6 Pets That MIGHT be Removed in Cataclysm

We've been quiet about perhaps the biggest question on everyone's mind:

What old-world pets are being removed in Cataclysm?

Why the silence? Because no pets can truly be confirmed as "no longer available" until AFTER the expansion is out. Blizzard will be making fixes, additions and tweaks up until the last minute. So we'd hate to be the instigator of pet collector panic or skyrocketing auction prices based solely on speculation.

Still, we felt it important to share the facts on the few pets that have yet to be confirmed in the beta. We're not saying these pets are going away. But you might consider bumping these six to the top of your "wanted" list, just to be safe.

Missing whelplings
If you don't yet have 'em, we recommend puttng the Azure Whelpling, Crimson Whelpling and Emerald Whelpling at the tippy-top of your list. All of the mobs that drop these three whelps have been removed from Azeroth without a trace. So if you're concerned about their future availability, scope out the AH or grab some big ol' farming bags—these rainbow whelplings should be your top priority.

Oddly enough the Dark Whelpling has been confirmed to drop from the original mobs, at least in the Badlands. So this gives us hope that the other colors will find their way back into the game as well. Our fingers are crossed.

Other questionable pets
Each of the remaining pets will probably be restored before Cataclysm ships. But we can't be certain, so pick 'em up in the coming weeks if you can.

• Black Tabby - Many of the mobs that drop this former Maine Coon are no longer present in the beta, including the Spellscribe (rare spawn). Summoners and Shield Guards both still exist near the old Dalaran site, but they currently have no loot tables (a bug?), so we're not sure whether they'll drop the tabby or not.
• Razzashi Hatchling - The Zul'Gurub instance has been removed entirely and the surrounding area is being redesigned. So it's possible that our Razzashi friend will show up in a rare-spawn nest in that new area. Still, you might want to nab this little raptor for good measure.

• Sprite Darter Hatchling (Alliance) - The quest chain that awarded this pet to Alliance "parents" has been removed. The Horde can still farm the darter without a hitch, but we're told it doesn't drop for the Alliance. We remain hopeful that the developers will update the quest chain, or at least enable the drop for both factions.

Fishing for pets
Also note that fishing has yet to be enabled in the beta. But we're fairly confident that our fished-up friends aren't going anywhere. We expect all of them to be confirmed when the secondary skill is activated.

Don't panic!
This news is likely to be unnerving for many collectors, especially you newcomers. Remember, we're not saying any of these pets have been removed. We're saying they're on our watch list. Our hope is that the developers will add them back into the ever-changing cataclysmic landscape in the weeks to come.

Special thanks
Finally, we'd like to extend a great big "THANKS!" to Wain for doing a SMOKIN' job of keeping us up to speed on all the old-world pets in Cataclysm. Thanks for the ongoing assist, Wain!