Make Your Own Virtual Pet

After the grand success of movies endorsing virtualization like Matrix trilogy and Avatar, I was stunned to know that there's now a game called Second Life, based on the virtual concept, wherein one can lead an entirely independent parallel life virtually. This seems to be the era of virtual reality and abstraction, and nothing seems to be out of its reach. Everything, from cars to sports, from microprocessors to memory, and nowadays even socializing has come under the virtual world. Knowing all this, I was left wondering, why not make my own virtual pet?

All types of pets can come under the scope of the virtual world. More people are preferring to go for virtual pets instead of real pets. Virtual pets can provide hours of fun, involvement, and satisfaction, and one can enjoy all this without physically having to take your pet for a walk or feed him.

Virtual pet, also known as digital pet, is nothing but an artificial pet with almost all real life features. In other words, it is either a simulation of a real animal or a creation from imagination. Virtual pets are kept as human companions to do away with the loneliness. They can be loaded with features like emotions, movements or sound. Some virtual pets show happy emotions, if the owner hugs the pet or turn lonely, if left alone for a long duration.

Making a Virtual Pet
First, the virtual pets can be downloaded on your computer, after which you don't need to be online to create your own pet play. Second, the online virtual pets needs you to stay online, after logging in to the site. Here you can be with your pet anytime, but only while you're logged in. Third, purchasing a virtual pet is another option altogether. Let's see the above said categories one by one:

• The downloadable kind of virtual pet adoption is probably the most easiest of the three options of having a virtual pet. There's a clear advantage of not having to stay plugged on to the Internet in order to play with your pet. You can log in any time and can create your own pet play, download it and if you wish to end the play, you can shut down the application and forget it till the next time you feel the need of a pet. There's no need of pet care, all round the clock. However, there are also disadvantages associated with this method, unless you get your virtual pet from a renowned and trusted site, you may have to face the threat of downloading computer viruses, along with the pet. So, firstly you'll need to look for a proper and a safe site that also provides an array of pet types to choose from, and need to register with it. Most of the popular websites give this service absolutely free of charge. Now after logging in, you can either choose a pet or go for the customizing option. Customization can start from scratch or a basic form may be provided. For example, you can make your own virtual cat from a kitten's simplest prototype already provided to you, over which you can add a number of features.
• The second kind of virtual pet adoption is the online virtual pet, wherein you need to get online every time you want to meet your pet. Here, you start by registering with a virtual pet adoption portal and in most cases, you would be required to make a nominal one time payment. Here too, you'll need to select and customize a pet. You'll be able to spend some valuable time and play games online, and not only this, you can also chat with other members on the site and take a look at their pets. These portals may also provide a virtual world to be explored by you and your pet.
• The third option is the closest you can get to a real animal. You can go for the plush animal kind. In this method, you just have to purchase a plush animal, so that you or your kids can almost have a real pet. These days, such kind of pets come with many preloaded or customizable features, like sense of touch, response to a call, complaining when ignored for a long time, etc. Most of the time, this method also allows you to access the virtual pet's website, so that you can enjoy the experience online.

There are some ethical concerns that have come up with the advent of virtual pets. Many say that such a relationship cannot be compared to that with a real animal. Also, some say a relationship should not teach the kids that whatever they desire can always be fulfilled. But, those working in favor of virtual pets say that having a digital pet can protect the real animals from undergoing offensive treatment. Some also say that it can be used to train kids before adopting a real pet. Some more arguments say that digital pets can be advantageous for younger children who cannot take care of real animals or for those who suffer from allergies.

In the end, we can easily bank on the advantages. But even in the virtual world, be sure that before you make your virtual pet, you have enough time to dedicate and are willing to care for digital pet's well-being.