Toca Pet Doctor

$2.99, iPad, iPhone, Android

Teaches: causality, timing, fine motor

CTR Rating: 92%

CTR Review

We've reviewed a lot of veterinarian apps, but none that is as easy to use, or as playful as this one. Ideal as a child's first app, Toca Pet Doctor starts with a waiting room full of 15 critters, each with a problem. The worm is tangled into a knot, the cat has fleas and the frog has swallowed too many flies. Once they are cured, the pet is hungry, so you feed them the appropriate food. Then it's back to the waiting room, where you see the creature comfortably sleeping. Solving the problem is a no-fail process. Getting the eye-drops into each of the spider's eight eyes looks challenging at first, but the drops keep falling (and there's a lot of eyes). It's also fun to feed the spider the crunchy flies. Features include the ability to wake up the sleeping pets after they are cured, and play again. There's a nice variety of foods that have some scientific validity: there's flies, seeds, vegetables and fruits. No third party advertising, no in-app purchases and no stress. Just fun. Need to know: The transitions are sluggish. After you've cured all the animals, you can wake them up to play again, but they do the same thing. The no-fail ease of use, combined with the personalities of each animal, make this app will worth the download. Note: if you like this app, you'll also like Toca Doctor.