✨ Updates & Announcements ✨

The Galaxy Bank is now open for business! We've launched a comprehensive banking system that adds strategic financial management to your Galaxy of Pets experience. Here's everything you need to know:

🏧 Core Banking Features

• 💰 Secure Deposits: Store your coins safely in the bank with preset amounts (10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000) or custom amounts
• 🏧 Easy Withdrawals: Access your banked coins anytime with the same intuitive interface as deposits
• 📊 Real-Time Balance Tracking: See your wallet and bank balances update instantly
• 🎯 Smart Validation: System prevents overdrafts and invalid transactions

🏦 Loan System with Consequences

• 💵 Flexible Loans: Borrow 50, 100, 250, 500, or 1000 coins for various needs
• ⏰ 2-Week Terms: All loans must be repaid within 14 days
• 💸 70% Repayment: Pay back only 70% of the borrowed amount (e.g., borrow 100, repay 70)
• 🚨 Criminal Records: Late payments result in criminal record warnings
• 📬 Advance Warnings: Get mailbox notifications 2 days before loans are due

📋 Tax System

• 💰 Monthly Taxes: Pay 100 coins every month to support the galaxy
• ⏳ 3-Day Grace Period: Flexible payment window after taxes become due
• ⚖️ Legal Consequences: Unpaid taxes add to your criminal record
• 📬 Reminder System: Mailbox alerts 2 days before tax deadlines

🚨 Criminal Justice System

• ⚠️ Warning Accumulation: Track warnings from loans and taxes
• 🏅 Badge Confiscation: Reach 3 warnings and lose one badge of your choice
• 📊 Record Display: See your criminal status in the bank interface
• 🔄 Redemption: Pay debts and clear your record

🎨 User Experience

• 🏠 First-Time Welcome: New visitors see a special "GO TO BANK!" badge
• 📱 Responsive Design: Full mobile support for all banking features
• 🎯 Intuitive Interface: Clean, game-like design matching the site's aesthetic
• ⚡ Instant Feedback: Success/error messages for all transactions

Visit the Galaxy Bank today! It's accessible from the main navigation grid on the homepage. Master the art of financial management while enjoying your pets - but remember, with great banking power comes great responsibility! 🏦💼

We're excited to introduce the brand new Profile System on the Galaxy of Pets homepage! This feature transforms how you interact with your pet world:

• 🎨 Custom Avatar Display: Your profile shows the avatar you created in Avatar Maker, giving you a personalized identity across the galaxy!
• 🎮 Gaming-Style Names: Create a unique identity with Name#Tag format (like Discord or Steam), including a 3-digit tag (000-999) for true gamer vibes!
• 📊 Real-Time Stats: View your Pet Coins, adopted pets count, daily streak, and badges earned - all in one convenient dropdown!
• ⚡ Quick Activities: Claim daily rewards (+50 coins), get random pet facts, and feed all your hungry pets directly from the profile menu!
• 💰 Feed Pets Economy: Feeding pets now costs 10 coins per hungry pet, adding strategic resource management to your pet care routine!
• 📈 Progress Tracking: See your Daily Challenge completion status with a visual progress bar right in your profile!
• 🔔 Smart Notifications: Get notified about new badges, incomplete challenges, and important updates!

The Profile button appears in the top-right corner of the homepage (next to the dark mode toggle). Click it to access your personal dashboard and manage your Galaxy of Pets experience more efficiently than ever!

Just in time for the cold season, we've published a comprehensive new blog post all about keeping your indoor pets active, engaged, and happy during winter!

• 🐱 Cat Enrichment: Vertical spaces, puzzle feeders, interactive toys, and DIY entertainment ideas for feline friends
• 🐹 Small Pet Activities: Creative enrichment for hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and rabbits including DIY dig boxes and obstacle courses
• 🐕 Dog Mental Challenges: Scent games, indoor training sessions, puzzle toys, and ways to burn energy when walks are brief
• 🦜 Birds & Reptiles: Foraging opportunities, habitat rearrangement tips, and maintaining proper winter care
• 💡 Practical Tips: Budget-friendly DIY ideas using household items like cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and old blankets

The blog includes 6 detailed paragraphs covering multiple pet species with actionable advice you can implement today. Perfect for combating winter blues for both you and your pets! Check it out on the Blogs page.

Our Virtual Pets game has received an incredible expansion with three brand new features and significant gameplay improvements:

• 🏥 PAWSPITAL: Professional medical treatments for your pets! Spend coins on checkups, vaccinations, surgery, spa treatments, emergency care, nutrition therapy, physical therapy, and dental care - each with different stat boosts.
• 🚗 Dealership: Sell your pets for coins! Pet value depends on age (older pets are more valuable), breed rarity (Axolotl/Goldfish are rare), and hybrid status (hybrids sell for double). Perfect for strategic pet management!
• 🌳 Pet Park: Free fun activities for all your pets! 12 different activities including ball games, hide & seek, agility courses, petting sessions, trick training, water play, flying games, burrowing fun, horseback trails, meditation, group play, and nature walks - each with unique stat effects.
• Removed Basic Buttons: Vet and Play buttons removed from pet interface - now you must visit PAWSPITAL for treatments and Pet Park for activities, making these features much more valuable!
• Fixed Stats Persistence: Pets now keep their exact stats (hunger, happiness, health) when switching between them - no more resetting to 50!

