furReal Interactive Pets: Which One Will Your Kid Love?

Best for
Kids who want a pet to lead around

furReal Maggie the Feed & Follow Cow is an 11-inch Highland mini cow with reddish-orange fur, brown eyes and a blue collar. Her signature move is in the name: offer her the toy bottle and she drinks, then twist it and she follows as kids gently lead her. She also swishes her tail, blinks, moos and plays a little cow bell, with more than 50 combinations of sound and motion.

The description adds more ways to play: pet her head forward to smooth her tuft and hear moos and laughter, or pat her head to make her blink. She ships in Try Me mode, so slide the belly switch to ON for full play, and back to OFF to save batteries. Four AA batteries are included. Maggie suits kids ages 4 and up who want a pet that responds to them and moves with them. If your child prefers tricks over walks, Coco or Peanut is the better match.

• Drinks from bottle and follows when led
• 50+ sound and motion reactions
• Tail swish, blinking eyes, moos and cow bell
• Four AA batteries included

Best for
Younger kids who love slapstick falls

FurReal Sally The Silly Hippo Interactive plush is a 9-inch pygmy hippo who is learning to walk. She walks, falls down and gets back up, with over 30 combinations of sound and motion. Give her the toy watermelon slice to hear hippo chatter like “Mmmm!” and “Whoa!”, then press her back to watch her practice walking.

The falling-down routine is the charm: kids root for her to get back up and keep going. She is the smallest pet here apart from the Bernedoodle, making her easy for younger hands. She also ships in Try Me mode. The feature list does not state whether batteries are included, while the truncated description mentions 4 AA batteries, so check the box details. Sally has the fewest reactions of the six, so for more variety, look at Peanut or Daisy.

Best for
Calm-down time and silly yoga play

furReal Daisy the Yoga Goat Interactive toy is an 11.4-inch goat with gray fur, green eyes and a green head wrap, and more than 60 reactions. Pet her back and she giggles, bleats yoga phrases like “Ohmmm,” and performs downward dog and bird dog poses. Sometimes she toots mid-pose, which is guaranteed laughs for most kids.

She moves her head, swishes her tail and drinks from her play water bottle with gurgling sounds. The standout feature is Meditation mode: press and hold her back for three seconds and she breathes deeply while soft music plays. That makes Daisy a good wind-down toy for bedtime. She does not walk, so kids who want a moving pet should pick Maggie, Peanut or the Bernedoodle. The listing does not specify batteries.

• 60+ sound and motion reactions
• Downward dog and bird dog poses
• Meditation mode with soft music
• Play water bottle included

Best for
The most varied, toddler-like play

FurReal Peanut the Playful Monkey Interactive plush toy has the biggest move set here: over 100 sound and motion combinations. At 15 inches, she is also the largest. Peanut sits, stands, laughs and walks on her own or while kids hold her hand, and when you hold one or both hands she flips head over heels in a somersault.

Like a real toddler, she sometimes needs a little help standing. She moves her eyes, uses child-like words, drinks from a banana bottle with gurgling sounds, can be rocked to sleep, and detects when she is picked up. For kids who want a pet that feels like a little buddy, Peanut offers the most to discover. The listing does not specify batteries. If size matters, Coco and Sally are more compact.

• 100+ sound and motion combinations
• Walks, sits and stands on her own
• Somersaults when hands are held
• Can be rocked to sleep

Best for
Walks around the house on a leash

furReal Walk-A-Lots Bernedoodle Interactive Toy is an 8-inch walking plush puppy with brown, white and black fur, green eyes and a pink collar. Clip the included leash to her collar and gently push, and she rolls along flat surfaces with a bouncy walk and a wobbly head, barking, panting, howling and singing a happy tune.

The key difference: the Walk-A-Lots rolls when pushed rather than walking on her own. That makes her simple and durable for everyday play, and her smaller size suits travel. She uses three AG13 button-cell batteries, which are included. Choose her for leash-walk play; choose Maggie if you want a pet that follows on her own after a twist of the bottle. Smooth, clear floors help any walking toy, and a quick pass with a home vacuum keeps pet-toy fur and crumbs off the route.

Best for
Kids who love tickle games and tricks

FurReal Coco the Tumbling Panda Interactive toy is a 10.5-inch panda with black and white plush, blue eyes and pink paw pads. She drinks from her bottle, holds a bamboo snack, giggles, sits up and falls on her back, and her big trick is tumbling up to five times in a row. She has more than 60 sound and motion combinations.

Tickle her right foot for giggles, and keep going until she falls back laughing. Pet her head for rolls, or double-tap it for the five-roll combo. Coco suits kids who love to trigger tricks and show them off to friends. She ships in Try Me mode, and the listing does not specify batteries. Give her open floor space so she can roll.

• Five-roll tumble combo
• 60+ sound and motion reactions
• Tickle and head-tap activations
• Play bottle included