Rising standards and demand

There are dogs that have had a ball or a big play bone all their life. The owners speak of their pet's "favourite toy", which it won't part with for anyone. The international pet supplies trade sells a range of these products, generally made from flexible synthetics, that is incredibly diverse as far as both quality and price are concerned.Entire companies, for example the American manufacturer Kong, were built on the development of a toy product and have grown over the years into globally active enterprises. If one looks also at the countless stands of Asian suppliers of dog toys, for example at Interzoo, it becomes even clearer that this is a mass market. One Danish wholesaler told PET worldwide a couple of years ago that sales of dog toys in some parts of Scandinavia are higher than sales of toys for children.Change of thinking among pet ownersThe rapid development of the market for dog and cat supplies has only been facilitated, however, by the realisation among pet owners that they can make their pet happy with a new toy. Thought is given increasingly to the dog or cat of the family, even to the point that a visiting pet owner might bring a small present for it; previously such visitors came only with a bar of chocolate for the kids. Products in the price range from one to ten euros thus account for the biggest share of dog and cat toys sold in pet stores.Rethinking by the pet owner has also taken place with regard to keeping the pet occupied or entertained, however. While the attempt in many countries to bring agility activities for dogs into the garden at home failed miserably, toys that call for patience and skill on the part of the pet have caught on massively. Balls filled with treats that fall out during play and are intended to reward the pet are offered for dogs and cats alike. The Swedish entrepreneur Nina Ottosson has popularised something that was already known above all from the nursery: the dexterity game made from wood, in which dogs and cats can gain access to previously concealed treats by moving the pieces around. Naturally it didn't take long for Asian copies to appear.Focus on healthToys made from wood have reinforced a further trend, however: sustainability and health. While a growing number of pet owners are checking to see that products made from plastic and rubber don't contain any toxic substances, a trend is even emerging in the USA for sustainabletoys. The company Simply Fido, for example, offers the so-called Organic Toys…