Today Blizzard announced a way to prove your devotion to World of Warcraft - y'know, besides spending dozens of hours a week on the game or buying WoW beer steins. You can now purchase premium in-game pets through the online Blizzard Store.

The first two pets, a Pandaren Monk and Lil’ K.T. (a miniaturized version of the lich Kel'Thuzad) were detailed in this WoW forum post. They cost a whopping $10 apiece. On the bright side, half of the proceeds from sales of the Panderan Monk in 2009 will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"Like other paid services we offer, such as Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, and Character Re-Customizations, the Pet Store service is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft in a way that isn't detrimental to the game and that doesn't detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service," says the official WoW Pet Store FAQ.

To buy these new pets, you'll first need to merge your World of Warcraft account with a new Battle.net account. You'll be required to do that soon, anyhow.