Avoiding the Pound: An Owner's Guide

THE POUND -- Often talked about through scared whispers. It is used to strike fear into the heart of neopets everywhere, through Dr. Death horror stories and tales told by campfires. However, the unfortunate truth is that the pound is real, and an issue many pets and owners must deal with. A large amount of Neopians have, at one point or another, considered sending their poor pets to fend for themselves in the dank light of the cold steel cages that make up the pound. I have seen people on the boards dismiss their pets easily, just a click and 250 neopoints gone. Oh, their pets were gone too, no big deal.

It is actually a huge deal. My goal here is to educate Neopians on ways to avoid the dreaded "Abandon" button. I hope everyone can take these words to heart, and think of them when the time comes around and it seems 'appropriate' to abandon their pet. Here is a list of the most common reasons for abandoning neopets, and a way to resolve them.

I don't like my pet's name!

Ah, this is a big deal to A LOT of owners. After all, we work hard playing games, entering difficult contests that require great skill, saving up both neopoints and items, and spending hours in one shop trying to grab items to resell. All to make our accounts perfect and well rounded. Have you seen the time and energy that's needed to design a proper neohome for your pets? Of course, this leads to the issue.

Everyone wants to have a great account in every area, including pets. A pet with a name like Fluffy242472424526, just doesn't fit in to all of that, right? Wrong. Just because your pet doesn't have the best name around, doesn't mean you should just turn your back on it.

A simple solution to this issue is to just give your pet a nickname! If they have a lot of numbers or underscores, ignore them! Instead of calling your sweet pet Fluffy242472424526, just call her Fluffy! Even a name that seems like gibberish can be helped. Maybe you could incorporate parts of your pets personality, like a Battledome- loving night owl could be called Nightmare, or Nocturnus. See how easy that is? You can avoid losing your precious neopet simply by giving them a proper nickname!

I don't have enough money to support all of my pets!

I have heard this before from many young Neopians. It can be hard to earn enough neopoints to take care of your pets. Clothing, Neohomes, food, toys, it all gets very expensive! However, this can be solved pretty easily. First, if you really are that hard on neopoints, then visit the Soup Faerie! If you have under 3,000 NP, your pets can eat for free till they are bloated and can't possibly have another bite.

Of course, there are all the daily links; even if you're feeding four neopets, free omelette and jelly every day goes a long way. Plus, there is always a chance you can get something cool from that sneaky Tombola man, or the Snowager. Just be careful, though; I heard he bites... If you really feel that you cannot take care of your pet, try to play a few extra games, do the daily puzzle, or maybe find a 10k/50k/100k a day guide.

I don't like my pet's species/color!

This is another big issue for owners of all ages. Of course the simple solution to this is to just abandon your neopet and create a new one. But it isn't the most fair solution. You could always buy a morphing potion, to morph your pet from their current species to a new one if you have four pets already.

If you do not have four pets, then don't be shy! Create a new one and paint it the color of your dreams. It seems very silly to just abandon your pet based on species. After all, how would you feel if your caregivers wanted to get rid of you because you don't have a certain color hair? Although buying a morphing potion is pretty steep, save up! Play games, learn to restock. Saving your neopoints for a goal is helpful in that it shows good character and maturity. It can be hard to not blow all your neopoints on something cool, but by restraining yourself you will be greatly rewarded.

I want a new pet!

Well, what's wrong with your old one? Instead of just abandoning your pet, creating a new one, and then abandoning that one, why not work on your current pets? There are SO many different aspects of your pet that you can develop. Perhaps make them a graceful beauty contest winner, or maybe a ferocious Battledome winner is more their type? Whatever you choose to do, your pet will be thankful. After all, that book worm of yours isn't just reading books for the award; he enjoys it too!

I don't like my pet's stats!

This ties in with the previous statement. If you do not like the stats of your pets, then pick up a few codestones and head on down to the training school. If you don't like a certain aspect of your pet and that's why you are abandoning them, I personally guarantee that there is a way to fix it. Be it color, species, stats, or even gender, it can be changed with a little hard working earning some neopoints. (Or a round with the Lab Scientist. :P)

That pretty much sums up the most common reasons that people abandon their neopets. There are, of course, always exceptions, and no one should be penalized for their choice to pound their pets. This was just a guide to help avoid reckless abandonment of your pets.

In addition to these solutions, if you ever need more room for a pet, try creating a new account. You are allowed to have 5 accounts in total, so make use of that. That is enough to hold 20 pets, so hopefully you will never need to leave one with Dr. Death. If you ever are abandoning a pet, stop by the Pound Board and let the kind folks there know, so your pet has a better chance at a good neohome and family. Thanks a lot for reading, and have a nice day!