The best pet Easter toys look seasonal but are built like any good everyday toy: sized for your pet, free of parts that come off, and nothing like the chocolate, plastic grass and lilies that fill the rest of the holiday. This guide covers when to buy for Easter 2027, a table of common seasonal toy types with the check each one needs, and the hazards ASPCA Poison Control sees every Easter weekend.
How this guide was built: we did not lab-test seasonal toys. The toy table is our practical assessment of common product types, and every safety rule links to the ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission or another named source.
Quick Answer: What Belongs in a Pet Easter Basket
- Dogs: a plush bunny or chick sized bigger than the mouth for gentle players, or a rubber egg-shaped treat toy for chewers.
- Cats: a small crinkle, catnip or felt toy, plus a wand toy for play together.
- Leave out: chocolate and candy, plastic Easter grass, plastic eggs as toys, and any lily arrangement if you have a cat.
When to Buy Pet Easter Toys
Easter moves every year. The next Western Easter falls on Sunday, March 28, 2027 (Farmers' Almanac), about a week earlier than Easter 2026 on April 5. A simple timeline we use:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks before (end of February) | Order online, especially with international shipping. Decide on one toy per pet rather than a full themed bundle. |
| 2 weeks before | Unpack, remove tags and ribbons, wash plush toys, and let your pet try the toy under supervision. |
| Easter week | Store human baskets and candy up high, plan where egg hunts happen, and keep any lilies out of a cat household. |
| After Easter | Sweep the yard and house for missed eggs and wrappers before pets find them. |
Buying early has a safety benefit beyond shipping: it gives you time to see how your pet treats the toy before the busy day, when nobody is watching closely.
Seasonal Easter Toys Compared
The table sorts the seasonal toy types you are most likely to see by who they suit and the one check each needs. It is our assessment of product types, not a test of specific brands.
| Toy type | Best for | Check before giving | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plush bunny or chick | Dogs that carry and cuddle toys | No plastic eyes, bows or bells; bigger than the mouth; see our plush safety checklist | Good, with supervision for shredders |
| Rubber egg treat dispenser | Chewers and food-motivated dogs | Passes VCA's fingernail test; too big to swallow | Best all-round pick for dogs |
| Rope "carrot" tug | Tug games with you | Put away when fibers fray; not for unsupervised chewing | Good for play together |
| Crinkle carrot or catnip egg | Cats | No string or ribbon tails; stitched, not glued | Good for cats |
| Plastic fillable eggs | People, not pets | Usually small enough to fit in a dog's mouth; can crack | Skip as a toy |
| Light-up or battery novelty toys | Short supervised play only | Battery compartment must be screwed shut | Avoid for chewers |
Why the last row: in August 2025 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled Pet Zone light-up pet toys because a ball could break open and expose button cell batteries. Novelty holiday toys are exactly where these batteries turn up.
For the rubber egg row, our rubber dog toys comparison explains the fingernail test and sizing. For other gift occasions through the year, see our holiday pet gifts guide.
Chocolate and Candy: The Biggest Easter Risk
ASPCA Poison Control says Easter is typically its top day for chocolate intoxication calls, ahead of Christmas, Valentine's Day and Halloween, because pets find candy hidden around the house or yard or get into unattended baskets.
- What chocolate does: the ASPCA's Easter safety tips list gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures and an elevated heart rate.
- Dark is worse: the ASPCA notes the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for pets, so baking chocolate and dark eggs matter more than milk chocolate.
- Other basket ingredients: the ASPCA also lists raisins, macadamia nuts, xylitol and alcohol among people foods to keep away from pets. Check sugar-free candy and gum labels for xylitol.
If your pet eats chocolate, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center with the type of chocolate and your best guess of the amount.
Plastic Grass and Plastic Eggs
Plastic Easter grass is the basket hazard people forget. The ASPCA explains that pets cannot absorb it, so it can become lodged in the gastrointestinal tract. Signs to watch for are vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy and stomach pain. Line pet baskets with a folded towel or crinkled paper instead, and bag up used grass right after the baskets are opened.
Plastic eggs are not dog toys. Most are small enough to fit entirely in a dog's mouth, which VCA's chew toy guide identifies as a choking danger, and thin hollow plastic can split into hard edges when chewed. If you want an egg shape, buy one made for dogs from natural rubber.
Easter Safety for Cats: Lilies First
ASPCA Poison Control states that true lilies (Lilium) and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are a concern for acute kidney injury in cats, and it discourages cat owners from keeping Easter lilies at home at all. If one comes in as a gift, the ASPCA advises making sure cats cannot reach any part of it, including loose leaves, pollen and the water the flowers stood in.
For the toy itself, cats do best with small, light toys they can bat and carry: a crinkle carrot, a felt egg with catnip, or a wand toy you control. Avoid anything with a string or ribbon tail left out unsupervised, and keep plastic grass away from cats as well as dogs.
A Pet-Safe Easter Egg Hunt
Many families want the dog included. Our suggestion is to run two hunts:
- Human hunt first, pets inside. Hide candy eggs while pets are indoors, keep a written count of how many went out, and check the count at the end.
- Pet hunt second. Hide a handful of your dog's regular kibble or treats inside dog-safe rubber toys, not plastic eggs, and let your dog sniff them out.
- Sweep afterwards. Walk the area once more for wrappers, stray eggs and loose grass before the dog goes back out.
Sniffing games are a genuine treat for many dogs, and this version keeps the fun without putting chocolate or plastic in reach.
Pet Easter Toys: Frequently Asked Questions
When is Easter 2027?
Western Easter falls on Sunday, March 28, 2027, according to the Farmers' Almanac. Buying pet toys in early March leaves time to wash them and check seams before the holiday.
Can dogs have Easter chocolate?
No. The ASPCA says chocolate can cause gastrointestinal upset, pancreatitis, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures and a raised heart rate, and that darker chocolate is more dangerous. ASPCA Poison Control reports that Easter is typically its top day for chocolate intoxication calls, so keep baskets and hidden eggs out of reach.
Is plastic Easter grass dangerous for pets?
Yes. The ASPCA warns that pets cannot absorb plastic Easter grass, so it can lodge in the gastrointestinal tract. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, lethargy and stomach pain. Paper shred or a towel is a safer basket liner.
Are plastic Easter eggs safe dog toys?
Not as chew toys. Most are small enough to fit in a dog's mouth, which VCA lists as a choking risk, and hollow plastic can crack into sharp pieces. Use a dog-made rubber egg or treat ball instead.
Are Easter lilies toxic to cats?
Yes. ASPCA Poison Control says true lilies and daylilies are a concern for acute kidney injury in cats, discourages keeping Easter lilies in homes with cats, and warns that leaves, pollen and even the vase water can be life-threatening.
What is a good Easter toy for a cat?
A lightweight crinkle or catnip toy, or a wand toy used with you, is a safer pick than anything with ribbon or string. Keep lilies and plastic grass out of the room entirely.
Build a Safer Easter Basket
Skip the candy and plastic grass. Our dog and cat toys ship free within the US, so order early in March for Easter.
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