We use cookies to better understand how the site is used and give you the best experience. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our Cookie Policy. Click to learn more
There are many toys available for pets today in all shapes and sizes to cater to all needs, but some just prefer the humble ball.
Even so, with so much choice available, how do you choose the perfect ball for your pet?
Balls you can’t pick up
Not all dogs like to fetch and chase. Some like to squeak or seek out treats.
Our boy Blitz loved any ball, but once he had it clamped in his jaws, it was game over. He wasn’t releasing it for any reason. However, he had one ball that he couldn’t clamp and that was the Boomer Ball.
Nevertheless, he loved that ball. He would play with it for hours on his own until we had to pull him away because he was so over-excited.
Blitz with his Boomer Ball
Balls to Chase in the Dark
We have wasted plenty of hours traipsing around a pitch-black park searching for the ball that one of our dogs has dropped. But for dusk and dawn playtime, the Chuckit! Max Glow Ball is ideal – no batteries required!
Chuckit! Max Glow Ball
Balls that go beyond Fetch
The Hol-ee Roller Ball is probably more fun on land. This ball can be used for tugging and tossing, but also filling with tasty treats.
Photograph by SETH CASTEEL @ LittleFriendsPhoto.com
Balls with Catnip for the Canny Cat
Cats love to chase too, and so these animal print Jungle Catnip Balls are fun and bring out the Tiger in your Kitty – they can’t resist the Catnip!
Jungle Catnip Balls
Boredom Busters for Horses
Horses love balls too, and these Jolly Balls are perfect not just for horses, but also for dogs. They come in scented varieties to make them more attractive to your horse.
Horses love balls too and are available in scented varieties
Ball Toys for Dogs, Cats and Horses
Why not take a look at our full range of Ball Toys and see if you can spot one that could be your pet’s new favourite?
From left to right, Chuckit! Breathe Right, Bad Cuz, Mini Fetch me Fido, Orbee-Tuff Fetch Balls, Chuckit! Rope Fetch Toy, Tug n Toss Jolly Ball, Ball in a Ball Puzzle Toy, Biosafe Puppy Treat Balls, Chuckit! Fetch Medley
These are a few of our favourite things – unassuming yet amazingly useful enrichment toys
Thanks to the pandemic, many people new to pet ownership are finding their feet with their new paws and wading through the thousands of available aids, toys, and enrichment games on the market.
We see a lot of different toys for pets and there are plenty of choices, but what if you want a “toy” that has more than one purpose? One that can become a hit with your pet and your go-to item for entertainment, comfort or learning. Have a quick browse through our well-tested, favourite things.
KONG
KONG – available in a range of sizes and varieties
Years ago, when we bought our pups their first KONGs, neither we nor the youngsters were impressed. We tried throwing them, but there wasn’t a lot of interest in them and they may have chewed on them for a while, but they just weren’t very stimulating. If only we had known!
What use is a KONG?
Fast forward a few years and we learned the secret of the KONG – the filling! Fill them with all sorts of goodies and the dogs were drooling the moment they saw them. That is the value of a KONG. Freeze them in the hot weather for a nice refreshing treat and prolong the entertainment.
Learn to stuff ’em
Cats too, can get to enjoy this far from boring gift that keeps on giving.
The Kitty KONG
Puller
The Puller Dog Exercise Toy
Another product that doesn’t initially excite you when you first set eyes on it. The Puller has become the number one favourite toy in our household. They all love it, even Jack, who doesn’t play with toys.
The Puller comes in a wide range of sizes to suit all breeds
It will fly like a frisbee, roll along the ground, float in water and not surprisingly, you can use it as a puller or tuggy. If you have more than one dog, they can play tug together. Our dogs adore it, especially our Daisy, who would swim to it in the pool and even chase it in her wheelchair.
But that’s not all it does, it is also a dog fitness aid, and with it, you get instructions on just how to use it to get your dog fit. But, if fun is all you’re after, you can’t beat it!
Train your dog to fitness with the Puller
Tug n Toss Jolly Ball
The Tug n Toss Jolly Ball
The Tug n Toss Jolly Ball is actually lovely to look at, but it is far more than just an ornament. This toy floats beautifully in water and, with the handle, is perfect for a dog to grab. Although our big boy Blitz never bothered with the handle, he enjoyed chomping into the body with his powerful jaws. And that’s the beauty of a Tug n Toss Jolly Ball, they may puncture, but they don’t deflate.
