So my sim found this snake (San Francisco Garter) and I bought a terrarium for it and put the snake inside. Well, after only a few days, the snake passed away (even though I always kept his food bowl full and cleaned his tank religiously). I got really upset so I sacrificed about an hour of gameplay to get him back. I shut down the game without saving, brought the game back up, and the snake was once again in his terrarium of course. SO... I began feeding him and cleaning his tank even MORE obsessively... but right around the same time he died before (after about an hour of gameplay) HE DIED AGAIN! This is despite the fact that, of course, he had plenty of food left and his tank was spotless! I was given no explanation for why he died, but I've been searching online for what can cause death in small pets. Everywhere I've looked says small pets don't have a lifespan and can essentially live forever, AS LONG AS YOU FEED THEM AND CLEAN THEIR LIVING SPACE!!! I don't know what to do. I shut down my game without saving again to bring him back, but I'm scared to play that house anymore because apparently, SOMETHING KEEPS CAUSING MY SNAKE TO DIE.

1. It's not from hunger.
2. It's not from a dirty tank.
3. It's not from being eaten by another pet.

The only thing I can think of is that you have to play with him more?! But that wouldn't really make sense because I have a turtle too and I don't really play with either of them. But for some reason, the snake dies and all of my other pets are okay. I just have no idea what to do. Please help! I love my snake and I don't want him to die anymore! =(

The minor pets all have a lifespan, and it is quite short; as short as 8 sim days for example (or thereabouts). So the game has probably given the snake an age already at a few days when your sim found it, so the snake has very few days of life left as your sim's pet.

All the minor pets can get a couple days back on their lifespan, and essentially live forever, when your sim chooses to PLAY with them. Giving them food and cleaning the cage is necessary of course, but it does not lengthen their lifespan.

I think one of the reward point things makes pets live longer lives, you could try that if you want him to live a bit longer. But all San Francisco Garter snakes are identical anyway so if you just keep replacing him when he dies your sim will never notice the difference.

Thanks for the info, Shimrod. I am curious, though. How many days will it give back to your small pets' lifespan if you play with them? I am trying to fulfill the lifetime want of The Ark, but I have so many small pets to take care of at once, and it eats up so much time. However, I keep doing it every single day because I am not sure how long I will have until they die. So, do you happen to know precisely how many days are given back to your small pets each time you play with them?

The XML says between 2 and 3 days. Also if your sim has the Animal Expert trait, the base lifespan on the minor pets will be increased between 3 and 5 days.

What if aging is off?

I don't think the aging system has any effect on the minor pets. If it did I think they would be listed in that AgingManager XML where the lifestages and lifespans for Human sims and the Pets sims are determined.