Paws & Claws: Pet Resort
Paws & Claws: Pet Resort is a pet care and management game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Independent Arts and published by THQ in February 2006. You run a resort where owners leave their animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits and horses. The job is to look after each guest by feeding, grooming and exercising them, then use the money you earn to improve and expand the business. A Nintendo DS version followed in 2008.
Controls
What Paws & Claws: Pet Resort is
Paws & Claws was a line of animal games aimed at younger players, and Pet Resort gave the idea a business angle. Rather than owning one pet, you manage a place that takes care of other people's animals. Each species has its own needs, and the game teaches the basics of caring for them as you go.
The Game Boy Advance version is a small, simple take on the idea. Critics were not kind to it at the time, pointing to repetitive tasks and plain visuals, but it remains a gentle game with no pressure and no combat, which is part of why it appealed to its audience.
How it plays in your browser
You move around the resort and interact with the animals staying there. Keeping them fed, clean and exercised keeps them happy, and happy guests bring in money. Horses need grooming and exercise, while smaller animals such as rabbits and cats have their own care routines.
As the money comes in, you can build and improve parts of the resort so it can take in more guests. The pace is slow and steady, which suits short sessions in a browser tab. The emulator on this page runs the US cartridge, so the text is in English.
Arrow keys move around the resort, Z confirms and interacts, X cancels, and Enter opens the menu.
Tips worth knowing
- Check on every animal each day before doing anything else, so no guest is left hungry or dirty.
- Spend early earnings on improvements that let you take more guests, since that raises your income fastest.
- Horses need regular exercise as well as grooming, so do not only feed them.
- Learn each animal's routine once and repeat it. The care steps stay the same from day to day.
- Save up for improvements that let the resort take more guests instead of spending money as soon as it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What animals are in Paws & Claws: Pet Resort?
The resort looks after dogs, cats, rabbits and horses on the Game Boy Advance.
Who made the game?
It was developed by Independent Arts and published by THQ, releasing on Game Boy Advance in February 2006.
Is there any fighting or way to lose?
No. It is a relaxed care and management game. The challenge is keeping the animals happy and growing the resort.
More games like this
Monster Force, Road Rash: Jailbreak, Robots. You can also browse the full games library or read the guides on the blog.