Releasing The Stable...

[Astratia]

So, I think I'm going crazy. Or perhaps it's all the decisions I'm trying to make, that makes me want to do this...but, I think I want to release most of my pets.

Yes, crazy, I know I am. My reasoning behind this is that my stable doesn't feel it represents me anymore. I have 'collected' all the Cata and Northrend rares, and it feels good to say that.. but I don't feel that I have a bond with any of them other then the fact they are a trophy sitting in a stable slot, that nobody but myself gets to see.

So, I think I'm going to release a few of my trophy pets to make room for those I can bond with more, and have more useful buffs then contently repeating.

Those I plan on releasing are


Gondria
Picked her up on a whim. Had an idea for her to be a 'spirit guide' for my Rak'shiri (despite the fact I don't RP). I plan on releasing her and picking up her blue version coming out in 4.2


Ghostcrawler
Was unable to find anyone to tame him when I came across him the first time. Sat with him for a good thirty minuets before taming him myself.


Arcturis
Saw him only once... sat with him for a while until a DK was hovering too close.. tamed him to spare the beast a death.


King Krush
Decided I wanted a challenge of finding the King. Found him and it was an easy tame.. just flew in and tamed him, and flew out.


Aotona
About the same thing happend with Aotona. Logged on, saw him, tamed and flew off. Though I do recall once saying that if they ever made this skin tamable I would tame it in a heartbeat. He's very pretty, and I do like him, but I have only used him to level him up to 85. Rarely PVP so...


Skoll
I love love love the look of this spirit beast. I love lightning, and wolves and spent a week to tame him... but lately we are just not clicking. Maybe I don't take him out enough?


Jadefang
My Christmas gift from WoW. Squee spiders are fun, and we played a while. I even have the mini version of her and like playing with the two. Sadly though, I rarely use her as Terrorpene is my main go as solo tanking.


Sambas
I love the updated graphics of this lion, and like the idea of him running next to my allience guild mount. However, I already have a cat I use far much more then him..


Hell-Hoot
Pretty pretty pretty owl. Owls seem to suit night elves more then a parrot would as well.. though again where and when do I use a bird of prey?


Ashtail
Got the server first tame of this pretty fox. I think I jost my bond with her since I rarely use her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of these, I love the look of but don't feel as bonded as my others. This group I don't think I can part with :


Rak'shiri
This is my hunter's partner. He's always on her call bar, and almost always out with her. This cat was the reason I started playing a hunter, and wow in general.


Nuramoc
As creepy as he is, I love this guy. Spent so long looking for him, and he was one of my first stabled pets. :3 Good Karma gave this fellow to me as well.


Terrorpene
First loved him for his unique flashy look. He then earned his bond with me from tanking heroics, old school raids like Onxyia, TK, and other such runs. He's just a beast all around.


Deimos
Ended up taming this Devilsaur five different times. It wasn't that we didn't clic, it was that I already had a Devilsaur. Every time I saw some hunter wandering around with one, I had to go pick up my own... I missed him. After the fifth tame he finally got a name, and will remain in my stables.


Zul
After farming the Gundrak hatchling I swore I never wanted to see another one of these blue raptors again! Yet.. when I saw my little hatchling, I felt he needed a companion, then went and tamed Zul (named after the area I farmed his little friend). Then I have to say I fell in love with the two.


Old Cliff Jumper (He might get renamed)
Spent a full day waiting for him to spawn when he was still a hostile mob. Then at 11pm, went to the Halo Reach Launch as a promise to my boyfriend. Came back at 1am to have someone who I had spoken to earlier tell me he spawned about two hours ago... I ran around like a mad woman, to find him just wandering idly around. Made my night to see he survived and waited for me.


Madexx
Loved the look of this blue critter, and had to have him with me. Don't use him very offten, but enjoy his unique look and sharp graphics when he's next to me.


Karoma
Always wanted a ghost wolf. Was upset when I learned they were retired.. so when she came out I was extatic. Got her 30min after hitting 85. What a way to end that night. She's always my go to pvp pet.


Grimlock
As creepy as he is... I have to admit I like him hissing and growling at my fellow raid members.


Loque'Nahak
My first spirit beast, and perhaps one of my favorite pets. His Roar, his lore, the exciting adventure I had finding him ... this cat has won me over.


Atha
Well, can't tame these bad boys anymore. I love when he feuds with himself, and all his annoying roars and grumbles. Kinda amused that I can use him as a wolf in raid as well. Gives for a bit of a laugh

[Astratia]

As you can see, I almost had a blue theme going on, but it got switched to Blue/Purple, with a few acceptations. /cough Terrorpene /cough

What I'm asking you great people on petopia is... am I crazy? Should I just go ahead and do it. Do you have any thoughts on any of the pets I am releasing, or those I'm keeping? Do you have a theme in mind that would go nicely with my hunter?

