angelpi, there can be no doubt that an Angelpuss's behaviour is as cute as a Petpet can get. Extremely affectionate and inquisitive, these little creatures will easily win the hearts of most Neopets, especially females and younger Neopets. Angelpi are sold in Neopia Central, but they actually come from Faerieland, where they live in vast numbers on the cloud peaks well away from Faerie City. When an Angelpuss is hungry, it will beg for sweet fruits and candy by sidling up to its owner and mewing quietly while tapping the Neopet's leg. If it wants attention, it will usually take flight, flapping its short wings at high speed, and circle its owner to let them know it's time to play. They love to chase balls of yarn and small bells, which will provide a lot of entertainment for your Neopet as well - and if you give an Angelpuss a basic instrument to play with, such as a set of Mini Metal Chimes, it'll give your Neopet a good laugh as it tries to make some music. When they settle down, they will happily take a nap on your Neopet's lap. Highly recommended for Neopets who want a Petpet with a cute nature and a loveable personality.

- MALLARD -

Rarity: 50

Price: 500 NP

Chattery and friendly, but not very bright, the Mallard is great for entertainment. In the wild, these little creatures are found near the coastline several miles north of Neopia Central, where they gather in colonies of several hundred Mallards and dive underwater to search for food: small fish. In captivity, a Mallard will waddle around behind its owner, occasionally bumping into things, and communicate by clapping with its flippers. When they are hungry, they will make soft clucking sounds and open their beaks, waiting to be given a tasty treat. The Lesser Spotted Fish, Blandfish and other species that are frequently reeled in at the Underwater Fishing Cavern are ideal food for a Mallard, as they will keep it healthy for a very low price. Mallards become stressed out if they are alone, so it is important for your Neopet to spend lots of time with their Mallard in order to keep it happy. The clumsy nature of these Petpets is endearing, as it is hard to prevent your Neopet from letting out a good-natured chuckle when a Mallard trips over its own feet. Their frequent slips and falls do them no harm, but make for good comic relief. Keeping the Mallard itself entertained is not difficult; they enjoy rolling a ball around, and they also like to swim in garden ponds. Neopets with a good sense of humour and fun will surely enjoy the company of a Mallard.

- SCARABUG -

Rarity: 52

Price: 400 NP

Native to the Lost Desert, especially the arid plains north of Qasala, these noisy insects swarm in the hundreds of thousands after the rainy season. Unlike the ordinary scarab beetle - which has plagued Qasala since the return of Prince Jazan, and is now being systematically removed from the city by means of the Qasalan Expellibox - the Scarabug does not typically enter towns and create a nuisance. It lives on the wild grasses and bushes that grow on the sand dunes, many of which are poisonous to Neopets. They are not easy to keep in captivity, since they require a large amount of flying space to stay healthy, and their diet is difficult to satisfy. The best way of keeping a Scarabug is to purchase a large glass tank (which would probably be very expensive), lay down a thick layer of sandy soil and plant the seeds of the grasses that the Scarabug eats, wait for the seeds to sprout, and place the Petpet inside. But allowing your Scarabug to fly free - which it must do if it is to interact with your Neopet, since it only pays close attention to objects within inches of it - runs the risk of the little creature escaping through an open door or window and never being seen again. If you're on a budget, the Scarabug is not an ideal choice.

- COBRALL -

Rarity: 55

Price: 800 NP

These brightly coloured Petpets come from the vast plains to the west of Neopia Central, in areas where wild Negg trees grow. Despite looking like carnivorous snakes, they are actually vegetarians, and they eat many other fruits and vegetables as well as Neggs. Their favourite food is the Heart Fruit, which is quite expensive to provide unless you have a Heart Fruit Tree growing in your garden, but they will eat any type of fruit that grows in the fields around the Neopia Central region. One Negg will keep them satisfied for around two days or so, although smaller fruits need to be fed more frequently. If they are fed too often, they will play with their food rather than eat it; in fact, this can be very entertaining. Give a Cobrall a juicy Negg when it is already full, and it will squeeze the juice into a hollow pocket in the roof of its mouth, then shoot out the liquid with its jaw muscles, reaching a distance of up to ten yards away. In the wild, Cobralls shoot water at their enemies using this system, to frighten them off. But in captivity, they will play this trick as a game, which is very entertaining to watch. The playful Cobrall is a good choice for fun-loving Neopets.

