Littlest Pet Shop

Littlest Pet Shop is an American toy franchise and cartoon series owned by Hasbro. The original toy series was produced by Kenner in the early 1990s. An animated television series was made in 1995 by Sunbow Productions and Jean Chalopin Creativite et Developpement, based on the franchise.

The franchise was relaunched in 2005 and there are currently over 3,000 different pets that have been created since. Hasbro, alongside various digital media developers, have produced video games for consoles such as the Nintendo DS, Wii and PlayStation 3. A second animated television series was produced by Hasbro Studios for Discovery Family, a U.S. cable network partially owned by Hasbro. This series premiered in 2012 and concluded in 2016 after 104 episodes.

Hasbro has created virtual pets to 'adopt' and play with online. These websites were Littlest Pet Shop VIP, and Littlest Pet Shop Online. In 2010, Hasbro released their version of Blythe as a part of this toy line. Hasbro has created many different versions of these creatures. The first series was created in 2005, the second release in 2008, the third release in 2012, and the most recent release in 2014. There have been various Littlest Pet Shop toy figures. Around the world, they are known to have code toy numbers on either the side of them or the bottom, or otherwise have them on the box which it sometimes comes with the sticker.

LPS now have a large community of teen collectors of these toys. Some community members will film with them and make short films or series to upload to YouTube. But there is also a community on Instagram where the collectors will take photos or paint these figurines. It has grown so much that there is even a Comic Con-styled con held yearly.

Kenner toys (1990s)
Introduced in 1992, each set comes with certain actions, such as a movable part. Most included magnets or simple mechanisms, such as flapping wings.

The line includes:

1992–1993
Note: Sets produced in 1992 are depicted. The same set released in 1992 was also remade in 1993 with different colors.
 * Li'l Paw Prints Pets – Choice of a fat yellowish cat or a black dog with grey marks. They came on a molded plastic base that would hide a rolling stamper built into the underside of the pet. Either of the stamp colors can come in red and purple.

Ready to Go Pets

 * Happy Puppy – A Dalmatian with a purple pet carrier, an ID tag, a food dish, and a magnetized red brush that, when moved in front of its stomach, causes its tail to wag (a revision in 1993 contained a black dog with a green brush).
 * Hurrying Hamsters – Two hamsters with a clear container (yellow lid), an ID tag, a water bottle, a bag of paper litter, and a clear pink wheel. The curved hamster has a little weight in its belly—when placed in the wheel and the handle is turned, the hamster would move as if it were running in the wheel (the 1993 revision contained two-tone hamsters).
 * Ticklish Toucan – A magenta toucan with green feet, and a light turquoise cage with lavender bars, an ID tag, a perch, and a food dish. Touching the toucan's head would cause her wings to flap (the 1993 revision had a red toucan).
 * Color Change Chameleon – A green temperature-sensitive lizard with a pink container (blue lid), an ID tag, a water bottle, and a desert background (the 1993 version had an orange chameleon).
 * Bashful Bunny – A white rabbit with a light turquoise basket, an ID tag, a bunch of carrots, and a food dish (green food). If the user pressed down on the rabbit's tail, her ears would twitch (the 1993 revision had a brown patched bunny and a pink basket).
 * Frisky Kitty – A black/grey cat with a pink carrier, an ID tag, a food dish, and a magnetized ball of wool (the 1993 revision had a cream-colored cat).

Pet Presents

 * Cutesy Kittens – Golden and gray-white kittens (brown and calico respectively in the 1993 version). It contained a cat house (with a built-in litter box on the base), a food dish, a scratching post, and a magnetized toy mouse on a string. The golden kitten's head had a magnet in it and would bobble its head when the mouse was dangled in front of it. Pressing the gray-white kitten's tail would cause the arms to move up and down in a scratching motion.
 * Mice – Three mice (two of which were magnetised, grey or white in the 1992 version, black-and-white with patches in the 1993 version). A terrarium with a landscape insert, a lid that could be flipped over to become a maze, magnetized cheese, a water bottle and a food dish.
 * Turtles – Two turtles with a terrarium (green with blue shells in 92, yellow with orange shells in 93), a water dispenser, a landscape with a palm tree, and a food dish.
 * Playful Puppies – Two dogs (a white fluffy dog, a brown and white mutt; a grey-white splotched fluffy dog and a pure brown mutt in the 1993 version). It contained a large basket, a newspaper, a dog bone, a fire hydrant, and a food dish.

