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welcome

Welcome to Violet Life, a branch of my site, Violet. This is a pet adoption guide, dealing mostly with the applicant and owner's points of view.

terms

There are several terms that have to do with pet adoptions, and even trading. These are most often seen on the Pound Chat, a board made specifically for pounding and transferring pets.

UFA and UFT: Do not get these two terms mixed up. UFA means "Up For Adoption", stating that the pet is no longer wanted by the owner to keep on his or her account, and no other pet will take its place. This can happen when a user is quitting, clearing out account space, can't think of a personality for the pet (if a roleplayer), etc. UFT, or "Up For Trade", states that the pet is not merely looking for a good home, but also, the owner wants a pet in return. An owner may use pet trades as stepping stones toward a dream pet, or he or she may just be bored of the current pet, etc.

BD: BD, or "Battledome", means that a pet has superior stats, not just a regular "10 HP-er" with below average defense points.

VBN, BN, DN, WN, VWN: These terms are quite self-explanatory; VBN means "very badly named", BN means "badly named", DN means "decently named", WN means "well named", and VWN means "very well named".

It may be another matter to distinguish what an average Pound Chatter would call each separate pet. For an example of what each term is... read on.

VBN: thl_3523_ghm_35
BN: l33tdawg40000
DN: Carrie563
WN: Karana
VWN: Sky, Nudge, M, Katie

RN, RW: These two terms very closely tie into the BN, DN, WN stuff. RN means "real name" (for example, George, Kathy, Stephanie). RW means "real word" (like Lamp, Book, Chair). Some names may be both; Melody is an example. Most RN's and common RW's are considered VWN, although if they are misspelled, they are usually not...

Custom: This means that a person will create and paint a pet for the sole purpose of a trade for an existing pet.

For example... Zeus offers a Baby Custom on a Darigan Pteri named thalia_pwns_ur_face owned by Poseidon, who accepts the trade. Then, Poseidon gives Zeus a name, gender, and species. Zeus creates the male Kougra named percyjackson_hiyah, and paints him Baby. When the pet is aged enough, Poseidon and Zeus transfer: Darigan Pteri for Baby Kougra.

NOTE: It is against the rules to back out of a trade after NP has been spent to aid the trade. This is VERY reportable if it happens.

UC: UC means unconverted. Years ago, all Neopets had a unique pose; this was when they did not wear clothing. Some owners were given the option of not converting their pets during the Conversion, and these rare pets that remain are very, very wanted and valuable. A UFA UC pet's application that is chosen will undoubtedly be beyond any converted pet's (besides Draik and Krawk).

Pound Surf: This is when users "surf" the Pound for high-stat, painted, limited edition, and well-named pets. They then may post at a "Pound Surf" board.

LE: LE stands for Limited Edition. These are pets that are only released on their special days, and maybe not even then. They can be obtained by trading, adopting, zapping, morphing, or creating (see above).

Restricted Pets: Restricted pets are pets that cannot be created at all [anymore], unless, for Lutaris, you get Neopets Mobile. The restricted pets are Krawks, Draiks, and Lutaris.

However, Lutaris were released on Lutari Day in 2009. They may become limited edition, or not.

adopting out

There always seems to come a time when your pet does not mean as much to you as it should. There is always the option to put it UFA, where a loving owner will come along who will love it forever.

Writing the Rules

Rules are important for any pet that is UFA. No one wants to hear a beggar say "G1MM3 UR P3T N0W 1LL F33D H3R!!!111!!11!1" about a pet they grew up loving like a real life pet.

However, do not be over-strict in your rule-giving; no one will apply for a pet whose owner says "If you do not have perfect grammar and spelling, and fifteen hundred vouchers, and three hundred and forty-one secret avatars, I will not even consider your application." unless they were not going to seriously apply anyway. A good "I'll be able to tell if you were working hard; work hard! I'll also check your accounts to see what they are like." works.

On an entirely different note, add a little catch to your rules section, to make sure it was actually read. For example...

...
4) Include something about flying marshmallows somewhere in your application.
...
...
7) Forget about Rule 4. Make it something about dead swivel chairs.

If every rule was read, the application WILL have something about dead swivel chairs. If not... You can eliminate one application.

Rule-Writing Tips and Choices

1) State what you want to see in the application. I would suggest account history, list of accounts, pets pounded (and why), a "Why Choose Me" section, an "About The Pet" section, and anything else the potential adopter wants to add.

2) State what you want in an adopter... or don't. You can say that you want pets the adopters have already to have a personality, they may just be given temporary ones. If you say you want art and writing, they may be hurried, careless drawings and stories done just for this application. Beware to face some liars...

3) Use correct grammar in your Rules Page. It really is much easier for a potential adopter to not get confused when the grammar and spelling are correct.

4) Get a layout for the page. This is obviously not mandatory, but everything is prettier with a layout, right? Even if it's simple.

