Why Dogs Love Cat Toys and Why They Usually Shouldn't Play With Them

By Dr Duncan Houston

Your dog has a basket full of toys. Naturally, the most exciting object in the house is the cat's tiny jingly ball.

It rolls. It bounces. It makes a noise. It is small enough to scoop up in one mouthful. From your dog's point of view, that is an excellent afternoon.

From a veterinary perspective, those same features can create a choking hazard or a swallowed foreign body. A toy that is fun to chase is not necessarily safe to carry, chew or swallow.

Quick Answer

Dogs often like cat toys because their movement, sound and small size make them interesting to investigate and chase. However, many cat toys are too small or too easily damaged for dogs, allowing the whole toy, a bell, stuffing or string to be swallowed. Keep these toys out of your dog's reach, and contact your vet immediately if you think one has been eaten, even if your dog initially seems well.

Why Are Cat Toys So Appealing to Dogs?

They are small and easy to pick up

Tiny mice, pom-poms and little balls are easy for many dogs to grab and carry. Unfortunately, being easy to pick up can also mean being easy to swallow.

Dogs explore objects with their mouths, and ingestion can happen during that investigation without the dog deliberately setting out to eat the toy.

They jingle, rattle or crinkle

Sound draws attention. A bell that rings whenever the toy moves gives the dog something interesting to investigate again.

Some dogs carry noisy toys gently. Others chew until they reach whatever is making the sound. That difference in play style matters when the toy contains small removable parts.

They roll away

A rolling ball invites another nudge, another chase and another grab. Movement can make an otherwise ordinary object much more engaging.

Interactive dog play often uses moving toys to encourage interest, retrieving and exchange games. Cat toys provide some of that movement too, but often in a much smaller package.

They bounce unpredictably

A bouncing ball or lightweight spring changes direction, keeping the game interesting. The problem comes when an excited dog catches something small enough to disappear into their mouth.

Your dog does not read the label saying “for cats”. Choosing an appropriate toy is our job.

Why Many Cat Toys Are Unsuitable for Dogs

The concern is the combination of size, construction and how your dog plays.

Many cat toys are designed for batting, pouncing and carrying rather than sustained chewing by a dog. A toy that survives your cat's play may break apart quickly in a dog's mouth.

Cat toy or feature	Main concern for dogs
Tiny balls and pom-poms	May be swallowed whole or become lodged in the mouth or throat
Small stuffed mice	The whole toy, fabric, stuffing or attached parts may be swallowed
Jingle balls and toys containing bells	The outer toy can break, releasing small components
Plastic springs and lightweight shells	May be swallowed or chewed into fragments
Feather wands, ribbons, elastic and strings	Attachments may be swallowed; long strands can cause particularly serious intestinal injury

Toy safety depends on the individual dog's size and behaviour. Small toys and detachable components are recognised ingestion hazards, while damaged toys should be removed promptly.

Supervision helps, but it cannot make an easily swallowed toy an appropriate choice.

What Is a Foreign Body?

A foreign body is material that does not belong inside the body. In this context, it means a swallowed object such as a toy, bell, piece of fabric or string.

Not every swallowed object causes an obstruction. Some pass through. Others lodge in the oesophagus, stomach or intestines, with the risk influenced by their size, shape, material and location.

Toys are a recognised cause of gastrointestinal foreign bodies. When an object becomes stuck, it can obstruct the passage of food and fluid, injure surrounding tissue or cause a perforation. Leakage from damaged intestine can lead to life-threatening infection.

Being small enough to swallow does not mean an object is small enough to pass safely.

Why string and ribbon are especially concerning

Long strands can act as a linear foreign body. If one part becomes anchored, intestinal movement can gather the bowel along the strand, causing damage.

This is why a length of string deserves urgent attention even though it looks soft and harmless. If string is visible from your dog's mouth or bottom, do not pull it. Contact your vet immediately.

Which Dogs Need Extra Care?

Be particularly cautious with dogs that gulp objects, dismantle toys or have previously swallowed something requiring treatment. Puppies and enthusiastic chewers also need close management.

A large dog may swallow a cat toy whole. A small dog may become obstructed by a much smaller piece. Neither size group gets a free pass.

Repeatedly eating non-food items warrants a veterinary discussion. This can involve behavioural factors, medical problems or both; a single accidental ingestion does not automatically mean the dog has pica.

Signs Your Dog May Have Swallowed a Cat Toy

Sometimes the most useful clue is a missing toy or a damaged toy with a piece you cannot find.

Possible signs of a gastrointestinal problem include:

• Vomiting.

• Reduced appetite or refusing food.

• Lethargy or unusually quiet behaviour.

• Abdominal discomfort or reluctance to be handled.

• Diarrhoea, straining or passing smaller amounts of stool.

These signs can also occur with other illnesses, including gastroenteritis and pancreatitis. However, access to a missing toy makes foreign body ingestion particularly important to investigate.

Do not wait for symptoms after a suspected ingestion. A dog may appear comfortable before a problem becomes obvious.

What has happened?	What should you do?
Your dog picked up a toy, and you recovered it completely intact	Remove access and offer a suitable alternative
A toy or component is missing and ingestion is possible	Contact your vet immediately for advice
Suspected ingestion with vomiting, reduced appetite, lethargy or pain	Seek urgent veterinary assessment
Difficulty breathing, blue or grey gums, collapse or severe distress	Treat it as an emergency

When Is This an Emergency?

