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PETS PAGE - A friend and I were talking about Neopets the other day, a usual topic
of conversation for us. Along the way my friend said something like, "Your pets
are cool. They have personality."
This statement set me to thinking. "Don't all pets have personality?" Instantly
I thought of how many pets there are in Neopia. Then I thought of how many pets
(besides my own and those of friends) that I could think of based on the personality
their owners gave them alone. I came up with about three.
After thinking of those three pets, I wondered why all pets don't have a personality.
You see, there are many advantages of having a pet that has a personality. Quite
simply, personalities make your pet special. They make it stand out. That's
right! Your pet doesn't need to be painted to be the talk of Neopia. If your
pet has a personality, people will feel like they know your pet, and because
of that they'll remember you and your pet longer.
But wait, it gets even better! When you know your pet's personality you are
more likely to be happy with that pet and less likely to put it in the pound.
"That's all well and good," you may think. "But how do I give my pet a personality?"
Well, let me tell you. Creating a personality for your pet is as easy as falling
off a log, and usually a bit less painful.
First, think of your pet. What kind of pet is it? Is it a canine-like pet,
like a Lupe or Gelert? Or is it a rodent-like pet, like an Usul or a Meerca?
Think of a real animal that your pet resembles, and think of some of the habits
of those animals.
I'll use my Cybunny for an example. Cybunnies, of course, resemble the rabbits
and hares of our world. Well, what things do rabbits do that I could work into
the life of my Cybunny? Rabbits like to chew. This can be trouble, especially
if the bunny lives in the house. I have a NeoHome that my Cybunny lives in.
What if my Cybunny chews on the furniture and successfully ruins each new sofa
I bring in?
See, he's starting to stand out already.
What else do rabbits do? Hmmm, they eat greens. I have a NeoHome garden. What
if my Cybunny likes to eat my garden as well as my furniture? What if my garden
consists only of Rock Trees because that's the only thing my Cybunny won't eat?
Sounds like my Cybunny is getting to be a handful!
Going along with the pet species theme, break a stereotype. Unis are said
to be vain. What if your Uni is smelly? Grarrl and Skeiths are said to be bullying
and mean. What if you have a Grarrl that's afraid of its own shadow? Or a Skeith
that helps little old Faeries cross the street?
Furthermore, think of items and foods your pet does and doesn't like. For
example, I once met a Kyrii that hated the item Red Short Hair Brush. "Get that
Red Short Hair Brush away from me!" it would bellow loudly. Do you have a pet
like that? Then there's a little bit of your pet's personality shining through,
and you didn't even have to think all that much! With a little more effort you
can even carry the pet's personality a tad further by asking why. Why is your
pet afraid of the hair brush? To answer this, relate! Why would you be afraid
of a hair brush? What if you got one caught in your hair in a rather embarrassing
manner? Maybe your pet got one stuck in his bushy hair once and was laughed
at all up and down Mystery Island and is afraid to ever touch one again. Or
maybe your pet is bald and begrudges anyone that has hair, and so he hates haircare
items, including (but not limited to) Red Short Hair Brushes.
Names. Names can help determine personality. Take Bright_Freitag, my Kougra.
To me, the name sounds hopeful, innocent, and possibly somewhat naïve. Well,
that pretty much summarizes Freitag's personality. Or Hayama_Monster, my Ixi.
He's rather anti-social and comes across as a pretty grouchy character, fitting
with his name. If your pet has a name like NCC25987_Neo, you still have possibilities.
Maybe your pet was part of an experiment gone wrong, with NCC standing for Neopia
Conquered for Chias, and it was made to destroy all Lupes from off the face
of Neopia. Then again, maybe that was your pet's ID number while it worked aboard
the Starship: Neopia. And if you feel like you can do nothing with your pet's
name, then you can always give it a nickname that you feel is fitting. For that
matter, give it a nickname anyway. It can't hurt, and it might help.
Another useful step when making a personality for your pet is to think of
people you know or characters in fiction that you find interesting. Be observant
of people. What does a certain person do that you like, or what do they do that
annoys you? This person doesn't necessarily have to be entirely agreeable, mind.
My Acara is partly a result of having a bossy, overbearing roommate who loudly
proclaimed almost any random thought that came into her mind, quite to my chagrin.
If your pet is the villain type, then think of all those antagonists on TV
or in books (or in life, even) that you love to hate, and give your pets some
characteristics from that person. But don't make your pet a copy of that person!
That takes away all the uniqueness of your pet and leaves it basically as flat
as what it was when you started (at least to you).
Lastly, another method is to simply attach some random bizarre characteristic
to your pet and have fun with it. Maybe your pet kicks things when it's angry.
What trouble can ensue from that? What if your pet is a pathological liar? Or
how about a pet that has multiple personalities? The possibilities are endless.
There you are. Personalities aren't all that hard to come by. All it takes
is some thought, some observation, and a sense of humor. Now comes the fun part.
Go out and make your pet memorable. Give it a personality!
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