Cozy Home Pets

 * Puppy Trio – A Poodle, a collie, and a black-and-white spaniel. It came with a doghouse with a fenced-in green grass base, a food dish, w mailbox, and a magnetized newspaper. Pressing the poodle's tail would make her scratch her ear, pressing the shepherd's tail would make him shake his paw. The mutt's bobble-head was magnetized to play tug-o-war with the paper and bone.
 * Gerbils – Four gerbils, containing two yellow transparent plastic enclosures, connecting pipes, an exercise wheel, a food dish, a water dispenser, and a magnetic wand to move the gerbils through pipes.
 * Fish – A tank with colorful floating fish.
 * Monkeys – A trio of monkeys with a tree, two platforms, a tire-swing, a food and water bowl, and two bunches of bananas.

Mommy and Babies
Each set came with 5 babies and a mother. Two of the babies had magnets inside and would suckle the mother. Each set seems to have used multiple variations in colour.
 * Mommy and Baby Puppies – Grey-and-white mother and pups.
 * Mommy and Baby Kitties – Grey-or-white mother, kittens come in yellow, grey and white.
 * Mommy and Baby Bunnies – White or brown mother, brown, white and grey babies, containing a cardboard vegetable garden, grassy terrain with a hole, a basket, a bunch of carrots, lettuce, and a food and water bowl.

Playsets

 * Pet Shop – It came with a variety of accessories and two caged lovebirds that would kiss when lever moved (the 1992 version is aqua, while the 1993 version is coral).
 * Care Center – A veterinarian play set with a dog, a kitten, and numerous veterinarian pieces. It came with a white bed with an adjustable pillow angle, a aqua weighing table (with a removable meter and two drawers), a magenta X-ray machine with a blue "scanner" (which was a handle that turns the battery 'on' and 'off'), a white cast for the dog's arm, yellow tweezers, an aqua tray, a white-and-aqua syringe, white scissors, a square aqua canister, a yellow thermometer, a round yellow canister, an aqua bottle, an aqua blanket, x-rays (one for the cat, two for the dog) that are illuminated by an x-ray machine, a check-up list, and 5 Band-Aid stickers cut out. When the kitten is placed in warm water, the fleas disappear. The dog's arm is moveable, and the cast can be put on it.
 * Kennel Playcase (1994) – A re-purposed pet shop play set, this set uses the same overall mold, but comes with different accessories and a differently shaped counter.

Beethoven's 2nd
Based upon the movie series, there was a number of playsets featuring the infamous Saint Bernard dogs.

Pal Around Pups

 * Splash Happy Puppies – Four dogs, a bath tub, a bathroom counter and bathroom accessories.
 * Prize Winning Pups – Four dogs, an awards stage, a carrier, and accessories.

Splashtime Pets

 * Swimming Ducklings – A mother duck with two ducklings, all magnetized, a bowl of food, and a pond. the ducks could be made to move in the pond by a magnetized wand. There is also a swan version.
 * Deepsea Divers – A small tank with two separated sides that both have coral, one side is blue and the other is red with yellow coral. Hot water is supposed to go in the red side and cold water on the blue side to make the seahorse turn colors. There is an octopus that squirts water, a snail, a seahorse that sticks to the coral and a magnet wand.
 * Jump 'n Splash Frogs – Three frogs on lily pads, a tank with a catapult, a jar of food, and a frog jumping contest mat.