5) Be "friendly". Don't sound like a college professor in your page. If the applicants think you are approachable, and they can chat with you and get to know you, you will know what type of people they really are. Chatting can help you distinguish which people will be the best owners for your pet.

6) Don't be overly nice and friendly and forgiving. If someone obviously didn't read the rules and goes running to you saying "Oh, no, I read them. Really."... then they still don't do what they were asked to, I would not give them another chance. They've shown me their true colors.

7) DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT SAY PETPAGE APPLICATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Because you are not allowed to say that. Neomail applications should be perfectly fine, and not judged after petpage ones. TNT's rules, because someone may have full petpages for all twenty of their pets, or they do not want to get a new pet if they have less than twenty.

Reading Applications

I have had a pet UFA before; I read applications as I would an SAT reading section (the paragraphs). I know there is no comparison, because the SAT reading is SO boring, and it kills me to read a whole page of the last, usually most boring, passage. In small font. But I use the same method with applications; reading the whole thing, but skimming at the same time. I don't take in every single detail, but I check for things I stated I wanted to see, grammar, personalities, layout, CREDITS (if necessary), and overall effect.

Ruling Out Applications

Application One: "hey 1 luvur p3t i want him can i have him pound him to me in 5 m1nuts kthx"

Application Two: "my name is cassidy and i think i should be chosen to be the owner of [insert Baby Lupe's name here]. you should choose me because i'd be the best owner in the world!!

Application Three: "Hi, my name is Kathy, and I am applying for your beautiful Baby Lupe Whitepaw_###. I would like to be her new owner because I love Warriors, and baby Lupes too. They're just so cute and irresistible! I know I would be a good owner because I'm on every day, unless terribly ill, and I always make sure my pets are delighted, fed, and played with. I am an HC regular, as well as a PCer, but I would never trade her away. Ever. She would be the playful, mischievous little baby in my Neo-family, and I'd love her forever, and enter her in Beauty Contests, and as a character in my Neopian Times entries, and many things. Well... It was nice meeting you, Kate, and I hope you choose me!! Good luck to you selecting a great owner!"

Okay. These three were all real applications submitted to me when I had a Baby Lupe UFA (I check on her, and she is still happy and fed :D). It is usually very easy to rule out pointless applications, in this case Number One. Easy, right?

If I was really desperate, and there was no Application Three, I would consider giving my pet to Application Two, if and only if the account's pets were happy (in this case, she is still active, but with crying pets).

Application Three is not the best application... But it is the thought that counts, right? She was very friendly to me, with an account that showed she put a lot of effort into it. Also, every pet had a petpet and description. I was looking for a quick adoption, so she won. :)

Neomail and Petpage Applications

It may seem that, obviously, petpage applications will always be better than neomail applications. This is not entirely true. It is usually the content that matters, though for a neomail application, art and layouts cannot be displayed. But you need to give both an equal chance. In fact, it is TNT's rule that you do, because some people cannot make petpage applications because of lack of pet[page] room.

Who Won?

When you have decided who will become the new owner of your pet, you obviously have to contact them. Neomail is the preferable way, but if their inbox is full, send them a Battledome challenge with that message, or send them a Soggy Box.

You may also want to mail all the serious applicants and tell them kindly that they were not chosen so that they can stop thinking about it. Tell them that their application was very good, but that the chosen one went above and beyond anything you asked for. It might also be good to add that you're sure they'll get their dream pet eventually. Everyone can.

adopting

So, you have decided to apply for that dream pet. Maybe you just cannot save up the Neopoints for that expensive brush. Or maybe you love the name. Or maybe it's just that unconverted pets are rare and beautiful. Either way, here you are. Where should you start?

The first thing to do is an absolute "duh." Find a pet that is UFA that you love! You can lurk the Pound Chat and see if there are any "UFA" boards. Also, there are many onsite adoption agencies, and then there are offsite ones.

After you find a pet you're interested in, navigate to the rules page if there is one. If there's not, pay attention to everything the owner tells you. If they say "No rules!"... great! It's a chance to be creative and different from the others.

READ THE RULES! No one can emphasize this enough. It can be guaranteed that if you do not read the rules, you do not get the pet. For example, the owner will tell you what he or she wants to see in an application on the rules page, as well as a specific "add something about evil mutant faerie queens" in the bottom of the list. You do not. This reflects that you are ignorant, and you do not respect the owner.

Don't read the rules as I described for reading applications earlier in the page. Read very carefully, maybe even more than once. If you want the pet, you'll be willing to do that for her or him. Skim, and you will meet problems sometime.

There really is not much to say about reading rules... It is just obvious, but sadly, some people choose not to do it and apply for a pet anyway.

Writing Applications

Of course, the main part of applying for a pet is making the application! There are two types of applications: neomail and petpage. In a neomail application, the prospective owner condenses the information and splits it into one, or a couple, neomails. This is usually relatively the same content as a petpage application. In a petpage application, the prospective owner devotes one of his or her pets' pages to the UFA pet, and, instead of using a neomail, uses that.

