Loofah pet toys: from the field to the finished toy
A loofah toy starts as a gourd hanging on a vine. Between the field and your shelf there are only a few steps, but each one decides how the toy looks, how it travels and how you should describe it. This guide follows those steps and lists the questions worth asking any loofah supplier.
- For pet shops, importers and Amazon sellers
- Natural loofah
- About 5 minutes to read
What loofah is
Loofah, also spelled luffa, is a gourd that grows on a climbing vine. Picked young, it is a vegetable. Left on the vine until it is fully mature and dry, its flesh is replaced by a tough network of fibres. That fibrous skeleton is the loofah used for bath sponges, and it is the material of our pet toys.
Loofah is light, and it is a natural material, so no two pieces are exactly alike. Say so in your listing, and your customers will expect a natural piece rather than a moulded one.
Step 1. In the field: time to mature
Our gourds are left to mature 6 to 9 months, sometimes longer, before they are processed. A gourd picked too early is still a vegetable, not a fibre. Time on the vine is the first quality decision, and it happens long before any cutting.
The photo above shows loofah fields at harvest time in Vietnam, gourds hanging from trellises before they are picked.
Step 2. From dried gourd to shape
Our loofah toys are cut from dried loofah gourd into animal and bone shapes. Current shapes include:
- Teddy Bear
- Fish
- Cat and Kitty
- Bone
- Duck
Length runs from 11.5 to 15 cm, depending on the shape. Ask us for current shapes and sizes before you plan a range, because the line changes over time.
Custom shapes
A shape of your own needs a mould. We discuss the options with you before quoting, rather than quoting a mould cost blind. If you only need your brand on the product, a tag inside the bag or your own printed box needs no mould at all. Laser engraving is a coffee wood option.
Step 3. Packing
Shaped loofah toys are vacuum-sealed, 1, 2 or 3 pieces per bag, so you can sell singles or sets. A size sticker goes on each bag. If you sell under your own brand, your kraft or eco cardboard tag goes inside the bag before sealing; our standard tag is 5 × 9 cm, and other sizes are possible.
For Amazon sellers, bag and label details are in packing natural pet toys for FBA, by material. The three packing levels show plain, branded and FBA-ready side by side.
Dogs, cats, and how long it lasts
Which pet a loofah shape suits, and how long it lasts in play, are questions we would rather you answer with your own samples than with our adjectives. Give the samples to the kind of pet your customers own and watch how they use them before you write a listing.
What we can say: loofah is a light, shaped toy, not a dense chew. If your customers want a long-lasting chew stick, look at coffee wood; for a tough fibre toy, hemp rope toys. Soft coconut fibre is a third option with its own trade-offs; see how long coco coir toys last.
Where loofah fits in a range
Loofah toys are light, so they add range to a coffee wood or hemp order without much extra weight. The minimum is 50 pcs per product, so a few shapes can sit in the same order as your other lines; see how a mixed order works.
Loofah also appears in our pet beds: the elevated wooden-frame bed comes with a natural loofah mat. See pet beds.
Testing and paperwork
Loofah toys have no lab test yet; see what our SGS coffee wood test covers. Loofah is of plant origin, so a phytosanitary certificate is issued when your market requires one; which documents your country needs, your importer or customs broker confirms. More in EU export documents for pet toys.
Questions to ask any loofah supplier
- How long are the gourds left to mature before processing?
- Which shapes are in production now, and what length is each?
- Is each toy vacuum-sealed, and can you pack sets?
- Can I see a photo of the raw gourd, not only the finished toy?
- Does a custom shape need a mould, and how is that handled?
- Which lab tests, if any, cover loofah?
The same "is it really the material it claims" check applies to every natural line; see sourcing natural pet toys from Vietnam instead of China.
Questions buyers ask about loofah toys
How long are the loofah gourds matured?
6 to 9 months, sometimes longer, before they are processed.
Which loofah shapes can I order?
Current shapes include Teddy Bear, Fish, Cat, Kitty, Bone and Duck, 11.5 to 15 cm long depending on the shape. Ask us for what is in production now.
Can you make a loofah toy in my own shape?
A custom shape needs a mould. We discuss the options with you before quoting.
Are loofah toys vacuum packed?
Yes. Shaped loofah toys are vacuum-sealed, 1, 2 or 3 pieces per bag, with a size sticker on each bag.
Are loofah toys for dogs or for cats?
Test that with your own samples before you list them. Ask us for samples of the shapes you are considering.
Try loofah in your next order
Start with samples: your first 3 are free, you pay the shipping.