Puzzle Toy Review: JW Playbites Caterpillar

The JW Playbites Caterpillar by Petmate is a durable, chewable toy that has for treat-holding segments. This is a natural rubber toy that is intended to stand up to some actual gnawing. It comes in various colors and two sizes for dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

So far the caterpillar has only been used a treat dispenser around here, nobody has felt the urge to really chew on it. They have had quite a lot of fun emptying it out, though. Each segment has an x-shaped opening, and each opening is on a different side.

This is definitely a chew toy that can hold treats, it's primary purpose is not dispensing food. There's no way I could feed meals out of it, but the caterpillar makes a fun project for a crated dog. Sometimes I stick a few pieces of kibble in it when the dogs aren't looking and then leave it for them to discover later.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 1/5
We have the smaller version of the Caterpillar, and I can only fit a few kibbles in each segment. Way less than 1/4 cup.

Loading Speed: 2/5
I have to shove each treat in one by one, but not many fit so it doesn't really take long.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 3/5
My visiting cattledog friends often spent quite a while on this project without getting every treat out.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 2/5
Brisbane has to think about it a little, but he can empty the caterpillar out in a few minutes.

Size: 4/5
Ours is a medium, but the large caterpillar is over a foot long and 4" wide so it should be fine for very big dogs.

Durability: 5/5
This is made out of the same stuff as Cuz balls, so it can handle everything but a power chewer.

Noise: 5/5
The caterpillar is sturdy rubber, but not really heavy enough to make a ton of noise on our hardwood floors.

Locatability: 2/5
It rolls quite a bit and fits under the furniture so it is prone to disappearing.

Washability: 3/5
It's intended for dry treats so it doesn't get too dirty. It's actually not terrible to scrub out either. The only issue is drying it, there's no way to set it so the holes can all drain at once. I have to turn it a few times before it will dry out completely.

Versatility: 5/5
The size of this toy makes it suitable for a variety of animals. The caterpillar is also a favorite of our friend Xhuuya the raven, who loves to wrestle nuts out of the segments.

Total: 32/50