The device includes at least one oblong gripping element located at the periphery of a ball with which it is in contact, either indirectly via a covering element enclosing the ball, or directly by extending its external casing, or inner bladder or an element interposed between the two latter elements. The device has an elastic articulation between the gripping element and the ball, permanently returning the gripping element in a radial position relative to the ball center.

A practice ball comprised of mutually perpendicular X-, Y- and Z-members. A plurality of wings interconnect the X-, Y- and Z- members. The shape of said wings skeletally defines the shape of the practice ball. The wings and reduced weight of the practice ball provide for a shorter trajectory for the practice ball than the equivalent standard ball (golf, tennis, etc.), thereby allowing smaller playing fields to be used. The practice ball may be manufactured by means of an injection molding process, and produces a pleasant whirring sound in flight.

An amusement device (10) intended for use by cats and other pets, which can be easily caused to move in sliding, rolling, or somersaulting motions, or other lively motions, through manipulation with the paw. The device (10) comprises a circular ring formed of a circumferential band (11) which has a plurality of elevational undulations having bases (13) and peaks (12) and a number of upwardly projecting shapes (14) which can be easily gnawed or bitten by the pet and grasped by the mouth of the pet.

A recreational and amusement device for a dog takes the form of a ball having a substantially spheroidal profile. The exterior wall of the ball is shaped to form surfaces of a main body and surfaces of two substantially identical handles spaced approximately 180.degree. apart and lying within the substantially spheroidal profile. The main body includes an outer surface which conforms to the substantially spheroidal profile and a plurality of inboard surfaces extending between different locations on the substantially spheroidal profile. The handles include outer surfaces lying within the substantially spheroidal profile of the ball and inner surfaces opposing respective ones of the inboard surfaces of the main body. The inner surfaces of the handles and the inboard surfaces of the main body form contours which bound openings extending through the substantially spheroidal profile. The handles and openings are sized and shaped to receive the snout of the dog to permit the dog's mouth to extend completely around either of the handles to grip the ball. When one of the handles is so gripped, the opposite handle may be grasped by a human who can pull on the ball to play with the dog. Preferably, the ball is formed from two molded half portions which are substantially identical and is made of plastic, rubber, vinyl or other elastomeric material which is sufficiently resilient to bounce.

Sketelay animals toys capable of rolling and bouncing comprise polyhedra or other skeletal structures which can be inscribed on an imaginary spherical or ellipsoidal surface, torii and linear members which form a cylinder with circular cross-section, or elliptical and linear members which form a cylinder with elliptical cross-section. The skeletal animal toy is formed of an elastomeric material, which is preferably natural rubber, synthetic natural rubber, or a blend of natural rubber or synthetic natural rubber and one of a plurality of blending polymers including butadine rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber and ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber.