What do you get when you put a Kacheek, a Lupe, a couple of petpets and a paddock together? That is right, Extreme Herder, the game! In this fun and adventurous game, you play as Samrin the Kacheek. While 8-bit would limit your customisation options to just backgrounds, foregrounds, and trinkets, a creative player can work around it. All they’d need is an 8-bit Power-Up Potion, no trip to the Rainbow Pool required!

From the moment it's first born or hatched, every Neopet has both a species and a colour. There are over fifty species of Neopet to choose from, and there's a huge range of colours out there, from the humble Yellow to the rarely-seen 8-Bit.

If you've been around Neopia for a little while, you'll know that your Neopet isn't restricted to staying the same species and colour all its life. There are many ways in which the appearance of your pet can change. One possibility used to be that an unexpected Random Event will turn your pet Baby, Blue, Red or Invisible (the new Random Events discontinued this). You can also visit the Secret Laboratory and take the chance that your pet's species or colour will change.

However, there are also plenty of items in Neopia that will alter your Neopet's appearance. Some of these are well-known and frequently used, while others may take you by surprise if you aren't careful about what your pet eats, reads or plays with. This guide will show you the many species- and colour-altering items that exist, and give you an idea of what they do and how to use them.

Be aware: there isn't an 'undo' button on any of these items. If you change your mind about your Neopet's new species or colour, you'll need to use another item to change him or her back. Also, using any of these items on an unconverted Neopet will automatically (and permanently) convert him or her to the current artwork, so think before you transform and be sure that's really what you want!

Magical Paint Brushes

Probably the best-known of all the appearance-changing items, Paint Brushes (often known as 'PBs') will change the colour of your Neopet. Each Paint Brush is named for the colour it provides, so if you wanted your pet to be Pink, you would search for a Pink Paint Brush. However, a couple have slightly more complicated names that aren't obvious at first glance:

Paint Brushes can be found around the site in Random Events, won from chance games such as the Fruit Machine, or awarded as prizes for creative contests or plots. Unlike most items, they can't be used straight from your inventory. Instead, they must be used at Neopia Central's Rainbow Pool, where you can also find a handy list of all the Paint Brushes in existence if you're planning a shopping spree.

There are smaller versions of Paint Brushes for your Petpets, too!

Morphing Potions

If you'd like to change your Neopet's species and its colour all in one go, then a Morphing Potion may be what you're looking for. These magical mixtures come in glass bottles, and are mostly sold in Kauvara's Magic Shop, though they can also be won from the Wheel of Excitement. Each Morphing Potion will change your Neopet to the colour and species it's named after, so if you wanted to turn your pet into an Orange Kougra, you would look for an Orange Kougra Morphing Potion.

Contrary to popular belief, any Morphing Potion can be used on any Neopet. Using a Morphing Potion on a Neopet that's already of the same species will simply change its colour to that of the potion. In some cases, this can be cheaper than buying a Paint Brush of that colour.

To use a Morphing Potion, click it in your inventory and select 'Use on Pet's Name'. It's important to double-check that you're using the potion, rather than feeding it; some Neopets can eat Morphing Potions as if they were a food item, but the potion will have no effect (other than making your pet a little less hungry) if it's swallowed bottle and all!

Transmogrification Potions

Transmogrification Potions, often called 'trans potions' or 'transmogs', are based on the experiments of the evil Dr. Sloth. However, they pose no actual risk to your Neopet's health or well-being. They are given out as a rare Random Event.

A Transmogrification Potion works exactly like a Morphing Potion, but they come in only one colour -- Mutant. An 'Aisha Transmogrification Potion' is effectively a Mutant Aisha Morphing Potion. Since there is no Mutant Paint Brush, a Transmogrification Potion is the simplest way to transform your pet if what you want is a Mutant Neopet. If you have your sights on a colour/species combination for which no Morphing Potion exists, you can also use a transmog to change the pet's species first, then use a Paint Brush to apply the colour of your choice.

Magical Chia Pops

If you've ever wondered where some of the more delicious-looking Chias, such as the Thornberry and Carrot Chia, come from, then wonder no longer!

Chia Pops are tasty ice lollies that can be bought at the Super Happy Icy Fun Snow Shop on Terror Mountain. There are many varieties, but most, like the Candy Floss Chia Pop and Snowberry Chia Pop, are just fun treats for your Neopet to eat. However, the much rarer and more expensive Magical Chia Pops have a rather different effect. When a Chia eats one of these, he or she will transform into the fruit or vegetable that matches the flavour of the Chia Pop.