Available in a range of sizes and even scented varieties
Great for tossing, retrieving and for mouthing. They are also brilliant enrichment toys for horses and come in scented varieties to entice the equine nose!
An enrichment toy for your horse or pony
HOL-EE Roller
The HOL-EE Roller
This one took us by surprise. We have stocked the HOL-EE Roller for a while, but had no idea that there was a whole movement out there – #hackyourholee.
#hackyourholee
Such a simple, unassuming “toy”, and yet it has a cult following. Inventive owners have come up with all sorts of wonderful ideas to turn this into probably one of the best, most cost-effective enrichment toys around at the moment.
The HOL-EE Roller comes in a range of sizes
Use the HOL-EE Roller for a simple game of fetch if you wish, but you can go so much further. Attach a handle to it for an instant tuggy. Fill it with treats, or don’t just fill it with treats! Cut up some felt strips, roll the treats inside and then push them through the holes of the HOL-EE for longer-lasting fun and a handy brain game. Alternatively, put a ball or squeaker inside for some exciting entertainment. And horses can enjoy it too!
Fill the HOL-EE Roller with hay or treats to make snack time more fun
When the new Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy landed on our doorstep, we couldn’t wait to give it a try. It is, in fact, two toys. As your dog plays with one of the interactive paired toys, a fun and exciting squeak sound is heard from the other toy. When your dog rushes to investigate the second toy, the sound bounces back to the first toy, hence the name. It will keep your dog entertained ping-ponging between the two units trying to capture that illusive squeak!
The Ricochet is made of hard plastic with rubber top
Tilly is a keen tester
We chose Tilly to be the chief tester because she loves squeaky toys. We took her out to the field where we could hide the toys in the grass.
She was a little confused at first and couldn’t quite grasp what was going on, but after a few minutes, she got the hang of the game and was dashing back and forth between one and the other and attempting to round them up!
You can see how she got on with our video of her first encounter.
Product details
While not a chew toy, the Ricochet is durable enough for intense play. Change up the game by hiding one of the toys behind furniture or in a nearby room. The toys have a range of up to 30 feet. When your dog is done for the day, it will automatically turn off after 60 minutes of non-interaction to conserve the battery life.
Features
Hide and Squeak – The PetSafe® Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy features 2 paired toys that will have your dog bouncing back and forth as he tries to catch a “moving” squeak sound
Surprise Sound – The PetSafe® Ricochet is perfect for single-dog households; when your dog interacts with one of the toys, the other toy makes a squeak sound from up to 30 ft. away
Automatic Exercise – Dogs will love to chase the squeak between the toys, and you will love knowing your dog is staying active
Mental Stimulation – The moving squeak provides a fun puzzle for your dog, as the sound is never where he expects it
Free from Stuffing – The PetSafe® Ricochet has no stuffing or fabric to tear, making it a no-mess toy
Long-Lasting Play – Playtime with the Ricochet lasts up to a month of daily use; both toys turns off after 60 minutes of no activity to save battery life
One-Year Warranty – The PetSafe® Ricochet is backed by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
The Bionic Toss n Tug flying dog toy is a hit with Daisy!
Our white German Shepherd Daisy is a connoisseur of flying dog toys, and has tried several of them for us over the years (including Jawz Flying Discs, Fling a Rings, and Easy Gliders), so when the Bionic Toss n Tug arrived, no-one else could be better qualified than our Chief Product Tester.
This little gem looks deceptively unexciting at first glance, but one throw and its true potential is revealed. Not only does it fly effortlessly through the air, but if you hold it vertically when you throw it rather than flat, on landing it continues to roll at a rapid pace. Everything Daisy looks for in a chase toy!
It is also incredibly durable. Daisy has been hunting this toy daily for several months now, and there is barely a mark on it. She’s not a chewer but she does like to clamp her jaws onto it as she brings it back, and it has lived to tell the tale almost unscathed.
Although tugging isn’t really Daisy’s thing, she does tend to engage if she thinks the game is about to end. The Bionic Toss n Tug has retained its shape perfectly throughout these encounters.
This brings us to another interesting and surprisingly good feature. By folding in a certain way, the Toss n Tug twists into a full blown tug toy, giving you two for the price of one!
But that isn’t really Daisy’s cup of tea. As far as she’s concerned, tug toys are for the boys – she prefers a jolly good chase!
The Bionic Tug-n-Toss is a fantastic 2 in 1 dog toy. The orange colour makes it easy to see, and it flies and rolls extremely well making it great fun for retrieval games. Twist it inside out and it becomes a fun tug toy too!