Permanent Pets: Do They Even Exist Anymore?

We all have at least one. A pet that we honestly could not imagine playing Neo without. Whether its a pet that we have saved up to create ourselves or one we traded up to, he or she is stuck with your forever. These are the pets that no matter their name, color, species, character, or story we are going to keep. But in a world full of pet trading and constant transferring of pets, and what seems like an outstanding number of self proclaimed "picky" people, do permanent pets even exist? The answer is YES! After asking the PCers themselves what keeps them from trading off their beloved pets... It was quite shocking to see their responses! Each and every one of them has specific and sometimes unique reason they have their "permies" or requirements of what will make their future pets permies.

These are real quotes from real PCers, used with permission, about what makes their pets permanent. Everyone has their own stories and each one is interesting because most, if not all, are relatable in their own way.

1. "I've had this pet for a long time, wow it would be weird if I stopped owning this pet" - Explain

Most of us have had that pet that we just... can't imagine not having? Maybe it was your first pet with a HORRID name with tons of numbers and underscores... but its just always been there so its hard to imagine what would happen to it if you didn't have it. Well, it's not that hard to imagine... honestly it would probably end up stuck in the pound until someone with a lab ray took pity on it and zap it until it turns pretty and repound. Any of us with a lab can admit to having done it.

2. "I never wanted any pet as much as my baby Kau." - hidden_truth_

In this instance, the baby Kau in question has a great deal of sentimental value. Something that isn't foreign to any of us. They created the Kau themselves and with the help of a friend they were able to paint them the perfect color. While the PC in general might say, "That pet has no value. It won't trade well," this owner doesn't care. That baby Kau means more to her than any pet that could possibly come their way.

3. "I 'bonded' with the name and character" - 09004888

The bond between a Neopian and their pet is a very special one. It's enough to put those blinders on and ignore everything the PC has to offer. The quest to find a pet that you can forge a bond with can be a difficult one and it plays into many of the different things that the PC had to say on this topic. Some say it's all in the name, others in the species. This is a unique thing that will vary from player, as well as from pet to pet.

4. "I could never find replacements" - blazingphoenixes

Sometimes, we make huge mistakes as PCers. The call of trading is a strong one that is very hard to ignore. Rarely we see people actually "retire" from trading... so what happens when someone has no space but has all "permies"? We make mistakes. We make trades despite our love for our pets and almost immediately we regret it. These are the pets that despite what we received form the trade, we could never replace. It would be too hard to retrade for the same type of pet and even if we were able to, it would be hard to look at one with a different name. If you've been in this position, sorry about your luck, but that's your gut telling you that you just gave up a permie!

5. "If I love the name and species but I have no idea for them in terms of "who" they are, I don't really get attached." - tumbleweed

Like every one of us, pets have personalities too! Each one is different, each one unique. In this case, not knowing the pet to its core is a deal breaker. For the writers out there, we know how it is. If we desperately love the look of a Stealthy Draik, but can't dig deep to find a character that matches, it's hard to deal with. We end up giving those pets that we can figure out more attention and eventually trade the unknown pet off for something we will hopefully be able to write for.

As far as other reasons, the PC can be typical with their responses. Since the purge, many of us have become name picky fiends and we know it. Many people admitted that good names, pretty paint jobs, and desirable species (these are all subjective from Neopian to Neopian) all added up to the makings of a permie for them. Despite the fact that many of us have the same qualifications for a permanent pet as the rest of the PC, do no for a moment think that they are any less special. What makes a good name, or pretty paint job, varies. So what is desirable to one might not be to the rest.

Bottom line is, even though we are pet traders, we still have those sentimental and forever permies like the rest of Neopia. We just happen to have a stricter criteria that will suit our tastes. Nothing wrong with that as long as every pet that is traded or kept has a loving home –– what else could be expected of us?