Madison, Wisconsin, learned this from her cat, Hazel, who choked on a common cat toy. “She was playing with a glitter ball and then started meowing kind of frantically, scrambling around and pawing at her face. I jumped up and pulled the ball out of her mouth,” recalls Easterling. Hazel only gets big glitter balls these days.


A New Generation Spurs Change Te American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey provides insight into the demographics, buying habits and other traits of dog, cat, bird, small animal, reptile, fish and horse owners. Te 2019-2020 survey shows that about 85 million U.S. homes, or 67 percent, include a pet. Tis leads to a lot of money flowing into the pet toy and care community. Annually, dog owners spend about


$124 and cat owners spend about $89 on treats and toys. Te survey also indicates that Millennials are the largest pet- owning demographic. “Te pet care community is doing


a great job of meeting the demands of a new generation by offering a range of products made from sustainable, recycled and upcycled materials,” says Steve King, CEO of APPA, in Stamford, Connecticut. King notes it’s expected that as Gen Z pet owners begin to assert themselves in the marketplace, we will see more products based on sustainability and transparency.


Shopping for Safety Experts offer some guidelines for ways consumers can choose harmless toys: 4 Be suspicious of toys manufactured overseas or cheap ones made in the U.S. 4 Contact the manufacturer and ask if toys contain phthalates, BPA, arsenic, bromine, chemical dyes, chromium or formaldehyde. 4 Look for toys made with ingredients from nature (hemp, leather or wool). 4 Find a pet supply store that has natural, safe and sustainably sourced products. 4 Inspect toys periodically for loose parts and watch the pet with new toys. 4 If a pet plays with a toy and then acts oddly, contact the vet.


Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin. Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.


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