The Virtual Pets experience is now much more strategic and engaging with multiple ways to care for your pets and earn/manage coins. Visit the Virtual Pets page to explore all the new features!

We’ve launched three new badges you can earn across the site. They’re awarded automatically and saved to your Badges page:

• JOKESTER (😂): Check the Joke of the Day 7 days in a row
• AVATAR ARTIST (🎨): Save a custom pet avatar
• GALAXY EXPLORER (🪐): Visit Purr, Pony, and Rodentia within 7 days

View your progress on the new Badges page, linked from the homepage. Watch for a fun popup when you earn one!

Two fun daily widgets are now on the homepage, right under the banner:

• Pet Joke of the Day with a one-per-day bonus joke button
• Pet Riddle of the Day with reveal and a one-per-day bonus riddle
• Both rotate automatically every day

Check them out on the homepage and come back tomorrow for fresh laughs and brain teasers!

The Daily Challenge now lives near the top of the homepage for better visibility, and it refreshes itself every day.

• Auto-resets at the start of each new day
• Streamlined controls ("Finish day" removed)
• New note: “Auto-resets daily — come back tomorrow for new tasks!”

Your progress still saves locally while you complete tasks during the day.

We updated Pet Highlight to span August–September for Bearded Dragons.

• Homepage card now reads “August-September: Bearded Dragons”
• Pet Highlight page header adjusted to “August-September 2025”

Explore the care guide, fun facts, and activities on the Pet Highlight page.

We refined the Product Reviews layout to make ratings clearer and easier to read:

• Moved star ratings closer to each review for better context
• Added a helpful label under stars: “5 star review”
• Cleaned up notices at the top of the page for a smoother look

Check out the updated reviews on the Product Reviews page.

We published a new guide to help you plan smoother trips with gerbils, rats, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, and more. Highlights include:

• Pre-trip prep: health checks, carrier training, species-specific packing
• Travel-day routines: temperature control, quiet rest stops, direct routes
• Destination setup: calming “base camp” and settling-in tips
• Safety net: emergency contacts, monitoring, and mock trips

Read it now on the Pet Blogs page.

Managing multiple adopted pets just got easier! You can now select which pet to actively play with; the rest appear under “All Adopted Pets.”

• Click any adopted pet card to make it your active pet
• Active pet shows detailed status and actions
• Works across page reloads via saved profiles
• Backwards-compatible with previously adopted pets

Try it on the Virtual Pets page.

We're excited to announce our new Product Reviews section! Now you can find honest reviews of pet products tested by our own furry friends:

• Real reviews from Princess Fuzzy, Pom Pom, Mosquito, and Catapult
• Detailed product information and ratings
• Easy access to purchase links
• Verified purchase badges for trust

Visit our new Product Reviews page to find the perfect treats and supplies for your pets!

Our Pet Care Blog has been renamed to Information Blog and received a fresh update:

• New, more inclusive name to cover all pet-related topics
• Improved navigation and readability
• Enhanced mobile responsiveness
• New categories for easier content discovery

Check out our renamed and improved Information Blog for all your pet care needs!

We're excited to welcome our new Pet Highlight - the amazing Bearded Dragons! This month features:

• Interactive care guide with temperature monitoring tips
• Diet recommendations and feeding schedules
• Habitat setup guidelines
• Fun facts about these fascinating reptiles

Visit the Pet Highlight page to learn all about these charming creatures!

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new feedback planet! This exciting addition to our galaxy allows you to:

• Share your experiences and stories
• Provide suggestions for improvements
• Connect with other pet lovers
• Help shape the future of Galaxy of Pets

Visit the feedback planet today and let your voice be heard!

We're excited to announce the launch of our new email subscription system! Now you can stay connected with your favorite planets and receive updates directly in your inbox. The system includes:

• Personalized content based on your favorite planets
• Special announcements and event notifications
• Easy unsubscribe option

Visit any planet page to subscribe and never miss an update!

We've made significant improvements to the Memory Game performance and user experience:

• Reduced loading times by 40%
• Added new animations for card flips
• Implemented a new scoring system
• Added mobile touch optimizations

Try out the improved game on any planet page and let us know what you think!

We're happy to announce the addition of Dark Mode support across all pages! This update includes:

• System-based dark mode detection
• Manual toggle option
• Optimized color schemes for better readability
• Reduced eye strain during night browsing

Look for the moon icon in the top right corner to toggle dark mode!