Choking requires immediate action. Warning signs include difficulty drawing breath, frantic pawing at the mouth, blue or grey gums, and collapse.

Call an emergency veterinary clinic immediately and follow their first-aid instructions while arranging urgent help. Avoid blindly pushing fingers into the mouth, which can worsen the situation or result in a bite.

Repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain, weakness or collapse after suspected toy ingestion also needs urgent assessment. Do not wait until morning to see whether the toy appears in the poo.

What to Do if Your Dog Swallows a Cat Toy

1. Contact your vet straight away

Tell them what may have been swallowed, when it happened, your dog's approximate weight and whether there are symptoms.

Mention string, sharp pieces, batteries or magnets specifically if the toy contains them.

2. Gather useful information

Take a photo of the toy, its packaging or an identical example. Keep any remaining pieces so the vet can estimate what is missing.

You do not need to solve the entire mystery before calling.

3. Avoid home remedies

Do not induce vomiting unless your vet specifically directs you to do so. Whether vomiting is appropriate depends on the object and the dog's condition.

Do not give oil, laxatives, bread or a large meal in an attempt to push the object through. Ask your vet what, if anything, your dog should eat or drink before assessment.

4. Follow the assessment or monitoring plan

If your vet recommends monitoring, ask exactly what to watch for and when to return. Monitoring should be a considered clinical decision, rather than an assumption that a small toy will probably pass.

There is no universal safe waiting period for swallowed cat toys.

How Do Vets Diagnose and Treat a Swallowed Toy?

Your vet will consider the history, examine your dog and may recommend X-rays, ultrasound and blood tests.

Some materials are difficult to see directly on X-rays. The vet may instead identify changes suggesting an obstruction, or recommend further imaging if the initial results are inconclusive.

Treatment depends on the findings. Some objects can be retrieved by endoscopy, while others require surgery. If the intestine is badly damaged, part of it may need to be removed. Carefully selected cases can sometimes be managed with veterinary monitoring.

Early assessment helps identify the safest option before complications develop.

Safer Ways to Offer the Same Fun

The aim is to keep the enjoyable movement and interaction while choosing toys appropriate for your dog.

• For rolling and chasing: choose a dog ball large enough that it cannot fit completely inside the mouth, while remaining comfortable to carry.

• For carrying: select a suitably sized dog toy without easily detached decorations.

• For chewing: use a toy matched to your dog's chewing strength and remove it when damaged.

• For dogs that dismantle sound-making toys: avoid accessible squeakers, bells and rattling components.

• For mental stimulation: offer supervised food puzzles, scent games and interactive play suited to the individual dog.

Size, material and condition all matter. Even a toy sold for dogs can be unsuitable for a particular dog, and no toy should be treated as indestructible.

Managing Toys in a Home With Dogs and Cats

Your cat still needs opportunities to play. The practical solution is to separate access.

Use a room or secure barrier that allows the cat to play without the dog joining in. Put small toys and wand toys into a closed container after each session.

Do not rely on a high shelf alone. Cats have considerable experience in relocating objects to the floor.

Check under furniture for forgotten balls, springs and mice. Count small toys before and after play, particularly if your dog has a history of swallowing objects.

Teach “leave it” and “drop” through reward-based training. If your dog picks up an intact toy, stay calm and use a familiar exchange rather than turning retrieval into a chase. If they guard objects or you cannot retrieve one safely, seek professional guidance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

“They have played with it before.” Previous uneventful play does not guarantee the toy will remain intact or avoid being swallowed.

“I will just watch them.” An inappropriate toy can be swallowed faster than you can intervene.

“It is soft, so it cannot cause a blockage.” Fabric and stuffing can also become foreign bodies.

“They seem fine, so I will wait.” Suspected ingestion deserves veterinary advice before symptoms develop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can small dogs play with cat toys?

Do not assume a cat toy is suitable because your dog is small. Check its size, durability and detachable parts. A properly selected dog toy is generally the better choice.

Can a dog still poo with an intestinal blockage?

Yes. Stool already beyond the blockage may still pass, and partial obstruction can allow some material through. Diarrhoea can also occur. Passing stool does not rule out an obstruction.

Will a swallowed cat toy pass naturally?

Some objects pass, but others become trapped or cause injury. The decision depends on the object and the dog. Contact your vet rather than making that prediction at home.

Does removing the bell make a cat toy safe?

Not necessarily. The remaining ball, fabric shell or other attachments may still be small enough to swallow or easy to tear apart. Assess the whole toy.

Keep the Fun, Choose the Right Toy

Dogs like many cat toys for understandable reasons: they are small, noisy, easy to move and exciting to chase.

Those qualities also make some of them poor choices for dogs. Offer an appropriate alternative, keep small cat toys securely stored and act promptly if one may have been swallowed.

The cat gets their mouse back. Your dog gets a safer game. Everyone wins, including the intestine.

ASK A VET™

Unsure whether a toy suits your dog's size or chewing style? ASK A VET™ can help you understand what to look for. If you think your dog has swallowed a toy, contact your vet immediately. Breathing difficulty, collapse or severe distress requires emergency veterinary care.