- MAGARAL -

Rarity: 55

Price: 2,000 NP

Magarals live in flocks of a few dozen individuals in the Faerieland Underclouds, a network of caves and passages winding beneath the Faerie City suburbs. Their signature sound is a soft, high-pitched "Mee-meep", which instils panic in some Neopets who confuse it with the much sharper cry of a Meepit. However, the Magaral is no villain; it is exceedingly affectionate and easy to take care of, although it requires quite a lot of love from your Neopet if it is to be the best companion. Because they live in groups, they need to spend plenty of time with their owners if they are to be happy; and if they are left alone too often, they will not be as playful or as eager to engage with your Neopet. As long as a Magaral is well cared for, and if it is offered a lot of affection, it will return your Neopet's love as much as it can with plenty of fun and games, and a very close friendship. If you are visiting a Neopet who owns a Magaral, it is easy to tell how well the Petpet is looked after just by watching it. Recommended for Neopets who have a lot of love to give, and a lot of time on their hands.

- TENNA -

Rarity: 56

Price: 400 NP

The Tenna is found in the swamps between Neopia Central and Kiko Lake. They are very slow-moving, but this is for a reason: their legs are designed to move through thick mud, by stretching and pushing against the ground. If they tried this on a hard surface, they would topple over and not be able to get up again; as a result of their lack of mobility, they often have to be carried from place to place by their owners. Strangely, the struggle to move around is good exercise for a Tenna, and will keep it healthy despite being an inconvenience. Tennae eat reeds and grasses that grow around the edges of Kiko Lake, and need plenty of water to keep them in top condition. The problem with the Tenna is that despite its affection for its owner, it is very difficult to play with because the Petpet is so restricted by its sluggish movements. It will offer company and friendship, but not much entertainment. The Tenna is not ideal for Neopets who have an active lifestyle; but for sedentary Neopets, a Tenna can be a very rewarding companion.

- FLOUD -

Rarity: 57

Price: 2,200 NP

These little Petpets are buoyant in air, which means they will float without having to flap their tiny wings. The wings and fins are for manoeuvring forward and backward, turning, and moving sideways while the Floud is floating in midair. This species is found in Faerieland, particularly around the centre of Faerie City, and they are sometimes spotted by Queen Fyora as they float past the Hidden Tower. The Floud eats sweet fruits, but you must be sure that their food has had no contact with carrots before giving it to the Petpet. Flouds are violently allergic to carrots - even the tiniest amount will cause their bodies to shut down, requiring urgent treatment at the Petpet Hospital in order to save the Floud's life. To prevent this dangerous allergic reaction, the owner must never handle carrots before preparing chopped fruit for a Floud. This quiet Petpet is not very active, preferring to drift gently through the air rather than moving at speed, and generally not interested in high-energy games such as chase. However, they will join your Neopet for more relaxing games like hide-and-seek, and they do offer a good deal of affection.

- SLYMOOK -

Rarity: 60

Price: 2,100 NP

Unlike its cousin the Slorg, the Slymook is not found all over Neopia. It is found only in the Haunted Woods, where it is sold. This is in spite of its superior build, giving it a better ability to negotiate tricky terrain, and a cleaner trail with 20 percent less slime. (It is important to note that since Slorgs produce so much slime, twenty percent of that amount is quite a lot. This will save your Neopet at least some of the work of cleaning up.) The reason the Slymook's range is more restricted is because it eats the leaves of the Clawmatoe Bush, a plant that only grows in the Haunted Woods: if a Slymook does not eat those leaves, it will become ill due to lack of important vitamins that the plant contains. Fortunately, the Clawmatoe is very cheap, and it is sold with the leaves clinging to the fruit; these are easily peeled off, so that they can be fed to the Slymook while your Neopet eats the fruit itself. Other than the dietary requirements, the Slymook is the same as the Slorg in many respects - they are very smart, they can be trained to do tricks in return for food, and they will provide your Neopet with a lot of fun. They cannot be painted in as many colours as the Slorg, however.

