Advice on dealing with pets

nethack

Two part question, though both related –

  • What is the best method of keeping my pet "happy"

For this, I mean, how do I keep my pet from wandering off and either becoming feral or getting killed somewhere off in the distance? In the early game, my character generally doesn't come across tripe rations or anything else that my pet would consider a treat (I start as a Valkyrie normally). Normally I try to keep up with it, but sometimes it just disappears off into the wilderness, and then I have a sad feeling for a moment, but it passes…

  • In keeping my pet happy, how do I ensure it levels up with me?

Is there a good method of leveling your pet? I have seem my kitty grow to become ferocious once or twice, but it seems that happened by a stroke of luck, and not from any effort of my own. Obviously I'd like to have a fierce pet to help defend me throughout the game!

Best Answer

Treats are only necessary for apport, to my recollection. When it comes to just preventing it from slaughtering you in a confused rage, you just need to make sure it is well fed in general. Remember, pets get more sustenance from food than you do, so they don't need to eat quite as often but they still do need to eat.

To keep it from wandering away, just stick with it more often. If you want the pet to assist you, it is far more useful to simply stay in its presence than it is to let it wander off. If you see it gone, go after it. It does result in a lot of chasing, but early on this is basically the only method to keep it around. Hopefully, you stumble upon a magic whistle at some point that will basically solve all of your wandering pet issues.

Consequently, to ensure it levels up, stick around with it and let it get the finishing blows on monsters you fight. Specifically, the early parts of the dungeon are extremely good for a class like the Valkyrie. You have the standing power to let your kitten or puppy take down most or even all monsters in the first two dungeon levels without being severely hampered. If you simply let it take care of all of the monsters, it will become very beefy and much more suited to survive even when it wanders away.