1. Q: What can I do on the new community lots?
A: The new community lots open up a whole new consumer experience for your Sims. They can buy a pet, buy gardening supplies, go for a walk in the relaxing parks, listen to music while sipping a latté and eating a pastry, or even enter their pets in the pet show to compete for the coveted blue ribbon. Or you can use your pet as a conversation starter with that certain special Sim you always wanted to talk to but never had an "in" with before. It is also a great way for your pets to have fun; everyone's happier after a romp in the park!
2. Q: How do I rezone lots?
A: Rezoning is easy in the Sims Unleashed. Click on the "Evict or Rezone" tool at the top of the neighborhood screen, and click on the lot you wish to change. If the lot is empty just choose whether you want it to be a residential or a community lot. If there are buildings and/or people on the lot then you must first evict them and bulldoze the lot before you can choose to rezone it.
3. Q: What kind of pets can I buy?
A: In the Sims Unleashed there are now 15 different breeds of dogs and 15 different breeds of cats. If fuzzy animals messing up your house aren't for you, you can also buy iguanas, goldfish, turtles and birds.
4. Q: How do I get pets?
A: First of all, make sure your Sim has enough money and that there is enough space in the family to support a pet. To buy a pet, the entire family must go to Old Town together. There you can select what kind of dog or cat you would like! Keep in mind if you're on a date or if you invited a friend to Old Town, you won't be able to buy that cute little puppy or kitty you had your eye on; you'll have to come back with your family. While you're there you might as well pick up a cute collar and some toys and treats for your new family member!
5. Q: Can I get a pet without spending all that money at the pet store? Can I adopt a pet?
A: Absolutely, you can adopt the strays that show up on your lot for free. Once you get to know a stray really well, the option to adopt them may appear. However, you won't be able to choose the sex or breed of your pet when you adopt a stray; what you see is what you get. Be patient, sometimes the strays may only come by every other day or so.
6. Q: How do I get pets to be friends?
A: There isn't a lot that you can do to affect a pet's relationship with other animals. Some pets just won't be friends or won't be friends right away. However, the better a pet's mood is, the more likely it will be to perform positive social actions with other animals. If you're out of ideas and your pets just plain don't like each other try putting them in a small room, make sure they have plenty food and they're bound to become friends!!
7. Q: How do I breed my pets?
A: Your pets need to be in a good mood, well fed, and they need to have a good relationship with each other. Dogs can breed in the pet house or by snuggling, but cats will only snuggle. One way to encourage breeding is to keep the number of pet beds to a minimum. If two pets have two beds they are more likely to separate than to try breeding. Lastly, give it time: as the pets get to know each other better the chances for breeding increase.
8. Q: How do I raise newborn pets?
A: Newborn pets require a lot of attention…from their mom. Their mother needs to check in on them often so make sure you do everything you can to keep her in a good mood, since you can't do anything for the newborn directly. If you can keep her mood high long enough, for about 3 days, you'll have a new pet that you can either keep in your family or sell for another Sim to love. Keep in mind breeding can make you big bucks!! The more skilled your pets are, the more money their offspring will be worth.
9. Q: How do I raise my pet's skills?
A: There are a number of ways to raise your pet's skills and all of them will require a lot of your Sim's time and patience. Housebreaking can be taught by praising the dog when it relieves itself outside, or by scolding it when it relieves itself inside. Your dog or cat's obedience skill can be increased by commanding it to "Sit & Stay". Trick training is needed to teach your pets new tricks. Whether or not your pet will let you train it depends on its mood and whether or not it feels like obeying you. You can also go to Old Town and have the trainer in the pet store teach your pets tricks for a fee. The more talented your pets get, the higher the fee. Cats cannot be house trained but have a hunting skill instead. It takes a long time and a lot of effort to raise their skills but once your cat is a hunting machine, you'll never have to run in fear from household pests again.
10. Q: There are pet shows in some lots. How can I win the blue ribbon?
A: The shows focus on your pet's skills and its overall mood. If your pet is happy, obedient, housebroken and it knows a few cool tricks, it will be a champion for sure! If not, well, there's always the Booby Prize.
11. Q: Can I take my pets Downtown or on Vacation?
A: Pets cannot go downtown with The Sims Hot Date, but there are all the wonderful new community lots they can visit and they CAN go on vacation with you and your family if you have The Sims Vacation. Be sure to provide items on your vacation lots, such as food dishes and pet beds, before you take your family so your pets can enjoy their vacation too!
12. Q: How do I get my garden started?
A: The first thing to do when starting a garden is to purchase a garden plot or two from the build menu, under flowers and trees, and then visit Old Town to buy some seeds. Gardens require a lot of time and work to perfect. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds and pests and maybe even experiment with the Plant Tonic that the gardener sells at Custer's Market. You never know what might happen.
13. Q: I heard about new Careers in The Sims Unleashed, what are they?
A: There are now 5 new careers for your Sims to pursue. Your Sims can work their way up through 10 new jobs in each of these exciting paths: Animal Care, Culinary, Circus, Fashion and Education. Keep your Sims happy and healthy while working on keeping and making friends, and you're sure to reach the top..
14. Q: How do I get rid of strays?
A: You can try to shoo them off your lot, or you can just ignore them. Be aware though, that your pets may want to make friends and might greet these strays and bring them into your house. Placing food dishes and pet toys outside might attract the strays even more, so be careful.
15. Q: How do I get rid of the skunk and the raccoon?
A: You can get these pesky critters off your lot for a small fee by calling Animal Control, or you can try to get rid of them on your own. El Bandito will leave the lot eventually, but not without making a mess of your garbage first. He will leave immediately if your dog fights with him and wins or if you successfully shoo him, but he might completely ignore you. The skunk, on the other hand, cannot be forced off the lot. If you don't want to spend the money on Animal Control, make sure all your Sims and pets raise their hygiene scores and the skunk will have no reason to stay.