Magical Chia Pops can only be successfully used on a Neopet who is already a Chia. Feeding them to any other Neopet will have no effect (other than earning a point or two at the Gourmet Club, since they qualify as rare foods). There is only one exception to this rule: the Magical Chokato Chia Pop -- and only the Magical Chokato Chia Pop -- can also be successfully used on Kikos.

Magical Plushies

These are not the normal cheap plushies that you'd casually let your Neopet hug. If a pet plays with a Magical Plushie, he or she will change species and colour to match that of the plushie -- so playing with a Magical Blue Pteri Plushie will change your pet into a Blue Pteri. These enchanted dolls can only be used once to transform a pet; afterwards, they'll turn into ordinary toys with no magical powers, so if you were hoping to change your pet then sell the plushie, you're out of luck.

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Magical Plushies are very rare, so many people treat them as collector's items. It may be worth checking the price of Morphing Potions for your chosen species and colour before splashing your Neopoints on a Magical Plushie, as the potions are often cheaper.

In the Battledome

Among the many, many types of Battledome weapon on the market, the items Chia Flour and Kacheek Flour stand out as having a particularly unusual effect. Rather than doing direct damage to your opponent's Neopet, these items will change his/her species and colour -- and unlike most weapon effects, this doesn't go away with a simple trip to the Healing Springs afterwards! Chia Flour will change a pet into a Yellow Chia, while Kacheek Flour will produce a Blue Kacheek.

Changing a pet's species in the Battledome stops that pet from using his or her species-specific weapons and healing items, so it's not an entirely useless effect. Since both the Flour items are incredibly expensive and can only be used once, though, most players aren't prepared to shell out for this one-time bonus. However, if a player owns one of these weapons, he or she can take it into a two-player battle with a willing friend and have it stolen with an item such as a Sticky Hand. Since all stolen weapons are returned at the end of battle, whether or not they've been used, the friend can use the Chia or Kacheek Flour without fear -- so the Flour owner can have his or her pet turned into a Chia or Kacheek whenever s/he likes, at no extra cost.

Miscellaneous Potions

Aside from the wide range of Morphing and Transmogrification Potions, there are a few other magical brews that can alter your Neopet's appearance...

Flask of Rainbow Fountain Water

This stripy bottle can be obtained at the Fishing Vortex in Old Maraqua, if you're very lucky; your pet needs to have a Fishing Skill of at least 87 just to have a chance of finding this item at all, and even then, it's incredibly rare! Still, that's more or less what you'd expect, given that the water in this bottle comes from the famous Rainbow Fountain...

When a pet uses (again, not 'eats'!) one of these flasks, his or her colour will change. The result is random and cannot be influenced in any way -- rare colours like Robot are possible, but there's also the chance of basic red, yellow, blue or green, as well as every colour in between. Unfortunately, the flask has no way of telling what colour a Neopet was to begin with, so your pet may also 'change' to his or her existing colour, although with so many colours to choose from it's fairly unlikely.

Mysterious Swirly Potion

Like the Flask of Rainbow Fountain Water, this item originates at the Fishing Vortex. Nobody seems to know what it was doing down there...

When used on a Neopet, this silvery potion will change his or her species to a random Limited Edition species. It will also check what colour the Neopet was before the potion was used. Your pet will retain his or her colour if his or her new species is currently capable of being painted that colour. For instance, if a Pink Ogrin used a Mysterious Swirly Potion and the randomly chosen new species was Poogle, then the Ogrin would change into a Pink Poogle. However, if the new species is not available in your pet's colour, then s/he will turn red, yellow, blue or green. (For instance, an Alien Aisha who drank the potion and turned into a Hissi would change colour, since there is no such thing as an Alien Hissi.)

The Mysterious Swirly Potion cannot turn your Neopet into a Draik or Krawk, since these species are Restricted rather than Limited Edition. If you want to transform your pet into one of these species, you'll need a Morphing or Transmogrification Potion.

8-Bit Power-Up Potion

For owners who fancy a bit of old-school pixellisation, this potion is an easy way to go. The Power-Up Potion essentially works just like a Paint Brush -- it will change your pet's colour to 8-Bit if the colour has been released for your pet's species. Unlike a Paint Brush, however, it is used from your inventory, not at the Rainbow Pool.

Turnip Tonic

Turnips aren't exactly known for their glamorousness, and after drinking this potion from Kayla's magic shop in Meridell, your Neopet won't be, either. Using a Turnip Tonic on your pet will turn him or her red, yellow, blue or green. Which of the four colours results is random, and doesn't take account of what colour your pet was before s/he drank the potion.

Despite its name, Turnip Tonic is not a cure for sickness or lost HP.

Potato Potion

This potion is as round and brown as a potato, and it's a great choice if you want your pet to be round and brown, too! When used, this Meridell potion will turn your Neopet into a Brown Kiko.

