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Beyond the simplicity of a ball or a bone, pet toys today are a far cry from just a few short years ago. As we’ve discovered recently, they are more creative, stronger and last longer than the toys offered in years past.

Chloe’s first toy was an inexpensive chew-teething bone made of red rubber with a small rope tied to one end.

At $2, I figured it would last an hour or two before we would have to throw it away. That had been our experience in the past with puppy toys.

Still, that would be two hours she was not making a dive for my fingers and toes in attempts to chew on me.

To our surprise, the toy is still in her rotation of favorite playthings four weeks later. The original rope has long been chewed off and discarded, but the plastic is still intact. I am impressed.

Because that toy seemed to be a bit more resilient, we decided to try a few other varieties that could withstand constant chewing, tugging and throwing.

A brand called Petstages caught our eye. We were drawn to the toys’ vibrant red, orange, blue and green. A butterfly appealed to us because the wings made a crinkly sound, much like the leaves in our yard that Chloe, our puppy, was obsessed with.

We settled on a small green striped turtle with crinkle legs and a body that squeaked. Colorful loops of orange and red were sewn into the sides, giving her additional textures and chewing surfaces.

Chloe was immediately drawn to her new turtle, which was the perfect size for her. It, too, remains in her toy rotation as a favorite.

After yet another trip to the store a few days later, Chloe began to enjoy two other Petstages toys — a soft mini-toss ring that’s good for interacting and a cool teething stick for chewing, especially during that painful teething stage. Both have the same crinkle sound as the turtle and host bright dots and stripes of green, blue, red and yellow. Each has something interesting hanging off of it and is easy for her to grasp in her paws and mouth.

We even found a stuffing-less monkey under the same brand that has two squeakers. It is a great size for her little mouth, and she has even learned how to make it squeak herself.

It’s cute to watch her roll around in the floor with it, controlling the noise herself, something she is quite proud of.

Because she likes to chew on ropes, my husband picked out a rope toy made under the Martha Stewart brand. Yes, Martha Stewart even has pet items for sale.

Chloe loved the tightly braided rope and has enjoyed unraveling it bit by bit. I can cut off the long strands of string as she pulls them out without being concerned the rest of it will unravel.

Two weeks ago, my daughter and I went to the pet store again, hoping to find a few more things to keep Chloe occupied. I noticed some toys that reminded me of my kids’ favorite childhood toys. To my delight, I discovered they were made by Fisher-Price. I had no idea that Fisher-Price made pet toys.

There was the “Chatter Pup Telebone” and the “Ruff-A-Stack” resembling the Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone and the Fisher-Price Rock-A-Stack toys. I also saw the “Paw-cket Treats Radio,” a treat dispenser that looks like Fisher-Price’s wind-up radio from yesteryear.

Each was made for dogs (some were made for cats) out of strong plastic and rope; scented with peanut butter for added appeal. It was hard to decide what to get first.

We picked the “Activity Bones,” which mimicked the old baby favorite of plastic keys on a ring, and “Chatter Chew” that made an interesting sound when someone shakes it. We picked out the “Ruff-A-Stack” for later.

I know a lot of toys are geared toward humans.

I hope they give Chloe something structured to chew on (besides our fingers and toes) that allow us to engage her in play as we continue to bond in between her naps, meals and regular trips outside.

Linda Vestal is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend living in Gibsonville. Contact her with comments or story ideas at lindavestal@triad.rr.com.