Need help to chose your free online virtual pet?

I guess you probably come here to find some free online virtual pet to adopt? But, this, is "just" a blog talking about and reviewing the different free online virtual pets that you could find on the web... and don't worry, there are LOTS of pets waiting for you!

So far, I could already give you a list with more than 100 different sites offering free online virtual pet. But what would be the use of such a list if I don't say some words or some comments about each site?

I'm not going to try to compete against Google... if you want a list, Google will give it to you... if you want more than that... well, that's what I'll try to offer you... but please, be patient...

I'm not a "professional" virtual pet owner or virtual pet sites reviewer, but I'm just doing it in my free time after my other "real life" responsibilities... So, don't hesitate to bookmark my blog to be kept updated. I promise I'll do my best to post regularly to help you to chose your next online virtual pet.

Talking about choice, in my next post I'll try to present the different categories of online virtual pet sites, because there are some very different ones and they're certainly aiming different kind of people. So, talk to you soon... ;-)

Is MopyFish a "free online virtual pet"?

Talking about "free online virtual pet", I remember that the first virtual pet I ever got on a computer was a golden fish. It was the "famous" MopyFish. On their website they say it's the most downloaded cyberpet in the world... well, I don't know if it's true, but the fact is I know it since almost 10 years now and it's still alive, in internet's world, it's quite a success...

MopyFish is great and really looks like a real golden fish swimming in your screen... and reacting when you knock on the window of its aquarium...er...when you click on your mouse!

But the question is: "Is MopyFish really a "free online virtual pet"?"... Well, actually it's not... because though MopyFish is free and virtual... it's not really "online". It acts as a screensaver, it's a piece of software that you have to download and that will then replace your current screensaver. There are different objects that you can buy (with points as it's free) to improve its life and its aquarium, but the problem is... you'll earn points each time you'll print 20 times a same document!... The first I got was at work (I remember we named it Urby because our manager was Urbain!) so, that wasn't that hard to get points, but here at home... I'm afraid my new MopyFish will have to wait long before he got new toys!

Anyway, Urby was kind of my first experience in raising a free "almost online" virtual pet, and so I had to have a word about him... Farewell, Urby whatever you might be now...

I've just adopted my first free online virtual pet!

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you my new online virtual pet and the first pet I ever "put" in a blog: Bloggy!

You should see him on the right column of this blog. Don't hesitate to play with him, he's waiting for some companion to play with! All you have to do is to use your mouse to interact with him. If you click on the red biscuit box, you'll get a bone cookie to give to him... but don't feed him too much... I don't want to see my new blog polluted with a big fat blue dog!

Want some more fun with Bloggy? By clicking on the "more" button, you'll find his ball... throw it as far as you can but I'm quite sure Bloggy will catch it back soon!

Note that it would have been very difficult to find such a blue dog in the real life that's another advantage with online virtual pets... you can choose whatever color you want... So, I've selected one that fit well with my blog's design!

If that ever convince you to get one, well it's really easy... just click on the "Adopt your own virtual pet!" link just below Bloggy and you'll be redirected to BunnyHero Labs website. Once there, you'll need not more than 2 minutes to configure the pet you want and get the code to put on your blog or website... There are even widgets for Myspace, Facebook, etc...

Apart from being blue, Bloggy is a very common pet... but you can choose other virtual pets there are ducks, bats, lamas, spiders, turtle, pigs, etc...

So don't hesitate to adopt one and once you'll have a pink penguin, a red wolf or a green horse, on your site or blog... just let me know where it is, here in the comments section, that way I'll play a bit with your new online virtual pet!

Why a free online virtual pet... (part 2)

As promised on my first post, I'll explain now why I prefer a free online virtual pet rather than "something else"...

First, maybe we should review what the "something else" might be...
So, the contrary of "online" is "offline" and what kind of virtual pet could I get offline?

Tamagotchi?!? I hope you're kidding! Did you ever find a tamagotchi that shows something that really looks like a pet? To me tamagotchi's are just a bunch of blinking black squares beeping once in a while when they feel too lonely holding on their key ring chain... Those kind of things are not "virtual pets", they're "real boredome gadgets"!

Then there are also "virtual pets" on Nintendo DS... The whole series of Nintendogs games and those ending with a Z: Dogz, Catz, Horsez and even Hamsterz... I can't deny those pets are really good looking... compared to tamagotchi's design, it's like to compare a DaVinci's with a 5 year old child's painting! But though, I do have a Nintendo DS (especially to play Sudoku's and others brain training games and puzzles), I don't feel like using it to raise a virtual pet... Come on, I'm over 30 now... how would I look playing with it?!? But, if I hide behind a computer screen no one will ever suspect that by clicking my mouse, I'm actually launching the ball again and again to my online virtual pet, that will quickly become my new best friend! Moreover, Nintendo is not yet offering those games for free...

So those were the reasons I'd go for a "online" virtual pet... and that leads me now to the last point... but... do I really need to explain why I'd prefer to raise a free online virtual pet rather than to pay for it?!? I don't think so... If you really need more explanations, feel free to let me your question in the comments section!

Why a free online virtual pet rather than a real pet?

Why should I decide to adopt a free online virtual pet rather than a real one? Well, actually once you'll know my family situation, you'll understand that the decision is one quite easy to make!

Though it might be great to have a real pet at home (I'd love to adopt a golden retriever...) it is not even thinkable...

I have 3 (of course very beautiful) daughters at home. The youngest one is only 3 and the "oldest" one is not even 6 years old yet. So, I don't know if you have children, but if you do, I'm sure you already understand how I feel... Luckily enough, they're "full of live" and I'm very happy about it, but that also means they're always running and/or screaming all around the home... Do I want a pet to run and "sing along" with them: NO thanks!

Then, let's suppose we have to drive somewhere with the whole family and the dog... How am I supposed to fit everybody's in the car? Will I drive with a golden retriever on my knees: Nope!

After a long working day, when the girls finally decided to fall asleep... who will go for a walk with the dog? Me?... No, way!

Ok, there are still a lot of things that are not that funny in having a real pet (such as the feeding, the washing, etc...) but I'm sure you get the picture already... Having a pet is A LOT of responsibilities, and, having a family with 3 children, I already have more than enough "responsibilities", so I decided to forget about having a real pet but think that maybe I could quite easily and effortlessly go for adopting a free online virtual pet...

The reasons I've exposed above are mainly reasons to adopt a "virtual" pet rather than a "real" one... on my next posts, I'll explain why I prefer this pet to be "online" and "free" (though that last one should be clear for anyone!)