Toys

246 products

Celeste Pets stocks over 260 toys for dogs, cats and birds from GiGwi, Hugsmart, Chuckit!, KONG, Benebone, RUFF Play, Nerf Dog, Outward Hound, Zippy Paws, Georgie Paws, Starmark, Petstages and more, with fast tracked delivery Australia wide.

Why Toys Are Not Optional

A bored dog is not a naughty dog, it is an under-occupied one. Chewing, digging and shredding are normal behaviours that have to go somewhere, and the cheapest way to keep them off your shoes and skirting boards is to give them a legitimate target. The same is true of cats: a cat that never gets to stalk and pounce will find something else to hunt, usually your ankles at six in the morning.

Play also does real work for an animal's head, not just its body. Ten minutes working a treat puzzle tires a dog more than a walk around the block, which is why enrichment toys are a standard recommendation for dogs that are anxious, recovering from surgery, or stuck inside on a hot day.

Shop Toys by Type

How to Choose a Toy That Lasts and Is Safe

Two things decide whether a toy works: whether it survives your animal, and whether it is safe while doing so. Those pull in opposite directions, and the mistake most owners make is chasing the first one and forgetting the second.

The hardness problem

A toy hard enough to be truly indestructible is usually hard enough to break a tooth. Veterinary guidance is to avoid anything harder than your dog's teeth. Three quick tests you can do in the shop or at home:

  • The thumbnail test. Press the toy with your thumbnail. If it does not give at all, it is too hard.
  • The knee cap rule. Tap it against your own kneecap. If that hurts, it is too hard or too heavy for your dog.
  • The hammer rule. If you could not drive a nail into it, your dog should not be chewing it.

This is why antlers, hooves and hard bones cause so many fractured teeth. A slab fracture of a carnassial tooth is a general anaesthetic and an extraction, and it usually happens on a toy the owner chose precisely because it seemed to last forever.

Size and supervision

A toy should be too big to swallow and too big to lodge at the back of the throat. That is a bigger margin than most people allow, particularly for balls. Supervise any new toy until you have seen how your animal treats it, and retire a toy once it starts coming apart. Specific things to act on: blood on a chew toy, a chunk missing, a squeaker exposed, or rope strands being pulled out and eaten.

Rotate rather than accumulate

Animals habituate. Five toys available all the time are less interesting than the same five rotated in pairs, put away for a fortnight and brought back out. It costs nothing and it is the difference between a toy box that gets used and one that gets ignored.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a chew toy is too hard for my dog?

Press it with your thumbnail. If it does not give at all, it is too hard and risks fracturing a tooth. Another check is to tap it against your kneecap: if it hurts you, it is too hard for your dog. Veterinary advice is to avoid anything harder than the dog's own teeth, which rules out most antlers, hooves and hard bones.

What size toy should I buy?

Big enough that your dog cannot fit it entirely in their mouth or get it to the back of the throat. When you are between sizes, go up. Undersized balls are the most common size mistake and the most dangerous one, because a ball that can pass the teeth can block an airway.

When should I throw a toy away?

As soon as it starts losing pieces. Squeakers working loose, stuffing coming out, rope strands being swallowed, chunks missing from a rubber toy, or any blood on a chew are all signs to remove it. A toy that is coming apart is an intestinal blockage waiting to happen.

My dog destroys everything. What should I buy?

Look at the durable range rather than buying cheaper toys more often, but do not go to the hardest thing on the shelf. The aim is a toy that outlasts your dog's jaw without being harder than their teeth. Solid rubber and natural nylon designed for power chewers hit that balance; plush toys, however they are marketed, will not survive a determined chewer.

How many toys does my pet need?

Fewer than you think, rotated more often than you think. Keep a small set available and swap them every week or two rather than leaving everything out permanently. Novelty is most of what makes a toy interesting.

Do you deliver toys Australia wide?

Yes. Orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 business days with full tracking. Metro areas typically receive orders in 3 to 5 business days, regional areas in 5 to 8, and remote areas in 7 to 10. Every purchase is backed by a 14 day return policy.