As these photos show, for dogs, cats, and other pets, toys are not a luxury, but a necessity.

Toys are important to them, because they help fight boredom when you have to leave your pets at home, and provide comfort when they're feeling nervous. In fact, toys can even help prevent animals from developing certain problem behaviors.

Cats can be pretty picky about toys, but dogs are often more than willing to play with any object they can get their paws on. That also means dog owners need to be particularly careful when monitoring their four-legged friend's playtime to prevent any "unscheduled" activities.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, the things that are usually most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. But you can dog-proof your home by removing string, ribbon, rubber bands, children's toys, pantyhose and other inedible items that could be swallowed.

When it comes to cat toy safety, inspect all of your feline's toys periodically for any loose pieces, wires, or clamps, especially where the toy attaches to the sting (if there is one).

Ingrid King, a former veterinary hospital manager and author of five cat books, writes that many toys use safety pin-type attachments, and it wouldn’t be impossible for a cat to chew firmly enough on that part of the toy to pop the pin open.

"Keep fishing pole toys out of your cat's reach when they’re not in use. Cats can become entangled in the string, or even eat and swallow it, which can cause an intestinal blockage," King explains.

"Don’t let cats play unsupervised with electronic toys that have moving parts. Depending on the toy, paws and whiskers may get caught in the mechanism and your cat may be injured, or at the very least, traumatized."