Great Games for Pet Lovers

Are there more animals living in your house than people? Do you regularly go grocery shopping only to bring home stray parking-lot kittens and roadside puppies? Or would you like to own a whole menagerie of critters, but your landlord won't let you? Here are nine games that'll help you curb your companion compulsions.

Pet Shop Hop

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Making a success out of a pet shop isn't easy, but at least it's fun in this brand-new release. Pet Shop Hop features over 50 levels, a wide selection of animals including fish, rabbits, puppies and birds, and you can even add vet certifications and living environments to increase your store's appeal. It's already receiving top user reviews, so check it out!

Nintendogs

Nintendo's DS puppy sim was a smash hit back in 2005, sending nearly 20 million cute digital doggies home with eager new owners. It uses the DS's touch screen to let you get hands-on with your new family member and the handheld's microphone to let you give him instructions. Four different versions offer four different sets of starting pups, and if you happen to be near another Nintendogs player - not an unlikely situation, considering it's the most successful DS game ever made - you can use a wi-fi connection to let your respective pups play together.

Doggie Dash

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All the customer service fun of the Diner Dash series but with a fun pet-spa theme, Doggie Dash brings Flo's hit formula to the world of animal grooming. Can you keep pace with the non-stop torrent of customers while keeping their much-loved critters happy? You can upgrade your equipment, decorate your spa, and enjoy a liberal selection of some of the worst dog-gone puns we've ever seen.

World of Warcraft

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"Pet" classes are popular in most online role-playing games, and the massive hit World of Warcraft is no exception. The Hunter character class is designed specifically with pet care in mind: hunters capture their pets from the game's wilderness areas, tame them, feed and care for them, and develop their skills along with their characters'. Get it right, and you'll have a loyal tiger, dinosaur, or crocodile (to name but a few) to fight alongside you.

Paradise Pet Salon

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Damn those big, evil corporations! Pet Corp is moving into town, and that could mean bad news for your small pet-spa business. Can you polish enough puppies, clean enough cats and rub down enough rabbits to stay ahead of the big boys in this challenging Diner Dash-style adventure?

Pet Pals: Animal Doctor

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Part of owning a pet is looking after them when they get sick, which is precisely what you're tasked to do in Animal Doctor. Designed by real vets, the game features 35 sick-pet scenarios and 25 different 3D animals for you to test your skills. How would you treat a bunny with a stomach ache? How about a dog with a broken leg? We just hope you make better veterinarians than we did. Nurse! Hacksaw!

Magic Farm

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Your parents have been kidnapped! Quick, what do you do? If you answered "plant a garden and sell a bunch of plants," well done! Magic Farm is the perfect game for those who prefer their companions green and organic, and also lets you manage a delightful magical pet to help tend the garden. You'll have to keep your plants watered, make sure the harvest is timely, and keep your finances running smoothly. Oh, and rescue your parents. Good luck with that.

Fate

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Although it's essentially a straight clone of the classic dungeon-crawling adventure Diablo, Fate's addictive gameplay (and bargain price) makes it a great choice for pet-lovers. Why? Because as you take on the forces of evil, you're accompanied by your choice of either a puppy or a kitten. Your pet will fight enemies, run back to town to sell your loot, and can even be transmogrified into more powerful creatures.

Grimm's Hatchery

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What good would a fantasy game be without a range of exciting fantasy creatures? Grimm's Hatchery features an impressive bestiary of 20 different magical pets, and tops it off with multiple hatcheries and villages to explore. Can you master the cross-breeding of pets to create new species? Will you be able to complete each village's quests? Here's your chance to find out.