Just one year after launching FooPets.com, we’ve received an early Christmas present: the #1 result for a Google search for “virtual pets” (without the quotes), just ahead of the longstanding champion of that position, Neopets.com. (You may see us still at #2 or #3, depending on which Google datacenter you hit.) Now we just have to hold position–easier said than done. We still have a ways to go with our second target search phrase, “online pets,” where we’re still down at SERP #5, above the fold but not good enough. In the immortal words of Ricky Bobby, if you’re not first you’re last.

FooPets owners can now pick breeding partners and share the fun of building their own virtual pets family tree

REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. – September 8, 2009 –FooMojo, Inc., creator of the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets, today announced FooPets Breeding, a new  feature of the FooPets.com virtual pets social game that lets owners take part in planning and building their own FooPets family trees. Individually or together with a friend, FooPets owners can now breed two FooPets and raise a litter of puppies and kittens until they are old enough to be adopted. During the breeding process, FooPets owners are responsible for proper care of their FooBabies including feeding and watering, providing required healthcare and when ready, arranging for adoptions to good homes.

“Pet breeding in the real-world can be very rewarding but it’s a process that requires hard work, a substantial time-commitment, financial resources and dedication,” said Dr. Ron Hornbaker, veterinarian, founder and CEO, FooMojo. “FooPets Breeding gives virtual pet owners the opportunity to experience the excitement of building and caring for their own pet family tree but also raises awareness that there are serious responsibilities involved.”

FooPets Breeding is an entertaining and fun way to learn the aspects of pet breeding. For owners, creating their own personal FooPets genealogy can be an exciting experience. Every parent and baby FooPet has a unique personality profile that tracks the pet’s character traits determined by their breed. Personality profiles help owners find optimal breeding partners based on desired pet personality and behavior. Over time, FooPets family trees can evolve based on breeding history and bloodlines.

With FooPets Breeding, owners experience a condensed, comprehensive, simulation of the real-world breeding process. Once owners purchase a litter license and select a breeding partner, they can pair FooPets for conception, followed by a gestation period and then delivery. At delivery in approximately four weeks time, between four and seven adorable baby FooPets will arrive. After a two week weaning period when parent FooPets watch after the litter, baby FooPets then will require two weeks of careful attention from their owners before they are ready to be adopted. At this point, baby FooPets are old enough for adoption to good homes. By giving or selling baby FooPets to family and friends, owners can join their family trees and share in the fun of crafting personal FooPets genealogy to include specific desired traits and characteristics.

FooPets Breeding

Availability:

FooPets Breeding is now available in the FooPets social gaming application. Because FooPets Breeding involves bringing new, live virtual creatures into the world, serious responsibility is required. For detailed information regarding rules and guidelines, please visit http://www.foopets.com/breeding.

Many different breeds of FooPets puppies and kittens are now available for adoption on different locations across the Internet. For Facebook and MySpace users, FooPets can be adopted free-of-charge through the FooPets application. FooPets also can be adopted free-of-charge on the newly launched FooPets.com Web site.

About FooMojo, Inc.

FooMojo is the creator of FooPets, the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets. The 3D puppy and kitten FooPets are “real” in nearly every sense, growing, playing, learning tricks, developing personalities, and requiring regular feeding and care. As part of an entertaining social gaming application, users of all ages can adopt a FooPet on Facebook, MySpace, and the FooPets.com Web site, with more locations coming soon.

Aimed at enriching the lives of real people and animals with engaging, social game play, FooMojo was founded in 2007 by Dr. Ron Hornbaker, a veterinarian who believes the special bond between people and their pets could be recreated online. FooMojo’s creative and development efforts are led by a talented group of web developers, along with artists and animators from the feature film and gaming industries. Most importantly, FooMojo is committed to supporting real pets in need, and through its non-profit FooPets Foundation, works with leading animal-related charities such as the ASPCA and The HSUS.

Located in Redwood City, Calif., FooMojo is backed by notable investors including Softbank Capital, Softbank Corp. Japan, Mike Maples, Jr., Ron Conway and Baseline Ventures. For more information visit http://www.foomojo.com.

Users Can Now Make Online Donations to ASPCA or HSUS Directly from FooMojo’s Virtual Pet Applications

Redwood City, Calif. – December 17, 2008 – FooMojo, Inc., creator of the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets, today announced new relationships with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), respectively. Under the terms of the agreements, FooMojo has integrated donation options for both organizations into the online store of its FooPets virtual pet environment, now available on Facebook and the FooPets.com Web site. By enabling its over 1 million active monthly users to make donations to the ASPCA or HSUS directly from FooPets applications, FooMojo is enlisting the FooPets community to help protect animals in need and furthering its commitment to improve the lives of homeless pets. 100% of the net proceeds from donations made through FooPet applications will be directly transferred to the organizations. (more…)

Purina Becomes FooPets Exclusive Virtual Pet Food Brand for U.S. Users

Redwood City, Calif. – December 17, 2008 – FooMojo, Inc., creator of the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets, will join Nestlé Purina PetCare and Twentieth Century Fox in cross-promotional marketing programs designed to generate consumer interest in Fox’s upcoming motion picture comedy, “Marley & Me,” opening in theaters everywhere December 25. Based on the best-selling book by John Grogan, “Marley & Me,” starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, is the heartwarming and unforgettable story of life, love, family – and the world’s “worst” dog. In addition, Purina® Dog Chow® brand dog food will be featured as the exclusive virtual pet food available to U.S. users on all FooPets applications and the FooPets.com Web site. (more…)

Lifelike Puppies and Kittens Provide Companionship, Entertainment and Help Teach Pet Care Education to Users of All Ages

Company Builds on Facebook Momentum with Launch of New Line of FooPets Kittens and FooPets.com Destination Web Site

Redwood City, Calif. – December 17, 2008 – FooMojo, Inc., creator of the popular “Pokey” Facebook application with over 1 million active monthly users, today announced it has launched FooPets, the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets for users of all ages. Nearly lifelike in appearance and behavior, FooPets interact just like real puppies and kittens and help teach adults, teens and kids how to better train and care for real-world pets. Because FooPets are completely web-enabled, they live in favorite online locations across the Internet including Facebook and MySpace profiles and the new FooPets.com Web site. FooMojo also announced today that it has unveiled a new line of FooPets kittens for immediate adoption and launched the FooPets.com Web site, a new online destination that expands the FooPets virtual environment with additional features, functionality and management capabilities. (more…)

SOFTBANK CORP. and SoftBank Capital lead round

Redwood City, Calif. – December 17, 2008 – FooMojo, Inc., creator of the world’s most realistic and emotionally engaging virtual pets, today announced that it has secured $9.9 million in series A financing led by SOFTBANK Corp. (Japan) and SoftBank Capital. FooMojo’s seed investors, Mike Maples Jr., Ron Conway and Baseline Ventures, also participated in the round. The funding will be used to transition the company from early growth through successful global expansion. Eric Hippeau, managing partner, SoftBank Capital will join Steve Anderson, founder and managing partner, Baseline Ventures, Ron Hornbaker, founder and chief executive officer, of FooMojo, Inc., and Scott Sorochak, chief revenue officer of FooMojo, Inc., on the FooMojo Board of Directors. (more…)