Inside the viral Squeezy toy trend that has everyone smooshing sticks of butter and ducks

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It is the fast-growing toy trend taking over social media feeds, with fans posting viral videos of themselves squeezing everything from a stick of butter to a giant duck.

The "Squeezy" craze has left many shoppers scrambling to find the toys, often encountering empty shelves as demand surges.

Sunny Days Entertainment produces the toys, which are typically shaped like realistic foods - including carrots, hot dogs, lemons and limes - designed simply to be squeezed.

Company CEO Melvin Wells said the phenomenon began with a block of cheese, followed by a duck and then a banana.

"Let's make it something iconic that you see in everyday life and what can we do with that to make it fun?" Wells said.

The popularity has fueled what some fans now call "the squeezy hunt," with certain seasonal items becoming nearly impossible to find.

The brand's Americana line, including an ice cream sandwich and bomb pop, is no longer in production until next summer.

"Ice cream sandwiches we stopped producing. We'll probably produce them next summer again. Bomb pops, we're not producing now," Wells said.

As demand grows, customers are eager to know what new designs are coming next. Wells said shoppers will soon see a Highland cow and a dog hitting the market within days.

"And literally, the next few days, you'll see this Datsun hitting the market. So he is going to be out there," he said.

Additional designs on the way include hot peppers, cabbage, broccoli and even a roll of toilet paper.

"You're going to see a roll of toilet paper pop up. It looks just like a roll of white toilet paper, but it's going to be crazy," Wells said.

Sunny Days plans to release at least 16 new Squeezy's between now and the end of the year, with 105 more in development for 2027.

Most major retailers, including Target and Walmart, sell the toys for about $5.