Chatter Pets

 * Chirpy Tree Friends – A skunk, a raccoon, a squirrel, a tree, and a hanging food dish.
 * Chirpy Birds – Four birds and a clear aviary. There was a button on the top of the aviary that would chirp when pressed.
 * Purry Kittens – Three cats and a kitty condo, and a mouse with a box that squeaked.

My Real Pets

 * Playful Persian
 * Sleek Siamese
 * Clever Collie
 * Fancy Poodle

Littlest Pet Shop Zoo (1993–1994)

 * Keep Me Safe Pets
 * Jungle Bunch – An elephant, a panda, a leopard, and a parrot, with a zoo enclosure, a bowl of food, a coconut, and a branch of brown bamboo. The elephant squirts water out of its ear when squeezed. The panda holds bamboo and raises it toward its head to "eat" when said head is pushed. The leopard bats the coconut when its head is pushed and the parrot flaps its wings when its head is pressed.
 * Lively Shih Tzu
 * Brave German Shepherd
 * Polar Pets – A polar bear, two penguins, and a seal, with an icy cave, and a fishing rod — the polar bear has a magnet in its head, and chases fish. Penguins have ball bearings on the bottom allowing them to "slide" down the iceberg and the seal flaps its flippers when the snowball on its nose is turned.


 * Nursery Pets
 * Baby Tiger – A baby tiger and a baby cockatoo, with a zoo enclosure, a food bowl, and a ball-on-string. The tiger shares a mold and gimmick with the Jungle Bunch leopard.
 * Baby Chimp – A baby chimp, with a zoo enclosure with a hammock, a baby's bottle, nappies, a doll, and a blanket — the chimp wets itself.
 * Baby Zebra – A baby zebra and a baby mouse, with a zoo enclosure, a brush, and a bale of hay — the zebra has a gear hidden in its mane, which when turned caused one hoof to kick.


 * Playful Ponies
 * Arabian Prancers – One black rearing pony, and one standing grey pony.
 * Shy Shetlands – Shetland ponies, a mummy and baby.
 * Indian Ponies – Two ponies, one palomino, one appaloosa. It comes with an apple.


 * Wilderness Pets
 * Baby Bobcat – A baby bobcat, a cave, a food bowl, and a toy mouse on a pink strig — Same as pet shop standing kitties, the bobcat has a magnet in the head and will follow the mouse.
 * Desert Parakeet Same as below, except it is blue not grey.
 * Fearless Falcon – A tan falcon, a purple bowl of grey food, desert terrain in enclosure with a blue lid — the falcon flaps its wings.
 * Honey Bear – A bear, a cave, an orange bowl of purple food, and a mug of honey that the bear can hold — like the panda, the bear raises the honey pot to "eat".
 * Playful Sea Lion – A sea lion with a starfish on its nose. When the starfish is turned, the sea lion 'claps'.


 * Keep Me Safe Pets (94 release)
 * Lion Family


 * Play With Me Pets
 * Mommy Hen – A hen with chicks in eggs in her nest, that chirp when pressed. It also included a coop and a food/water dish.
 * Baby Calf – It tail swishes when the head is petted.
 * Baby Lamb – Its woolly coat comes off.


 * Zoo Playset
 * Playset – A beige carrying case, that folds open with two internal trees, two bright green leaf canopies; one fits on top of each tree trunk, a purple chest, accessories in yellow, aqua, or bright pink: two sacks, a small bale of hay, a bag of peanuts, a bucket of fruit, a bamboo stick, a bunch of bananas, and two fish.

1995–1996
Kenner also produced sets in 1995 and 1996 ranging from "Shimmering Mer Pets" to Plush "Dazzling Hair Pets", diverging further from their original pet shop sets.
 * Seaworld – It featured several SeaWorld stars like Baby Shamu.
 * McDonald's Happy Meal – It included fantasy creatures, such as a unicorn and a dragon.
 * Television Series – Featuring the characters from the animated Littlest Pet Shop stories.
 * Mini Surprise Families – Polly Pocket-style sets of anthropomorphic animal families, 'Teeny Weeny Families' were made by Vivid Imagination for the UK and Australian market and re-branded by Kenner as Mini Surprise Families for the US in 1996.

