Gooples: Off the Cone

by Marsh_Mellon the White Grundo

So you've won countless Gooplecreams from Test Your Strength, or seen them alongside Blumaroo Steaks in the Spooky Foods shop, and wondered why have food as a petpet? Oh Yeah! Well, why have a rock?! (... that's another story)

My fabulous petpet NotForSnacking may not have feet... or bones... and is sort of drippy in the house, too, I guess... O_o ...

Let's start over!

Gooples: Off the Cone

by Marsh_Mellon the White Grundo

There are hundreds of petpets to choose from, but I recommend a goople because of their friendly natures and adaptability. If you're ready to enter the world of goople shows and competitions, read my book: Parti-Gooples and Goople Husbandry. If you're new to the goople scene, here are some topics to discuss with your neopet. Before deciding on a goople, consider your neopet and whether he or she will have time to take care of a petpet. Then, be careful to choose a goople with a personality that complements yours. Finally, will you and your pet be able to train a goople to be a good petpet?

Part One: Is a Goople Right for You?

Since I've been lucky enough to have my wonderful goople NotForSnacking as a petpet, I'm clearly biased about gooples' value as a companion. Keep in mind that there's no special avatar for gooples and gooples aren't the cheapest pet you can start with. These are some points I mention if a friend wants a goople.

Pros: Gooples are quiet petpets. Besides occasional squelches, I'm not sure they make any sounds, really. They learn quickly with patience and a loving neopet. Also, your new pet can eat anything that will, eventually, biodegrade. Gooples come in many colors and styles. They do not come in purple. If your prospective petpet is purple, it's a frozen snack.

Cons: Gooples are made of goo, and get gooier with age, so be ready for a bit of a mess. Periodically stirring your goople or adding measured portions of yeast, flour, and sugar will help your petpet maintain a manageable indoor consistency. Trying to cut corners by feeding your goople the batter for 'friendship bread' will give him gas.

Age: Gooples are usually healthy, long-lived petpets.The oldest documented goople is a family heirloom, belonging to Never1AGame the Dire Lupe, dating back to 785 B.C. With proper care, your goople will continue to be a cherished petpet for generations.

Breeding: If, over time, you decide you would like to share your goople with others, be sure to read 'The Best Goople Starters' found in my book Parti-Gooples and Goople Husbandry.

Part Two: Choosing a Great Petpet

Not all neopets have the same traits, and neither do gooples. Give yourself and your pet some time to choose a goople. Try to watch a group of gooples before taking one home.

Friendliness: Does a certain goople float to you? This is a good sign. Does a certain goople seem to float over your head and drop goo in your hair? Maybe not such a good sign. Wild gooples live happlily in globs (a group of gooples) but solitary gooples are common. Will you have time for a needy goople? If you and your neopet will be away often, or if your neopet is unable to take her goople traveling with her, a petpetpet can be the ideal friend. Gooples rarely absorb their petpetpets. In Snackie's case, my glyme ran straight over to Emankcin's petpet so I decided to invite the faelie from our gallery over to play.

If you're worried your goople may eat the precious mootix you've just found, then read about the telltale habits of 'Compulsive Injesters' in Parti-Gooples and Goople Husbandry available at your local petpet book shop.

Style: Are you worried an orange petpet will clash with your faerie xweetok? Since gooples can be painted later on, choose a goople with a good personality. Don't worry about any color except purple. Once again, gooples do not come in purple. If your prospective petpet is purple, it's a frozen snack.

Health: Check for a healthy thickness. Be sure your goople can sit on your hand without oozing too fluidly between your fingers. Finally, check the translucency of your goople. Some light and shadow should show through your pet; however, too clear and your goople is underfed, too opaque and your goople may have tummy troubles.

Part Three: Manners

So you have a goople as a petpet and are wondering: How soon will I be the envy of all my friends? I suggest teaching your goolpe some basic commands before inviting friends over. For advanced goople training pick up a copy of my new book: Parti-Gooples and Goople Husbandry. I'll cover Stay!, Eat!, and Do Not Eat! here.

Stay! is the most important command and one your goople should learn soon after his name. In hot weather, after a rain, after eating, when meeting a new friend... (generally all the time unless your home is floored in linoleum)... you'll want your goople to float over a goople-safe area.

Your new friend is made of goo so dripping is unavoidable. Clean up is easy with baking soda and a little vinegar... (also handy for a home-made volcano)... but be sure to test fabric for color fastness.

Using a tennis racket wrapped in wax paper, ease your goople over the desired area and say Stay! in a firm voice. Please note that the PPL discourages the irresponsible use of tennis rackets around all floating petpets. Within a few weeks your goople will know where his special area is located.

Eat! Like the imaginary Chomby in the imaginary game Jelly Blobs of Doom located in some Jelly place that's clearly not real at all, your goople can eat anything with a slightly smaller circumference. Just in case you're not sure: Your goople Will Eat Anything with a slightly smaller circumference. Once a week until full is plenty of food for your petpet. Don't be alarmed when he changes to match the color of his food. That effect is temporary and should only last a few hours. Color change can be a unique party trick or an unusual conversation piece to help introduce your guests to your cherished petpet.

Do Not Eat! is a slightly more difficult command to teach your petpet, but very important if you wish to retrieve any items that your goople might be curious about. To help with this, sprinkle metal shavings over your keepsakes, or just keep them out of reach of your petpet.

Goople rarely consume soft metals. Most goople researchers agree this dislike comes from the goople's tendency to tarnish after injesting copper, lead, brass, or silver. Possibly this makes them less attractive to other gooples... (gooples reproduce through division so the attraction would be purely fraternal anyway).

I hope you will enjoy gooples as much as I do. Remember not to eat them!

If anyone has goople questions or needs goople keeping tips send me a neomail care of perdita136. Hopefully you'll see your letter in my upcoming Goople Keeping advice column. And now another shameless plug for my new book:

Hurry! Supplies are Limited! Get your copy of Parti-Gooples and Goople Husbandry today!