Unlike most real-life animals, Sims pets can actually be sent to work to contribute to the family purse. Dogs and cats can be hired as pet detectives or for commercial work and players can choose to have their cat or dog bring home the bacon while they spend their days playing 'SSX 3' and watching Jerry Springer reruns. Better keep the pets happy though, or, like other Sims, their bad attitude will earn them a pink slip faster than they can chase their own tails.

Outside the job factor, furry friends in the game are a surprisingly realistic portrayal of real-life pets -- especially when it comes to the bad behavior. Untrained cats and dogs will indiscriminately leave puddles on expensive living room carpets and will bite and rip up pricey furniture without a thought. At one point, one of our cats started ripping up a brand-spanking-new couch -- an experience so upsetting that it was hard not to reach for the spray bottle filled with water and shout, "No! Bad kitty!"

Fortunately, the game lets you hire trainers to keep Fido and Fluffy in line for a small fee. For families with big aspirations and extra cash, this is the way to go. Otherwise, training pets takes up a fair amount of a Sim's time -- also like real life -- and that time's usually better spent on self-improvement.

A few pet-related items have been added to the inventory -- including bowls, pet beds, chew bones, a catnip toy, litter box, bird and womrat cages, etc. There's also a few pre-made pet stores and parks that can be added to the neighborhood and visited later. Though, compared to other expansions this new inventory seems a bit on the light side; it would have been nice to see more options in each of these categories. No self-cleaning litterbox? No self-walking dog leashes? Don't forget that in real life, people can (and do) send their beloved critters to big bucks doggy day care centers, so extravagant pet accessories aren't too far-fetched.

EA plays the celebrity card and got Hilary Duff and her Chihuahua, Lola, on board to help promote the game. Duff appears as a playable character -- you can dress her and force her to interact with other pedestrian Sims. It's an amusing pop culture addition to the game, but hardly a selling point for anyone other than her teenaged fans or semi-perverted guys. Music-wise, the Pussycat Dolls and Flaming Lips contributed to the game by singing their hit singles in Simlish, which is cool, but ground already trod by acts like the Black Eyed Peas.

For anyone who's already addicted to the 'The Sims 2,' 'Pets' is an engaging add-on that keeps the game fresh. Who knows -- adding a virtual menagerie of pets to a Sims family just might offer the same mood-enhancement as a real-life pet, minus the shedding and allergies.