Pet Spotlight: Cinder Kitten

You may have heard that at the end of 2012, 100% of every $10 adoption fee from Cinder Kittens purchased from the Blizzard Pet Store would be given to the American Red Cross to help with Superstorm Sandy relief efforts.  Well, Blizzard recently donated $2.3 million dollars to the Red Cross from said adoption fees.  This is the third such charity pet, after the Pandaren Monk which raised $1.1 million in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Cenarion Hatchling, which raised $1.9 million in support of the Red Cross’s Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief effort.  I think it’s awesome that so many people showed their support for these causes, and it’s doubly awesome that Blizzard has donated 100% of the proceeds from the Cinder Kitten and Cenarion Hatchling, instead of the 50% they donated from the Pandaren Monk.  I’m looking forward to the next charity pet; it’s a great way for the gaming community to help out those in need.

As a vanity pet, Cinder Kitten is awesome.  It’s got a sick fiery glow and elemental armor; and who wouldn’t love that cute widdle face?  As a battle pet, though, it leaves something to be desired.  I leveled mine up to 25 despite its uninspiring ability set and mediocre stats, and its performance at level 25 doesn’t surprise me.  I really wanted to like it as a battle pet, but it just doesn’t have any hard-hitting abilities, and as an elemental with weak elemental and beast attacks and no avoidance, there aren’t any pets it’s particularly strong against.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very glad I purchased it, but I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else buy it now that its adoption fees are no longer going to the Red Cross.