Safest toys for when your pet is home alone

Most pets are content to roam around the house and sleep all day, but will probably need some mental stimulation at some point or another.

Toys help alleviate boredom when their beloved pawrents aren't home, and can often be the barrier between them destroying pillows or digging up the garden. They help to stimulate and entertain your pet and keep them happy and healthy. The last thing you want to do after a day in the office is rush your pet to the emergency vet because they got bored and swallowed or played with something they shouldn't have. 

Ensuring the safety of your pet is one of your responsibilities as a pet owner. Giving your pet a toy that is not only mentally stimulating but does not pose any risks to their health and safety is incredibly important!

Not all toys are created equal. Some are made more poorly than others, with cheaper materials or shortcuts that can compromise their structural integrity. While some cheap toys are acceptable for monitored play, paying a tad more can get you reinforced seams and a higher quality toy that could keep them occupied for longer. If your pet is an aggressive chewer, playing with a cheap toy made of plastic, for example, might do them more harm than good. 

We recommend avoiding toys made of hard or rubber plastic. Toys made of hard plastic can cause damage to your pet’s gums, especially if they’re an aggressive chewer. Instead, look for toys made of natural rubber, as they don’t tear apart as easily and are less likely to cause an obstruction.

While there are no pet toy safety standards or regulations in place right now, you can still take some measures to ensure your pet's toy is safe. Many pet owners opt for toys that are BPA-free or made from recyclable materials like hemp fibre, natural rubber, or bamboo.

A recent study found that BPA, a chemical found in hard plastic dog toys, some canned dog food and drink containers, can be toxic to dogs.

While it doesn't go into too much detail on the long-term effects, it's best to err on the side of caution and avoid toys that contain BPA or are made of hard plastic.

Cats love to play with toys that resemble their prey – think mice, bugs, birds, or snakes.

Many cat toys, like wands, have a flexible string that cats like to pull and play with, resembling the moving prey they love to chase. If this string is swallowed or becomes detached from the wand, it can get anchored under your cat’s tongue, causing some serious, life-threatening pain.

Other toys like feathers, string, rope, rubber bands, and ribbons can pose the risk of strangulation, or choking if ingested. Toys made of rope or string especially can cause a blockage in the intestinal tract and can be a great cause of pain for your pet. While rope and string toys can be okay to give to your pet with supervision, we wouldn't recommend them for playtime while they’re home alone.

Any toy small enough for your pet to swallow or choke on is a hazard. Rubber or plastic balls, stuffing from plush toys, and fillings like beads or polystyrene can all pose a health risk to your pet. We recommend pet-proofing the toy by removing any components of the toy (like eyes, tails, string, or ribbons) that are prone to falling off and becoming ingested.

The best way to choose a safe toy for your pet is to know your pet’s play style. If you know they’re a rough player or an aggressive chewer, you probably wouldn't buy a soft plush toy because they’d mercilessly rip it apart and could ingest the stuffing or the squeaker. Consider a tougher, more durable toy, like a Kong, that doesn’t pose a choking hazard. 

Does your cat prefer to have mental stimulation, instead of sleeping the day away underneath the blanket? Think about investing in an interactive blanket, which will keep them foraging for toys and treats for hours.

In a perfect world, we could take our pets with us everywhere we go. But we can’t, so it's important we do everything in our power to keep them out of harm’s way when we can’t be with them.

The best way we can do this is by ensuring they have toys that are not only safe but mentally stimulating. Some good rules are to steer clear of toys made of hard plastic, rubber plastic, small toys that could get lodged in their throat, and toys that are made of rope or string. 

A great way to keep an eye on your pets while you’re away is to invest in a home security camera. Check out the best pet cameras of 2023, or one of my personal favourites, the Wyze Cam Pam v3.