A toy story for the unwary
Cellophane, buttons and fabric are all harmful to hapless animals
With a big smile, the PR manager of a local company says, "Here's a gift for your little dog".
Carefully wrapped in cellophane is a cute fabric doll with buttons for its eyes and nose, a dress made of some very light fabric, and yarn for hair.
At home, I hide the doll away while I think about what to do with it. I'd never let any of my animals play with it.
Within seconds, though, Wan-Wan my poodle pup has found the doll. Under a chair where I can't see her, she's discarded the cellophane and started chewing on it. She pulls off the nose and starts working on the eyes.
Meanwhile, Tara, the one-eyed kitten, has wrapped herself up in the cellophane. She's wrapped so tightly, she can't get out of it.
You probably already recognise how dangerous this toy is - and not only for animals. It's so easy to pull of those buttons and swallow them! It's so easy to get a head wrapped up in that cellophane!
What's even more horrifying is that the label on the doll says, "Your baby will love me!" I do hope no parent lets a toddler near this death trap!
You can't even expect every toy in a pet store to be safe. Pet supply shops offer lots of dangerous toys. You'd expect a shop specialising in pets to know what's safe and what's not, but I suppose the toys have been chosen for price and not so much for safety.
It really is up to you to ensure that the toy you buy is safe - no buttons, no light fabric, no yarn.
Whether your dog will play with the toy you so carefully buy is another matter. Wan has lots of toys, but unless someone (a cat or perhaps me) joins in, she quickly loses interest.
The cats have lots of toys too. A toy mouse that a friend has just sent over is a big hit - for awhile. Soi boy Thong walks around with it in his mouth, but then Wan takes it away from him.
The mouse, so perfect for a cat, is not so good for a dog. Wan can destroy it in seconds, but Tara quickly grabs it and falls asleep with it between her arms, guarding it.
When she wakes up, she wanders off, having forgotten all about the toy.