- SELKET -

Rarity: 60

Price: 1,200 NP

This burrowing beetle is a relative of the scarab. A Selket cannot be left to roam free in the house or it risks being trodden on, especially if it crawls under a rug; nor can it be left outside, or it will burrow underground and may get lost in the garden. It is best kept in a glass tank, with plenty of soil inside for the little Petpet to dig through. Selkets eat roots and worms, which are easy to provide if you have a garden - the roots of the weeds you pull up, and worms from the compost pile, will be enough to keep your Selket well nourished. This Petpet is not playful, but it can be fun to handle if you like bugs. Young Neopets will enjoy picking up the little Selket and letting it climb over their hand, and if they stroke the Petpet softly while they are holding it, it will make a soft chirping noise to indicate enjoyment. Be warned, though - your Neopet must be very gentle when they give their Selket a pat, or it will respond with a very hard and painful nip from their sharp pincers. If your Neopet is a fan of creepy crawlies, this might be an ideal Petpet.

- STEGO -

Rarity: 60

Price: 400 NP

Stegos are Petpets that have lived for thousands of years in the most rugged Tyrannian terrain, making use of their strong legs and small wings to reach places that are inaccessible for most Neopets. They are omnivores, feeding on leaves, fruits, roots and meat, although they do not need much meat in their diet to stay healthy. The Stego is known to assist the owner of the Tyrannian Food Stall to collect edible plants from hard-to-reach crevices in cliff faces, and from very high rocky outcrops - although it only shares the harvest if it is given its fair share. Blue Toobers are its favourite, and when the Stego finds them, it takes a lot of persuasion to let the Tyrannian Food Stall owner sell them! Given the high price of Blue Toobers, those who are on a budget may wish to feed their Stego with cheaper foods, many of which can be bought for a very low price (Nautilus, Spindly Plants, and Cactopus are good choices). Stegos are extremely energetic and require a lot of exercise as well as a lot of food, so they are very time-consuming to look after. But not only will they offer their owners great entertainment and strong loyalty, their rigorous exercise program might also keep your Neopet healthy as well.

- WARF -

Rarity: 63

Price: 2,200 NP

This Petpet is famously described by The Neopets Team as being "a cross between a thingy, and erm... something else". To me it looks like a cross between a puppy and a beanbag, but it is a very loveable Petpet. The Warf has a very strong instinct for loyalty, and is very loving; and it will enjoy playing games such as chase or fetch. Another thing the Warf is famous for is its cooperation to climb trees and retrieve trapped Kadoaties; Warfs cannot climb trees with their large, flat paws, so instead they climb onto each other and form a teetering tower in order to reach the highest branches. The Warf Rescue Team is constantly in need of new volunteers, so if your Neopet owns a Warf, they may wish to train it to increase its strength and balance, so that it can become a member of the Rescue Team. (It is unlikely that your Petpet will receive much gratitude from the Kadoaties, but at least it will have done a good deed.) Warfs eat scraps of meat; good meals for a Warf include Unidentified Grilled Meat, Sphinx Links and Bronto Bites. This Petpet will provide enough fun and affection for almost any Neopet.

(Note: prices were correct at the time of publication, but they may change over time.)

I hope this article has provided all the information you need about the most common Petpets that can be bought on a budget. I have listed all the ones with a rarity of under 65 for simplicity's sake, but there are many others as well, meaning that your Neopet has no shortage of choice when it comes to choosing a great companion.

And for you, an ordinary Neopian: your days of coming home after a long day to find your Neopet bored and grumpy should soon be over!