You Got Your Dream Pet, Now What?

This is exactly the feeling I had after my friend gifted me my long awaited dream pet of a Draik. For years I had sought to achieve the prestigious pet, but after I did my Neo life felt pointless in comparison. In the end, I traded away what was once an expensive pet, for what some might consider the ugliest, a Moehog. Doing so, I learned an important lesson: it’s not what kind of pet you have, but what you do with that pet that counts. Here is a list of what you can do with your new pet to make the most out of owning it.

1) Customization

If you have been on Neopets for as long as I have, or like a day, you have probably noticed the nifty, not-so-new feature of customization. Using it people have turned even their plain basic colored pets into beautiful pieces of art! There are many clothes for you to buy in Neopia, and though you can find wearable items for sometimes as low as one Neopoint, many cost hundreds of thousands. After working hard for your dream pet, you might find another challenge in creating and buying the perfect customization to complement it. Even if you are broke after achieving your dream pets, a simple customization can go a long way to help you appreciate it. After or during the design process, you can even head down the customization Neoboard to discuss the aspects of your Neopets outfit and brag.

2) Beauty Contest

Perhaps you are too broke to customize your new Neopet, or if you would rather turn your Neopet into a literal work of art, then the Beauty Contest is for you. Simply draw your Neopet, submit it, and wait until Friday rolls around. Then you can either sit back and hope for the best, or head over to the art board to advertise your entry. If you choose the latter, you will find yourself amongst talented Neopian artists who are vying for your vote just as much as you are theirs. This event will continue all week, when you can either submit an entry again, choose not to participate, or if you are lucky, win! In which case your pet will achieve a nice, shiny trophy for their look-up.

3) Pet Spotlight

Competition with others can be intense, and sometimes you just need a break from it. In that case you might enjoy showing off your snazzy Neopet in the pet spotlight! Submit a drawing and story about your pet, and they could be chosen to get featured in the pet spotlight. The quality of your art doesn’t mean as much as showing that you put effort into your entry. To improve your chances of getting in, you might want to submit your entry around your specific pets day. For example, if you have a Wocky, enter your Wocky into the pet spotlight before Wocky day. Even if you don’t win though, you can still use the drawing and writing of your pet on their pet page!

5) Pet page

Take a break from competition altogether and design something that is just for your Neopet: a pet page! Designing a pet page for your pet can be surprisingly easy, and a good way to help bring your new pet to life. Many other pet pages offer html help specifically geared at helping beginners put together the pet page of their dreams. You can even find pre-made layouts that all you need to do is fill in your pets information! Putting together a pet page will make you feel like your pet isn’t just any other Neopet, it is your Neopet. The creativity exhibited in many pet pages shows off the Neopet owner’s skills and dedication to their pet.

4) Battledome

At this point there is someone reading this list frowning, because they don’t have a creative bone in their body. For those of you who don’t want to dabble in any creative pursuit, worry not: the Battledome is in your favor. Does building your pets stats at training schools located around Neopia, saving up for legendary equipment, and challenging other Neopets to battle sound cool? Well then you should try out the Battledome! By training your pet, you can potentially defeat opponents and earn items. Furthermore, you can challenge your Neofriend’s pets to battle, or if they are uninterested, head down to the Battledome board to find a challenger there. Training your Neopet can be quite time consuming and pricey, but if you are looking for a lofty goal with your Neopet, this is definitely a pursuit to try out.

6) Petpets

Even if you find none of the above activities a worthwhile idea, investing in a good petpet for your pet is the least you can do. Petpets range from cheap to expensive, and finding the perfect one could be a nice new goal to set for yourself. Look through all of your options, find one that suits your pet perfectly, and come up with a good name. If you are feeling particularly strongly about the petpet you have chosen, there is even a spotlight for your petpet too! And let’s not forget about petpetpets…

7) Books and Food

Do you enjoy feeding your pet by hand? Or the simple pleasure of reading it a book? Or maybe you just like ticking things off of a long list? That might mean that you should look into buying your pet gourmet foods or books! Every time you read your Neopets a book their intelligence goes up, and if you somehow manage to read almost 3,000 books to your pet, your pet could even be in the running for an award! Similarly, by feeding your pet foods with a rarity between 90 and 100, your pet could obtain an award for eating! How great is that?

8) Enjoy

At the end of the day, don’t forget to enjoy owning your dream pet. Pat yourself on the back for saving for it, trading for it, or taking time out of your day to thank the Neofriend that gifted it to you. Show it off around the Neoboards, brag a little, read it a book or two, or give it a toy. No matter what your dream Neopet is, the effort you put into earning it makes it a feat worth being proud of. At least in Neopia, that is!