As the name suggests, pet balls are balls designed for pets to play with, although they can also be used for other recreational purposes. For standard-sized balls, based on their bounce, a one-meter threshold is used to classify them. Generally, balls with a bounce of more than one meter are classified as first-grade balls, those with a bounce of less than one meter are classified as second-grade balls, and those without specifying the bounce are classified as third-grade balls. Second-grade balls can be stretched or dipped in glue, with slight price differences.

There are also rope-attached balls that are thrown for dogs to chase, known as "rope-throwing balls".