Money doesn’t grow on trees. Nor do tennis balls.

But an adorable Golden Retriever named Zebby refuses to believe this! (Well, at least about the tennis balls.)

“My Golden Retriever found a tennis ball in this tree one time and now thinks it grows tennis balls,” explains Zebby’s pet mamma in a sweet TikTok clip.

“I know, buddy, there’s no ball,” she says in the video as Zebby gently whines and slowly backs up in an attempt to locate ball growth. “I’m sorry.”

Then Zebby gives his mom a stare down as if she’s lying to him.

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This is just the cutest!

With that, fans on TikTok think this pup deserves not only a tennis ball but a whole darn tree!

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“You need to buy him a tennis ball tree,” a viewer noted. “Make it happen, Mom.”

“Put a ball there before you go on your next walk,” another said. “It would be so cute to see his reaction.”

“My Goldendoodle found a hot dog in a bush once, so he must inspect the bush every day now,” added a third.

Why Do Dogs Love Tennis Balls So Much?

While it has nothing to do with wanting to get out on the tennis court for a few matches, playing with tennis balls actually taps into dogs’ natural instincts for chasing and retrieving. Further, the bright color of a tennis ball makes it particularly attractive to them, and the fuzzy texture feels good to chew—or so experts say.

Also, a bouncing ball mimics prey, providing both mental and physical stimulation!

Naturally, after learning more about why dogs love tennis balls so much, I had to attempt some tennis ball fun with my cats. As expected, it didn’t go well. Just a lot of staring at the ball, which turned into walking away from the ball. Oh well! Maybe next time I’ll see if catnip makes it any more fun for them.

Regardless, Zebby is the absolute sweetest, and if I could, I’d grow tennis balls on trees just to make that good boy happy!

This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.