The best plush toys have something to take apart. A scoop that lifts out of a cone gives a dog a small job to do, and that little sequence of getting the top off, carrying it around and bringing it back holds attention far longer than a plain soft toy that squeaks once and then does nothing else. It also means two things to chase for the price of one.

Both halves are soft plush, light enough at 40g for a small dog or a cat to fling about without it going anywhere alarming. There is a squeaker for the ones who need the noise and a crinkle layer for the ones who prefer a rustle, and that crinkle is what makes it a reasonable cat toy too, since it sits closer to the sound of something moving in undergrowth than a squeak ever does.

• Two-part design with a scoop that lifts from the cone
• Built-in squeaker and crinkle layer
• Soft plush throughout, 40g
• Small enough for cats and little dogs to carry
• Available in pink or lake blue

On chewers: plush is a supervised toy rather than a chew. A determined dog will open the seams and get to the squeaker inside an afternoon, and both squeakers and stuffing are a swallowing risk. Keep this one for gentle-mouthed players, and for games you are actually in the room for.

Who it's for: Small dogs and cats who like to carry, toss and pull apart a soft toy rather than destroy one outright.