Unfortunately in Neopia there is so much emphasis on earning neopoints, becoming a NeoMillionaire and getting a full set of paint brushes that I fear the Neopet is getting forgotten and neglected. Some people choose not to own a Neopet at all and that's entierly up to them but the people who just leave their Neopet to sit there and rot...

Health
The health of your Neopet doesn't simply mean that he/she isn't suffering from a terrible case of Ugga Ugga it means that they are groomed regularily and kept in tip top shape. Just because they're not entering the Beauty Contest regularily doesn't mean that they shouldn't be beautiful. Having a healthy pet is the first step to having a happy one.

Grooming: Grooming your pet not only keeps it looking great but is also rumoured to give your pet a stronger resistance to most diseases (helps stop it getting sick). Basic grooming items can be bought for under 50np so it's a small price to pay to keep your pet healthy and looking great.

Illnesses: There are a huge variety of diseases that your Neopet can catch through it's journeys in Neopia. Your pet may even catch something when playing the Wheel of Excitement and that's especially bad because the medicine for that disease is almost always very expensive. When finding a cure for your pet make sure you shop around, look at the Trading Post, Austions, Pharamacy and search the Shopping Wizard before making a purchase. Some medicines like Sporkle Syrup are VERY expensive but don't fret your pet can be healed other ways as well, for example the Water Faerie at the Healing Springs and King Coltzan has some healing powers.

Happiness
Have you ever noticed that when you look at your pets on the QuickRef page among all of their stats their mood is also noted? Right now your pet may be 'Delighted,' 'Happy' or 'Content' many people I am sure simply skip this small section of the page and move down to see how strong or fast their pet is. But judging by recent developments the mood of your pet is going to play a much greater role in how you play the Neopets site. After all, if your pet is sulking in the corner of it's NeoBedroom it's BattleDome performance must be undermined.

Why should I care?
To think that you are even contemplating this question! Well, this explains why your parents wouldn't let you have a pony, puppy or even a goldfish when you asked - you don't have any commitment. The day you click the sign-up button and created a pet you made a commitment to look after that pet. If you found looking after your pet difficult you could always put it in the Pound (not recommended) or if you found you did not like playing Neopets you could terminate your account or give it away to a friend. So put a bit of effort in and don't leave your pet to starve.

How to keep your pet happy
There are a lot of ways to keep your pet happy and many of them you do already and almost all of them only take a few seconds.

Games: There are many games that you can play with your pet that will increase their happiness like Hide and Seek (but don't find them too quickly), Wheel of Excitement and Guess the Card. Of course there are others and these games either cost you nothing or very little and they earn you neopoints too.

Toys: Perhaps toys, the obvious way to make your pet happy should have been meantioned first. Letting your pet play with a plushie, Usuki Doll or Bouncy Ball is a great way to make him/her happy and once you've bought the toy you can use it again and again even if your pet gets bored and breaks it.

Grooming: Being pampered makes your pet happy - even the boys. Maybe you would prefer not to use Pink Lipstick on your male Grarrl but you can brush their teeth with Toothpaste, brush them with a matching Hair Brush and make sure that not a hair slips out of place with some Hairspray.

Food: Not being 'hungry,' 'starving' or 'dying' all the time will contribute to your pets happiness. Remember that you don't have to feed him/her Rainbow Neggs all the time, a slice of omelette from the Giant Omelette will do the same thing.

Concerts: Taking your pet to see their favourite band in concert at the Concert Hall in Tyrannia is another great was to make your pet happy. If you're worried about the cost of tickets buy tickets for bands that aren't currently playing (they're a bit cheaper) and save them for when the band is playing, this will save you buying tickets with inflated prices.

Tiki Tack Tours: Tiki Tack Tours will take your pet for a thorough tour of Mystery Island for just 50np, located on the Eastern (right) side of the island it's a great way to give your pet a well deserved treat after that draining battle and of course make him/her a little happier.

PetPets: Currently owning a petpet doesn't make your pet any happier, nor does playing with one. But it should in the future. So basically don't fret if your pet doesn't have a pet of it's very own.

Going Away?
Unfortunately the real world can get in the way of caring for your Neopets. For example, you might have a big school project and are not able to log into Neopets for a few days or you might be going away on holiday and know that you will not be online enough to look after your pets; if at all. The best solution for everyone who falls into the 'not very much time online_ category may find it very useful to put their pets in the NeoLodge for a few days if they know that won't be online or online for long. Pets in the NeoLodge are fed and kept happy but of course you can still play with them if you manage to sneak on for a little while.