I think Neopets is great at expressing real life problems or ideas. Sure, it's filled with magical creatures and things like that, but it really shows that there are responsibilities in life, like taking care of your pets like they were kids, or the dailies that show there's work to be done in the real world. Perhaps it's not fully intentional, but it really shows you what the world's like.
For the Grey Color on pets, it shows what can happen if you forget your responsibilities, or maybe even showing you what it's like if you don't take care of YOURSELF. Either way, Neopets is kinda like a helper for me, since I like to take care of my pets and it makes me feel a little better about myself. I like this topic, it really brings out serious problems, so thank you for starting this conversation!