Pet Rescue Saga: Top 10 tips, hints, and cheats!

The definitive guide to Pet Rescue Saga: How to save more pets, manage your boosters better, and beat levels faster!

Pet Rescue Saga is easily just as addicting as [Candy Crush]( and has the ability to make your life's goal to save all the cute pets from the animal snatchers. If that sounds like an addiction you're familiar with, you've come to the right place! Here are the best tips, tricks, and cheats I've found when it comes to not only beating levels in Pet Rescue Saga, but obliterating them!

1. Worry about your pets first

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: worry about your pets

In most levels, your number one objective should be saving your pets. This means paying attention to where they are on the board and making your main goal to move them down as fast as you can. Avoid them standing on single colored blocks that can't be paired with anything around it. In order to do this, you'll need to think a move or two ahead. Look at what blocks they're standing on and make every attempt to make sure they're standing on a stack that can quickly be tapped away when you get to the bottom in order to free them. The less blocks you have, the harder this becomes, so plan for it early on.

2. Plan your moves accordingly

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: Plan moves accordingly

This somewhat goes with step one but can be applied to any level, pets present or not. Planning moves not only helps you clear levels faster, it also increases your overall score. I've found that in most levels, working from the bottom up is the best bet. Pay attention to what's on top and clear opposite colors on the bottom. This way, those top blocks have a better chance of coming down on like colors that you can then easily clear.

3. What boosters to buy

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: what boosters to buy

My favorite boosters are Color Pop and the Block Buster. I've only ever actually paid for the Block Buster as I find myself getting Color Pops for free quite often, especially if I come back after not playing for several days. The tip to using either of them are to wait until you really need them. If you're planning a few moves in advance, you should know whether or not you'll need them.

In my experience, wait to use a booster until you're towards the end of the level and have no other option to clear a particularly troublesome color or individual block. Sometimes it can make a difference between clearing a level or not.

4. Don't worry about clearing every single block

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: don't worry about all blocks

In most levels, you don't need to clear every single block, this is especially true in levels that involve pets. Worry about clearing the rows with pets in it when you get towards the end. If you need to use boosters or rockets to clear an entire row to get to a pet, I'd do that before worry about a single or double row of blocks with nothing else in it. The score is minimal and the amount you get for saving a pet is worth far more and may actually make the difference between saving enough pets before you run out of moves.

5. Giving and receiving free lives

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: Free lives

Pay attention to how many lives you have before accepting more from friends. They'll stay in your inbox as long as you let them but if you accept them when you have full lives, it doesn't add anymore and you can't get them back or redeem them later.

I also always make a habit of asking for lives right when I start playing. That way, I may receive some lives while I'm playing and then when I run out, I've got a few more go around's before I actually run out. Then when I'm done, I'll send out another request so next time I play, I've got some extra lives built up.

6. Pay attention to the objectives

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: objectives

In some levels, the objectives you have to meet can be a little tricky. Especially pay attention to the score requirements. If you save enough pets but don't meet the score requirements, you don't pass. This especially sucks if you use a booster you paid for in order to pass the level. If you aren't close to the required score or pets needed to pass, don't waste any boosters. It's better to try your luck again and start the level over.

7. Don't let your pets get snatched

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: Pet snatchers

If your pets get too high up on the top of the screen, if they drop off they get taken by the pet snatchers. Pay attention to when the pet gets scared and shakes. That means they're too close and run the risk of getting snatched. You can't get that pet back so your total amount of savable pets just went down.

If for some reason you can't match enough blocks to get the required amount down, you won't pass the level and you lose a life. You can always pay to get the pets back but if you're careful not to lose them by letting them reach the top of the screen, this is seldom an issue. I recommend using a rocket when you have one available if a pet is getting dangerously close to the top of the screen.

8. Use bombs and boosters wisely

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: bombs and boosters

We've already discussed bombs and boosters a little in the sections above but referring to them specifically, save them for only when you need them. For most levels, this is typically towards the end when color pairings get harder to make. One rocket or one bomb can make the difference between saving the pet you need to pass, or having to start the level all over again. If you don't need a booster or you think you can get away with not using it right that second, wait.

9. Having trouble with a level? Try it on the computer instead!

Pet Rescue Saga Tips and tricks: on facebook

Most King games don't seem to sync up correctly with the actual Facebook versions, Pet Rescue Saga included. I've also found that passing hard levels seem a heck of a lot easier on the computer version than they do on the iPhone or iPad variants. I'm not sure why, but that's always been the case.

When I have a hard time with a level for days on end, I jump on the computer and give it a try. Never fail, I typically pass it in just a few tries. Not to mention, the Facebook version always gives me lots of free crap the iOS version never offers. So, added bonus!

10. Your tips and tricks!

We know there are lots of you out there that play Pet Rescue Sage regularly. If that sounds like you, let us know any clever tips or tricks you've figured out by leaving them in the comments below!

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.