Now your Sims has new friends... pets!

In the past, The Sims 2 has offered a few nice expansion packs that allowed them to get fancy duds, go to college, and even celebrate the holidays. These were all well and fine, as it is important to accessorize. Well the creators have gone that extra step in now allowing your Sims to have pets. If you thought Sims life was wacky now, wait until you see what a house full of pets brings to fruition.

Unlike like the pests... err I mean pets in the original Sims, The Sims 2 pets are not just eating and pooping factories. Actually, the depth that the developers have taken pet care in The Sims 2 ranges from the cool to the bizarre. These are members of the family in more ways than one. Sure, like your own pets you can train them, play fetch, watch TV with them, or even take them out on a nice day for a stroll around the neighborhood and/or park. Unlike my personal dog and cats, your pets in the Sims 2 can actually help with finances and earn a career. Once your pet has the skills, you can get them into jobs to help "bring home the bacon", such as working in security, show business, and even the service industries. Of course getting them to that level of coolness is no easy task. Picking the right animal for you is the important first step. What kind of animal lover are you and what animal will be best to help provide for your family are just two important issues to look into. You have plenty of choices of breeds and species to choose from, such as dogs, cats, birds, and rodent-like pets called womrats. If that is not enough you can even choose to design a breed to create a new and exciting pedigree.

From here it is up to you to love, train, and evolve you pet into your way of living. Encourage your pets to shake paws, roll over, play dead, and more. The more you pay attention to them, the higher their skill rankings will be so be sure to love them (this includes making coo and goofy sounds when playing with them) as they have a higher social need factor than a typical Sims character. Unable to or unwilling to do this will result in unruly pets that will topple over trash cans, claw up furniture, dig up your yard, and cause loads of damage you may not want or expect. If you need a little help while you are building your own skills you can hire an obedience trainer to increase their skills and make them the coolest pet in town.

The game becomes bizarre when your animals start using the toilet, fall in love, and have a family of their own. Believe me; these Sims pets have far more interesting lives than your personal pet.

The Sims 2: Pets is not all kibbles and bits though, as there is a complete lack of accessories and gadgets for you and your pets to enjoy. No self-cleaning litter boxes, no auto pilot dog leashes, actually there is a shop in the game with nothing to buy in it except for collars and other pets! I am sure it will come down the pipeline in an expansion pack called The Sims 2: The Pet Store, but at least tease us a bit with a few knick knacks to have fun with in this version.

Overall, if you are a Sim nut and love pets, how can you turn down this cuddly ball of video game preciousness? For an expansion pack, there is plenty to do and see and it adds a completely new level of variety to your Sims' already busy life.