Lorrie Shaw / Contributor

Every pet has one. A favorite toy that they've had well, what seems like forever.

They range from the simplest plush dog toy — usually tattered, matted and dirty — to a plastic squeaky toy that has long since lost its ability to squeak.

Cat owners know that the most simple of things that keep cats interested and busy might be a piece of ribbon left over from gift wrapping. Exotic birds love to tear up cardboard or manipulate little puzzle toys.

If you say to most pooches, "Go get your toy," often they will run to grab that one item that just makes them go crazy for play.

Playtime is important for pets, regardless of the species or breed. Each pet has preferences about the kinds of toys that it likes, and many like to create games of their own. Fun and games are important from a pet's youth to its senior years, as it keeps the pet's brains vibrant and its body active.

What are your pets favorite toys? We want to see!

This week, on our Pet Photo Friday feature, we invite you to email a photo of your companion animal with its favorite toy to ppsa2mi@gmail.com, any time during the week.

Include your companion animal's name, age, and city or township of residence in your email, as well as a bit of information on what your pets like to do for fun. Be sure that your photos are 600 pixels wide and in .jpg format.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger on AnnArbor.com. Follow her pet adventures on Twitter.