Monster Rearing: Making a sapling happy

[Makilahy]

Has anyone found any options (interactions or food) that resonate with level 1 saplings? The online guides suggest slapping and feeding liquids, but everything I've done on 3 different characters yields "surprisingly not worthless", making it impossible to raise its contentment level no matter how long I raise it. I've also tried other foods and actions, but they give worse results.

In general, what's the best way to handle situations like this if you're trying to get mementos? I'm assuming there will be more cases like this one as I try to raise all of the creatures available.

I've noticed that responses to food and interactions (particularly the latter) vary from creature to creature. So should I just dispose of these troublemakers and try again until I get one that responds appropriately?

[Dzspdref]

Depends on the liquid. I used distilled waters, then holy waters too. Got my leshy and red-leafed one too. Don't keep changing liquids, maintain same one. Distilled waters - buyable inside mog garden from moogle - work best.

[Makilahy]

Depends on the liquid. I used distilled waters, then holy waters too. Got my leshy and red-leafed one too. Don't keep changing liquids, maintain same one. Distilled waters - buyable inside mog garden from moogle - work best.

Unfortunately, distilled water is what I'm using. Even the evolution food doesn't help.

[cheyrn]

I can just say that I pet it instead of slapping it.

Incidentally, after 3 stars, I fed it a potion and it became a green foliage treant, rather than red like it says on one website.