FAQs

HOW ARE THE PRODUCTS MADE & WHAT SETS UP APART?  

We source the highest quality stuffed animals we can find, remove the stiff filling, and customize an inner casing to the shape of each animal.   Each casing is stitched around twice with a very tight stitch for extra strength and durability.  Our special casing fabric has a very tight weave to hold in very fine glass.  

We hand-sift all of our fine glass to remove any “glass dust” that may be present.  We will often mix different sizes of glass and/or poly pellets together to achieve the softest, floppiest, squishiest, and most realistic feel.  Our very fine glass is extra soft and smooth and feels especially wonderful in a thin-skinned animal.  It also quiets down larger glass and poly pellets that may feel or sound crunchy on their own.  We take all of these things into consideration for our most sensitive customers.

Once our casings are placed into the animal, filled, and sewn up, we then add a layer of soft poly fill around the entire bead casing.  This adds an extra layer of softness, and the combination makes the animal feel almost real.  There is a bit of an art to getting it just right, and this is where I think we really stand out.  Once this is achieved, we hand-stitch the outer body of the animal closed, and send it off to it's new home.

Most of our animal heads are not weighted, otherwise they would flop right over.  We do have some listings that offer weighted heads and necks in some of our flat laying animals. For those, an extra glass casing in the head/neck is an added bonus that feels wonderful laying on your shoulder.

 

WHERE DO THE MATERIALS COME FROM?

We purchase our stuffed animals from US based companies, but most have them manufactured in other countries.  Majority of our animals are made in Indonesia, but we do have some that are made in Italy, Vietnam, and China.  Our lead-free glass beads and non-toxic poly pellets are made in the USA and purchased directly from other small businesses. 

Our goal is to always buy American, and always support small businesses first.  

 

CAN I ADD DRIED LAVENDER FLOWERS TO MY WEIGHTED ANIMAL?

We can add lavender to any animal that is not already made.  However, we don't recommend it.  While some people really love it, others don't, and once it is in there, there is no undoing it.  If you choose to add lavender, be 100% sure that you love the dried flowers and don't have allergies to it.  I can use lavender essential oil just fine, but the dried flowers make me cough and sneeze, so keep that in mind that they are different.  

In place of getting lavender in the animal, we do sell lavender sachets that work wonderfully when crushed in your hand and rubbed all over the outside of the animal.  This is a temporary scent that will fade and can be reapplied as needed.  You can find the listing by searching "lavender" in the search bar.

NOTE:  If you are in Australia, it is illegal to send dried herbs/flowers to your country.  We had a package held up in customs for months and then sent back to us because it contained lavender. 

 

WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL SHOULD I GET?

If you need something with a large surface area where the weight is more evenly distributed, we always first recommend our stingrays.  Other sea animals like the sea turtles, or even the manatees and seals are always a great choice. 

The weight in animals in a laying position will also feel more spread out, whereas an upright animal will feel more compact and center-heavy.  We recommend lower-profile laying animals for sleeping with or laying on your body.  Our upright animals are best for sitting in your lap or hugging.

 

HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I GET?

Because our animals come in all different shapes and sizes, it is difficult to suggest a weight based solely on a person's age or weight.  

I've often seen the recommendation for weighted blankets to weigh 10% of a person's body weight plus 1 or 2 pounds.  This does not apply to weighted animals, as the weight in a blanket is distributed over a very large surface area.  The weight in our animals is much more concentrated, and will feel much heavier.

It is also not accurate to choose a weight the same weight as your live animal and expect it to feel the same.  Dead weight feels much heavier than live weight, so we always recommend picking up a 5lb bag of sugar or flour, or a 10lb sack of rice to get a better idea of what your animal will feel like.  If the weight of your animal is all in the belly or main body, the sack of flour will give you a good idea of how it will feel. If the weight is spread out into the arms and legs, or over a larger surface area like a stingray, 5lbs will feel a lot less heavy than the 5lb bag of flour.

For a toddler, we recommend no more than 2lbs in a small animal, or 3lbs in a larger animal where the weight is more spread out.

For 3-5yr olds, we recommend up to 3lbs in a small animal, or 4lbs in a larger animal where the weight is more spread out.

For older children, we recommend 3 to 4lbs in a medium sized animal, or 5 to 6lbs in larger animals like our large horses and dogs.

For tweens, we recommend 4 to 5lbs in a medium sized animal, or up to 6 or 7lbs in a large animal. If it is a small animal that only goes up to 3 or 4lbs, we recommend the maximum weight.

For adults, we recommend the starting point of 4lbs in a medium sized animal.  If it is a small animal that only goes up to 3 or 4lbs, we recommend the maximum weight.  In a larger animal that can be weighted up to 10lbs, we recommend a starting point of 7lbs.  For our jumbo animals, I like to take the length and imagine that many smaller weighted animals lined up on your body, and choose a weight based on that.  20lbs is very heavy.  In a 36" animal, it's like having four 5lb medium animals down your body.  Please think in terms of 4 sacks of flour before ordering so much weight.

