Flash has given amateur designers a platform with which to produce and publish online video games. Untold thousands of titles populate the Internet, covering a wide breadth of genres. One genre is animal Flash games, which give players the chance to take care of both mundane and exotic pets. Some games also let players control animals, using them to fight other beasts or simply to explore a virtual world.

Animal Care

Whether you're feeding them or taking them on walks, pets are a responsibility. Several Flash video games explore this relationship between pet and owner. For instance, in "Doggy Day Care" you must play with, feed, walk and tend to a puppy's many needs. Other games take a more specific approach. In "Doggy Chef," for instance, the player's only task is to prepare a meal for a picky puppy. "A Walk in the Park" has players walking their dog through a park, solving puzzles as they go along.

Animal Racing and Sports

Animal racing is a common sporting event, and it has a place in video games, too. "Money in the Horse's Mouth" is a pure gambling game. Players place bets on horses and hope to win. "Gone to the Dogs" focuses on dog racing, and in addition to placing bets, the player can train a dog from obscurity into prominence. "Dolphin Olympics" isn't a racing game; instead, players perform flips, spins and other tricks in an effort to get a high score. If they do particularly well, they can fling their dolphin out of the stratosphere.

 Animal Grooming and Dress-Up

Animal dress up games give players a chance to drape cats, bunnies and other animals in clothes. "Carrot Couture" has players dressing a cartoon rabbit in equally cartoonish clothes, while "Horse Ranch Friends" lets players outfit a horse in realistic gear. Other games focus more on grooming a pet. For instance, "Pet Grooming Studio" lets players choose from multiple animals and then shampoo, wash, dry and brush them. "Devilish Pet Salon" takes a more tongue-in-cheek approach, and players trim and shape their pets' fur into imaginative and "devilish" hairdos.

Animal Fighting

In the wild, animals fight each other for survival. Games like "Dog Eat Dog" give players a chance to experience this struggle. Players start the game as a small puppy, but by eating smaller dogs, they grow in size. Gradually, they fatten themselves to the top of the food chain. "Insane Aquarium" takes a similar approach. If players get too close to larger fish, the game ends. Even once they've grown to full size, they must maneuver with some care, as smaller fish -- such as blowfish -- can still defend themselves.