PetMD recently recommended HealthyStuff.org for checking up on pet toy safety. So, I decided to give them a try.
At Healthy Stuff, you can check ratings for lots of products, not just for pets. The site rates pet chew and tug toys, tennis balls and pet beds as low, medium or high.
You actually want a low rating, which means that there’s low or no levels of toxic materials present. For example, I found that the Play N Squeak “Twice the Mice” toy has a high rating, mainly due to lead in the tail feathers. Yikes. I don’t know about your kitty, but mine goes after feather mice tails like they’re the real thing. A Coleman dog bed also received a high rating for lead.
One thing I really like about Healthy Stuff is the ease of search. You can search by brand name, type, level of concern, or the product name. You may also use the “Test My Stuff” feature to nominate your favorite new pet toy or bed for testing.
Should you really be concerned about pet toys being toxic? Yes. Sadly, there aren’t any government standards for dangerous chemicals in pet products. That’s a bit amazing considering children also play with these toys. Healthy Stuff urges you to take action to get standards put in place.
(Image via Healthy Stuff)
Post from: Blisstree