Hasbro toys (2005–present)
In 1985, General Mills spun off its Kenner and Parker toy divisions to form Kenner Parker Toys, Inc. Kenner Parker Toys was acquired by Tonka in 1987. Under Tonka management, Kenner Products was reconstituted as a division. Tonka (including Kenner) was purchased by Hasbro in mid-1991. Hasbro closed the Cincinnati offices of Kenner in 2000, and Kenner's product lines were merged into Hasbro's.

Generation 2
The Littlest Pet Shop toy line had molds that looked more unrealistic compared to the 1990s incarnation of the franchise, and had realistic colors that blended in. They had bobble-heads and they came with a round pink or blue magnet with a pawprint on it, this is located on the bottom of their feet (2004–2005 versions). Some pets were fuzzy. Later ones had a smaller blue magnet with no pawprint which didn't have a specified location on the bottom. This series of sets were released as single packages, in pairs, in packs of twenty, and with playsets.

Generation 2.5
The eyes changed to a glossy polish rather than with a matte polish as it was in G2. These pets have symbols in their eyes, such as a snowflake (chilliest), a diamond (fanciest), a cookie with a bite (hungriest), a raindrop (sportiest), a flower (cuddliest), and a wind symbol on some Comic Con-exclusive pets, although there were also glossy-eyed pets with no eye symbols. They are the most collected pets as well. They also came in brighter colors. From 2007 onwards, the pets didn't have a magnet, but a circle with a shape of a hexagon inside the hole (except for birds with a rectangular slot for them to perch on playsets). A C-031 marking also showed up (except for birds). The most recent releases did not have the eye symbols, and had a redesign of the LPS logo. Some of the newest G2.5 pets go up to number 2600 in the range of Littlest Pet Shop numbers.

Generation 3
The line was revamped to coincide with the release of the 2012 TV series. It is the most hated generation, as most collectors and fans have described it as 'creepy looking' and 'demonic'. These pets did not last for a long time. Later, they added the Sweetest Pets series (pets themed after sweets), Rolleroos (pet friends that are shaped like small balls), pets that came with Blythe, and the Fairies series. The pets now had different molds and a new eye style. Later on, Hasbro reissued the Totally Talented set from G1, and Blythe was also given a makeover. Hasbro had lots of calls complaining about the G3 line.

Generation 4
These pets have molds that more closely resemble the style of the TV series and were given names. Hasbro released the Pets Pawsabilities collection during this time, and in 2016, the Pets in the City collection, which more closely resembles the pets released in G2. Due to popular demand and fan outcry over the G3 line, Hasbro bought the bobble-head pets back, which included pets from the 2012 TV show and used the same molds as the pets from the G1 and G2 lines. But it was also short-lived, as the bobble-head style was retired in mid-2014.

Generation 5
The Littlest Pet Shop toys were revamped in 2017, with new molds and rounded eyes similar to the second generation pets. Some of the toys released under this line include the Black and White Pop collection and the Rainbow collection. The pets in this line come in three sizes: teensie, mini, and classic (the largest of the three). It was also during this time that a new show premiered on Discovery Family called Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own.

Littlest Pet Shop Presents
The animated shorts, produced by Cosmic Toast Studios, were released online by Hasbro.

Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own
The 2018 animated series, produced by Hasbro Studios and Boulder Media Limited for Discovery Family. Its main cast includes a turtle named Bev (voiced by Rhona Rees), a cat named Jade (voiced by Ingrid Nilson), a dog named Roxie (voiced by Diana Kaarina), a hamster named Trip (voiced by Travis Turner), a goat named Quincy (voiced by Kyle Rideout), and a parakeet named Edie (voiced by Lili Beaudoin).

The series premiered on April 14, 2018 and ran for 52 eleven-minute episodes. The show hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet, so it is currently on hiatus.