Patent ID: 8573159

Claim:
A sound-producing pet toy apparatus comprising: an elastic core having an outside surface; a crackling member having an inside and an outside surface, the crackling member being positioned with the inside surface of the crackling member substantially adjacent to the outside surface of the elastic core; and a resilient outer shell member substantially encircling the crackling member and the elastic core, the shell having an inside and an outside surface, the inside surface of the shell being positioned about the outside surface of the crackling member in a first configuration; the apparatus having a second configuration in which at least a portion of the crackling member and elastic core are deformed by a force applied to the resilient outer shell, the crackling member producing at least one of a sound and a vibration upon deformation; and upon release of the applied force, the elastic core reshapes the apparatus toward its first configuration, the crackling member again producing at least one of a sound and a vibration, as the elastic core, the crackling material and the shell substantially return to the first configuration.