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Choosing the best toys for your pets

Choosing the best toys for your pet(s) can sometimes be difficult.  Not all small dogs and cats like the small toys typically recommended to them and larger dogs can destroy toys in a matter of minutes. The key to determining the best toys for your pets is based on their personality, the amount and types of pets you have in your home and their energy level.

 

First, know your pets’ personalities.  If you have multiple pets in the home make sure that the toys you choose are appropriate for everyone, or at the very least, not harmful to anyone. If your dogs or cats enjoy playing with one another make sure your toys are large enough for all the pets to enjoy and are interactive (tug toys, balls, etc.) If your pets are toy aggressive, make sure to separate them until you have trained them to play nicely.  In this case your pets will each need their own toys to play with. Knowing your pet’s personality is key to determining what toys they can enjoy as well as what toys cause possible problems for them (easily destroyed toys and toys that cause aggression). Remember, some breeds and some pets should not be given tug toys or toys that encourage chasing or rough behavior. Determining the best toys for your pets will require testing of multiple toys until you find the best combinations.

 

If you have one pet in your home, it is fairly easy to try some toys and determine what types of toys he/she may like.  It is important to make sure that the toys you choose are appropriate in size (not able to swallow or choke on), appropriate in type (heavy chewers should not be given toys they can rip apart and should always be supervised with their toys), appropriate in usage (pet toys should always be toys especially made specifically for pets) and fun for your pet.

 

If you have a household with multiple pets, then you must observe the appropriateness of the toys (stated above) but you must do this for all the pets in your home. For instance if you have a Chihuahua and a Rottweiler, you need to make certain that your Rottweiler cannot destroy or choke on your Chihuahua’s toys. In situations like these, it is important to test the toys you choose on multiple occasions and to not leave your pets unsupervised with their toys. You may find toys that all the pets in your household enjoy or you may find that during play time your pets need to be separated and play with separate toys.

 

Cats generally enjoy smaller toys that are engaging.  While this is very important for their well being, it is also important to make sure the toys you use are approved for pet use and will not harm other pets in your house. While some toys are appropriate for cats and small dogs, some of the smaller toys will provide a choking hazard for larger dogs. Once again, this will be an area where you will need to test the toys in your household and come up with the safest playtime for you and your pets.

 

Overall, playtime should be enjoyed by you and your pets and should provide exercise, fun and a time to bond with you and between your pets.  Good Luck!

 

Shopping with Fido does not specifically endorse or recommend any of the articles on this site. We do however hope you enjoy all of these pet articles from our wonderful community members and consult your veterinarian for any questions.

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