Gifts for Pet Owners Under $30: Toys and Gear Pets Use

The KONG Classic is the red, snowman-shaped rubber toy dog owners have bought for more than forty years, and the reason is the hole in the middle. Stuffed with kibble, a little peanut butter or KONG's own treats, it becomes a puzzle a dog works at for a long time, which is why it's the standard way to keep a dog busy while the owner is out or on a call. Empty, it bounces in odd directions, which makes it a fetch toy too.

It comes in six sizes, and KONG makes them in the United States from its red natural rubber, which it describes as the formula for average chewers. We link the Medium, which KONG lists for dogs from 15 to 35 pounds; the small fits dogs up to 20 pounds and the large dogs from 30 to 65. Every size lists well under $30.

The catches: the size matters more than with any other toy here. KONG's own advice is that the largest ring should be wider than the back of the dog's mouth, and to size up if a dog is between sizes or shares the house with a bigger dog. The red rubber is for average chewers; KONG sells tougher formulas for dogs that destroy toys. And a stuffed KONG is a sticky thing to wash, which is part of the deal.

The Hurley is the gift for the dog who chews whatever is nearest: sticks, shoes, the leg of the coffee table. It's a bone-shaped toy made from West Paw's own Zogoflex material, which West Paw builds to be tough and bouncy, and it floats, so it doubles as a fetch toy at the lake or the beach. West Paw lists it as BPA, latex, silicone and phthalate free.

West Paw makes it in Bozeman, Montana, and the material can be recycled. It comes in three sizes at three prices, all under $30: extra small, small and large. We link the small, the middle size, and the colors are bright (tangerine, aqua blue and a green called Granny Smith), which helps it stand out in grass and water.

The catches: West Paw calls it one of its toughest toys, but no chew toy survives every dog, and it should be put away once it's damaged. West Paw's page doesn't print each size's dimensions, so compare it against a toy the dog already has before you choose. And it's a solid toy, with nowhere to put treats; for that, the KONG above is the one.

Hide A Squirrel is a plush tree trunk with holes in it and small squeaky squirrels that go inside. The owner stuffs the squirrels in, the dog works out how to pull them back out, and the game starts again. It's a hide-and-seek puzzle for a rainy day or an evening when the dog has more energy than the walk used up, and the squirrels come out for fetch on their own.

Outward Hound makes it in four sizes. The small lists under $15, the large under $25, and the extra large above this guide's budget; pick the size by the dog, because the squirrels for small dogs are small. The plush is soft on the teeth, which Outward Hound points out makes it suitable for puppies as well as adult dogs, and replacement packs of three squirrels are sold separately for when one goes missing under the sofa.

The catches: it's plush, so it's a game for supervised play, not a chew toy to leave with a dog that shreds stuffed animals. Outward Hound says so directly: no toy is indestructible, and a damaged toy should be taken away. And every squirrel squeaks, which the owner may enjoy less than the dog.

The Quencher is a fabric dog bowl that folds flat into a jacket pocket or the side of a backpack, then pops open into a full-size bowl for water on a hike or dinner at a campsite. Ruffwear calls it the original packable dog bowl, and it's the gift for the owner who takes the dog everywhere: trails, road trips, outdoor cafés.

It holds 4.2 cups (1 liter), with a 5.5-inch opening. The shell is a 300-denier polyester ripstop, 63% recycled and bluesign approved; the inside is a food-contact-safe waterproof lining with a 4,000 mm waterproof rating, so it holds water rather than seeping it. Reflective trim around the rim helps it show up in a flashlight beam at dusk. It comes in three mountain prints.

The catches: it's one size, so a big dog after a long hike may need it filled twice. It's a hand-wash, air-dry bowl, not one for the dishwasher. And a fabric bowl is for the road, not for everyday use at home, where a steel bowl is easier to keep clean.

Cats play by grabbing something with their front paws and kicking it with their back legs, and most cat toys are too small for that. The Kickeroo is long enough to wrestle: a stretched-out plush Highland cow with a shaggy hairdo for batting, crinkle material inside for noise, and KONG's North American catnip to get things started.

It's an easy gift for a cat owner because it's inexpensive and doesn't need anyone else to play: a cat can wrestle it alone at 3 a.m. KONG describes it as soft enough to snuggle with afterwards, and it's sold in assorted colors.

The catches: you can't choose the color, because it comes assorted. Catnip doesn't work on every cat; plenty of cats ignore it, so a toy like this suits a cat the owner already knows likes catnip. And it's plush, so a determined cat will eventually wear it out; remove it once it's torn.