For the elderly, please refer to the weights for a toddler or young child depending on how old or frail. We have made a few animals for 100yr olds!  Our small 3-4lb dogs and cats make the perfect lap animals for the elderly.

Please message us if you still need help deciding how much weight to get. The size of the animal, wether or not the limbs are weighted, and whether or not it is for an adult or very young child makes a big difference. We are happy to help.

 

WILL MY ANIMAL BE SOFT AND SQUISHY?

In our listings, we add the maximum weight the animal can hold for those who know they need extra heavy, but some squishiness will be sacrificed.

For medium sized animals, we recommend going one pound less than the maximum weight if you want your animal extra soft and squishy. 

In our large animals, we recommend choosing 1-2 lbs less than the maximum weight, and in our jumbo animals, 3-5 lbs less.  

  

CAN I ADD MORE WEIGHT THAN THE LISTING IS FOR?

No.  We offer all weight options in the listing.  If the maximum weight is 5lbs, that will be the highest weight in the listing. 

 

WHAT IF THE SIZE I WANT IS SOLD OUT?

If the size you want is sold out, but another size shows in stock, you can contact us to see if all of those animals have already been made.  When we only have 1 or 2 left, we have to pick and choose which size(s) to mark as available.  We can change the quantities around if they aren't made yet, however, during the holidays, we pre-make a lot of animals, so we can't always accommodate.  We usually have more animals in the highest weight limits available.

   

HOW DO I CLEAN AND GROOM MY PLUSHIE?

For Premium Plushies and Puppets (Made with Faux Fur):

DO NOT PUT IN THE WASHER OR DRYER.  This will destroy your animal.  All of our puppets, and most of our plushies are premium plush animals, and are surface-washable only.  Do not submerge in water.  For spot cleaning, use lukewarm water and sponge with a mild detergent to wet and lather fur.  Dawn clear dish soap works great for oily stains.  Rinse surface with a sponge.  Dry by gently squeezing between towels, and if possible, lay it out in the sunshine (nature’s bleach and germ-killer).  After it’s dry, shake it out.  You can use a wide toothed comb to brush it, and/or blow dry on a low setting.  When brushing the face, be careful to avoid scratching the eyes or pulling out the threads in ears, nose, or mouth areas.

For grooming long pile fluffy plush, we recommend a vigorous shake-out to refresh your animal if it gets flattened or crushed.  A blow dryer on a low setting can also be used before or after the shake-out.

Short pile plush can be groomed with a wide toothed comb or pet grooming brush.  By brushing with, rather than against, the fabric grain, you’ll quickly restore the quality and realism of the animal’s fur.  PLEASE NOTE: a strong brush is no friend to the eyes, nose, and ears of the animal.  All can be scratched and damaged, or threads pulled out, if care is not taken to avoid these sensitive areas.

For Standard DIY Plushies:

While most of our DIY (Do-It-Yourself) plushies can go in the washer on a delicate or hand-wash cycle, for longer life, we recommend spot cleaning as described above.

 

WHY DOESN'T MY PLUSHIE'S FUR LOOK AS NICE AS THE PHOTO?

We try to pack your weighted animals tight in the box so there isn’t a lot of movement during shipping.  Sometimes a longer haired animal will arrive with a “bad hair day.”  A quick blow dry does an amazing job for styling or fluffing up the fur.  We blow dry most of our animals when we receive them as well.

  

WHAT DO I DO IF I DIDN'T RECEIVE MY ORDER?

You will receive a shipping notification once your order ships.  All orders have a tracking number, and can be tracked from the time you receive that notification.  If your order shows as delivered, but you did not receive it, please contact your local post office immediately.  There is a very small window of time that your package may be held there.  If it has been taking unusually long (longer than the shipping times stated above) and shows its in transit, please contact your local post office.  They will be able to track it and flag it if it were placed in a wrong bin and sent elsewhere.

Please double-check your mailing address.  We are a small business, and we put a lot of time into every animal we make.  We cannot be responsible for missing packages if you enter the incorrect address.

 

WHAT DO I DO IF I RECEIVED A WRONG OR DEFECTIVE ITEM?

We value you as a customer, and take pride in our workmanship.  Please contact us immediately to fix the problem.

 

WHAT IS THE RETURN POLICY?

We do not accept returns on stuffed animals.  We put a lot of time into each animal, and they are custom-made just for you.  We only send out brand new clean animals, and would not send out a returned animal to someone else.  We are a very small business and cannot afford the loss on time and materials if you don't like what you picked. 

Please see “How much weight should I get” in the FAQs.  If you are still uncertain, please message us prior to purchase, and we will gladly help you pick out the best fit for your needs.  We have helped hundreds of customers, and our response time is pretty quick to help you choose the right animal and weight.

 

HOW DO I MAKE CHANGES TO AN ORDER I ALREADY PLACED?

Contact us immediately.  Once your item has shipped, we won’t be able to change your order.