Mutox Syrup

This strange mixture only works on Grundos, and changes them into the Mutant colour. We're not sure why you wouldn't use the less-rare Grundo Transmogrification Potion, though.

Rainbow Swirly Potion

Not to be confused with the much more exciting Mysterious Swirly Potion, the Rainbow Swirly Potion will raise your pet's level by 2 as well as turning him or her red, yellow, blue or green. Which of the four colours results is random, and doesn't take account of what colour your pet was before s/he drank the potion.

Neggs

Neopia's most versatile native fruit, the Negg, comes in many different varieties. Most of them are just food for your pet to eat, but some can help raise Battledome stats. Others have... rather odder effects.

Kaleideonegg

This brightly-coloured fruit, like the other Neggs listed here, is one of the few items that actually does need to be fed to your Neopet to take effect. It will turn your pet red, yellow, blue or green, while also tweaking his or her Level or Hit Points stat.

Witchy Negg

There's some strange magic lurking underneath this Negg's hat. When your pet eats it, he or she has a chance of turning into a Lenny, Tuskaninny or Moehog, although it may just heal him or her or increase intelligence. There's no way to control which outcome you get, so be prepared for the unexpected!

Vortex Negg

This Negg has a chance of the same colour change as the Kaleidonegg above. It can also affect a pet's HP, or simply make him or her sick, so you're probably better off with some Turnip Tonic.

Plaid Negg

This red and green Negg, with a whopping 108-Negg-token price tag, may randomly change your pet's colour when eaten. We don't have any confirmed information about the range of colours available -- based on the price of this Negg, though, it's probably the same as the Kaleidonegg's. If you have any data, we'd love to hear from you!

Pumpkin Negg

When your pet is fed the Pumpkin Negg, its weight will increase by 1-2 lbs. and its height will decrease by 1-2 cm.

Other Items

An assortment of unique appearance-altering items, each with its own special effect...

Vengeful Scroll

Just how far is your Neopet prepared to go for that Neopian Book Award? This ancient scroll from the Lost Desert may be full of ideas for tricks to play on your enemies, but it will play a trick of its own on the pet who reads it, too. Any Neopet who reads the Vengeful Scroll will instantly turn into a Pink Lenny.

One-Use Robotification Zappermajig

This very rare item was a prize from the Return of Dr. Sloth plot. When used on a Neopet, it will change his or her colour to Robot. Unfortunately, since the Zappermajig is no-trade, most players will never be able to obtain one, and will have to try and get a Robot pet at the Lab Ray instead.

Glowing Jelly

Jelly is a popular food among Neopets, and as a site named after the stuff, we're happy to endorse it! What many people don't know, though, is that there is a very small chance that a pet eating Glowing Jelly will turn Glowing. Don't hold your breath, though: this event is very, very rare, and feeding your pet too much Glowing Jelly is much more likely to give him or her Blurred Vision.

Garlic and Chocolate?

The delicious-looking Garlic Kiko and Jubjub, and the melt-in-the-mouth Chocolate Chia, are currently thought to be Lab Ray colours; certainly, there isn't a Paint Brush for either one. However, some time ago TNT made a couple of interesting editorial comments.

How would you get a Garlic Kiko or a Garlic JubJub? -thomaskluber021093

At the moment there are a couple of options. Firstly you can try feeding your JubJub or Kiko lots of garlic. You are what you eat after all :) Alternatively you can try the Lab Ray although results may vary.

Neopets 8-bit Power-up Potion Minecraft

How can you get the chocolate chia? Can you only get it by the lab ray, or is there a special way to get it like thereis for the garlic pets? - Elm811

It involves owning a Chia and feeding it a whole load of chocolate. It is super rare though and you may just end up with a rather overweight Chia at the end of the day.

We haven't had any reports of Neopets being transformed this way (and later editorials about the Chocolate colour don't seem to mention this option, even for Chias), despite it having been more than seven years since these colours first came out. It's most likely that this was an idea that never got implemented, or even that TNT were just joking. (They do have a strange sense of humour at times.) We're not ruling out the possibility entirely, however. If you've managed to take a screenshot of a garlic item transforming a Kiko or JubJub, or a chocolate item producing a Chocolate Chia, we'd loveto hear from you!

More?

We've tried to list every species- and colour-altering item here, but it's always possible that more will be released in the future, or that an existing item will gain a new effect. Also, for a list of stat increasing items which may also alter your pets appearance, see our Stats Increasers guide. If you've used any item that isn't here and it's altered your Neopet, please send in a bug report letting us know! We're always interested in collecting more information.

This article was written by: Dream

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