My first plan back when we could only have three pets was to have Three cats. Rak'shiri, Duskstalker (back when he was blue with white spots) and the Ghost saber.
When we got five slots, I wanted to tame unique rares
Rak'shiri stayed as he was my favorite beast. Nuramoc joined in. Then came Spirit of Atha the Hydra, followed by Loque'Nahak and Old Cliff Jumper.

When we were gifted with 25 stable slots is when I just wanted a challenge to tame all the rares... which I did.

So, now what do I do?

[Neurotoxinx]

I love my small stable; if it makes you happy, why not? Do you ever use the pets that you want to get rid of? I got rid of a handful of pets including Gondria because they never saw the light of day.

[Astratia]

All the pets that I was thinking of releasing, well, they don't get to see the light of day very often. I'll take them out once in a while to show off (yes, got a bit vain there) but honestly that's about it. Also, all those pets I have rehomed more then a number of times. I feel if I really want them back I'll more then likely cross them again and can tame them if I really want.

[Mozag]

I am known in my household for my monthly stable clean-ups for my hunters. I love doing it, because it really forces me to see which of my pets I could never part with, and which ones are a bit pointless. Sometimes I am surprised by a lurking feeling of missing one or two some months after I've released them, after which I can go and retame them and know that the pet is a keeper after all. Sometimes I love the skin, but it doesn't work with that hunter. I've had pets that have been tamed by four hunters, and always abandoned. And then suddenly, one beautiful day one of my other hunters just clicks with that animal. Those are the best teams.

Anyway, if I were in your shoes, I would keep Arcturis and Skoll for now from your list of possible abandons:

Arcturis - You saved his life. There is a big possibility of a bond here if he is given a chance.

Skoll - You say you loved everything about him. Give him a bit more of a chance, if things aren't working out then let him go. Maybe he just needs a bit of attention for your bond to rekindle.

The others you mainly seem to like for the appearance factor, and not so much for the personality. There is nothing wrong with ditching a rare if you don't feel the bond, and if the worst happens, maybe a kind GM can restore the pet you want back.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

[GormanGhaste]

My stables always seem to be changing, sometimes at a greater rate than others. It helps that when I release a pet, I know we still have a bond, but have decided to go our own ways, at least for now. An empty stable slot represents new possibilities.

[Astratia]

Thank you Mozag for the insight
I'll Give both of them the opportunity to win me over. As for the others, I think I'll be a serious dork and take some good screenshots with them before they are released to roam once more.

[7seti]

Keep Jadefang. Even though she's a tenacity pet, shale spiders are worth using in a raid if you don't have a pally or druid.

I avoid this problem by not taming rares just for the sake of being rare. Even if I stumble across one, if I know I won't use it I leave it alone. I think I have only two in my stable at the moment; Loque, who is one of my main PVE pets, and Krush who I tamed pre-Cata in the hope that devilsaurs would get a unique Exotic ability. Krush doesn't get used as I prefer my wolf, but I kept him as it's my favourite devilsaur skin.

[Shootface]

Keep Skoll, Grimlock, Jadefang, and Atha.

I always advise hanging on to the thunderpuppy, for reasons you stated. I always come back to him.

You stated you have a connection with Grimlock. That should be enough.

Jadefang is a better soloing tank pet than Terrorpene, imo, because of the stat boost. Your mileage may vary tho.

And hang on to Atha until they open up Hydras just for the bragging rights!

[Heleos]

Yeah just let them go. Theyre taking up space that you could use for new/future pets that you may build a connection with. I try not to collect any rares unless I really like them for same reasons - they'll just sit in stable bored. I do however collect spirit beasts, but thats it

[Astratia]

Well last night I did some run arounds with the pets I intended to release. I got some amazing screenshots with them, but all in all most of us didn't bond. Did a few dungeon runs, solo runs, and have to say some didn't cliche.

So, before logging off for the night I said some fond farewells to Gondria, King Krush, Hell-Hoot, Ghostcrawler, and sadly Arcturis. Arcturius, who's life I saved from a Death Knight I wanted to give the most opportunity to bond with. He's beautiful, which never being an ingame bear fan struck me as a surprise. So, in my time with him I wanted to see if we would cliche, but I didn't feel anything there, but a grateful bear that didn't seem to belong.

When I released him I was a little unsure, so I logged out and decided to sleep on it. If I really wanted him back I was sure a GM could help. This morning, woke up and asked myself... any regrets?

No...
I'm comfortable with releasing those I did, and kept a few I'm still thinking on.
Aotona, Skoll, Jadefang, Ashtail, and Sambas are all those I played with, and had to put back in my stables for more experiment time. Running around with them rekindled some flames and I wasn't ready to release them just yet.

Thank you for your help It wasn't as hard as thought to be, and I just needed some good petopian motivation.
<3 you guys