Petpage Applications

It is always good to look at an example before writing your own. This DOES NOT mean copying, as stealing is against Neopets' rules, and can get you frozen. I have included parts of a petpage application for an Island Kacheek done by wyatth123 as a good example. (I didn't change any part of it, and I have permission.)

This application also included a "Why Alorienn" section, a Plans section, a Meet the Family, an About Me, art, a story, and more, including a Link Back button.

It is a good idea to check your grammar and run your app through a spellchecker, or ask someone to proofread it. Preferably a grammar freak, like me. =) It gives a good impression to have good spelling and grammar, and even if you could never even win your class spelling bee, you can still have good spelling in your application. Remember, spellcheckers don't necessarily check grammar mistakes.

You should also try to add as many extras as you can: meet the family, writing, art, etc. It would not look good if you told someone you were applying for their pet, then gave them the application one hour later when the deadline isn't even close. In fact, I have seen a couple owners of UFA pets state that this would lower their idea of you if you do that. Why not spend your time on beautifying your application instead of hurrying and having one that isn't as good as it could be?

Get a layout, too. Isn't even the simplest layou a lot prettier than a blank white page? Back to layouts... Now... which one to choose? Most people allow premade layouts, but if they'd prefer you didn't, or you don't want to, code your own!

HTML and CSS Help

Premades

Neomail Applications

Neomail applications are much less complicated than petpage ones; there are no layouts, no sections, no art... Unfortunately, many still consider petpage applications beyond Neomail ones, but there are still ways of making your Neomail pet application stand out from the rest.

You must be very careful when writing a Neomail application; there is no way to express yourself through your self-made layouts or art here. If you have bad grammar and bad content, the pet will never be yours, especially not when your application is put alongside a better one.

The content should be about the same as a petpage application: about me, current pets, personality, future, and any extras. Remember, you can use several Neomails, not just one. It can still be long, but label each separate mail clearly.

Neomail applications are actually much easier than petpage ones to do. Therefore, you need to show you put effort into it. Being detailed and having a very long application may be one way. You could also try chatting with the owner if he or she says it is okay. (This goes for petpage apps too!). You can show them your personality, hobbies, and how good of a person you are. ;D

Add a Little "Something"?

I have already discussed what extras you can have in your application, but in case you are lazy and want a list...

~Petpage applications should have a layout!

~You may want to get opinions on your application, especially positive ones! Add them to the app.

~Do some writing or drawing, and show that you gave a huge effort.

~Add a "Meet The Family" to show that all of your pets have personalities and are special to you. That is true, right?

~Dedicate your siggy, user lookup, or gallery to this pet. Buy at least some of the items you promise, and put them in the gallery so you show you are not lying.

~This isn't exactly an "extra", but add that, in the case of a petpage application, you were not encouraged to make it in any way. TNT likes that.

Do not steal any images, layouts, or anything else, though. If you are found out, you will NOT get the pet, and you will probably be reported.

transferring

So, you've found that perfect owner? Or maybe you're the owner that was sought?

Or maybe you're just trading pets?

No matter! You're still transferring a pet, right?

Transfers are the safest way of transferring (ha ha) Neopets. Another user cannot interrupt a safe transfer, and it only costs 1000 NP plus the adoption fee! (Which may be a lot, depending on the pet. I'm sorry.) I recommend this way NO MATTER WHAT, if the pet means something to you. There's always the chance that someone snatches a BN Green Uni that was your beloved UFA pet... however slim. It is simple to use the Transfer function, and it is also safe.

But the pet receiver should be on the day of the transfer. When the pet is in transit, neither owner nor receiver can Pound surf, or have more than three pets. Yes, the pet will eventually return to the original owner, but then their transfer is wasted. The. Receiver. Needs. To. Be. On. Think of football; if the receiver doesn't catch the ball, it's wasted. Pound Transfers Well, maybe you don't have transfers, and can't wait for the new month? No matter.

Pound transfers are extremely risky, especially for painted, high stat, and limited edition pets. Even if you tell only one person the time, someone WILL SEE the pet at the exact moment it is abandoned, and they will GO FOR IT. (I once saw a Purple Draik in the pound.)

If doing a pound transfer, first make sure both users are online and active. You cannot pound the pet, and hope the other person gets it a few hours later. Then, the pounder should mail the adopter the time, preferably something like 7:13:38, so no pound snipers find it easy to get the pet (This is if there was a board made, and it was stated that the pet was being pound-transferred that day.). The adopter should wait at the pound, wait a few seconds before the time, then start refreshing (if fast connection). If not, wait a TINY TINY bit after the time, then go. Meanwhile, the pounder should have made sure there were no problems with the abandonment, and did it at the exact time.

NOTE: The adopter should refresh at the pound continually for about 30 seconds if they do not even see the pet. Chances are that the pounder had a problem, and will do it as soon as he or she can.

link back?

credits

Base code from Apartment Nine, edited greatly by me