Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Guide

The explosive popularity of the Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters is already making waves in toy marketing history. Unlike the Furby craze or Tickle Me Elmo, this toy line seems to have something else going for it. If you’re not familiar with the Zhu Zhu Pets, they are plush robot hamster toys that seem to have very life-like responses to each other, their owners and their environment.

There seems to be a learning curve programmed into these toys that demands interaction outside of their circuits. Sure, they’re cute and cuddly but when you stroke them, they react. You can change their modes by the way you handle them; stroke the top of their spine and they will go into explorer mode; you can set them down and get them charging across the room or scurrying through their play sets.

These toys are geared to age 3 to about 8 but in reality older kids and adults love them as well. Each hamster pet has its own personality and idiosyncrasies. If you don’t know their names by now let me introduce you to:

• Mr. Squiggles, the light brown hamster, loves to explore the area. He seems to be often fussy and finicky.
• Pipsqueak, the yellow hamster, is petite but a real powerhouse who loves to run and slide.
• Chunk, a white hamster, is a laid-back surfer pet that is famous for hangin’ ten or laying low. He loves to hug.
• Patches, who loves flowers and fast cars, is lovable, huggable and always on the go.
• Num Nums, who loves to eat, has a super sensitive sniffer that can spot snacks anywhere. She burns it off on the play set.

Although the level of detail on the fluffy exterior of these toys is about similar to any plush toy, it’s what happens on the inside that is pure genius. The sensor underneath the plush toys reacts with the accessories. This is what causes the Zhu Zhu hamster to make the appropriate sounds in the various rooms of the hamster house or on the play set. You will hear the sleeping sounds at bedtime or flushing sounds in the bathroom.

Children tend to get bored with their toys after a short while as a novelty wears out. These toys have a great attention factor. Part of the reason I suspect is because the toy itself is not static. The electronics in the Zhu Zhu hamster react in random ways to both the owner and its surroundings. If this sounds like the personality of an actual hamster, you’re right!

These toys can be inexpensive but come with a lot of accessories. Many parents might purchase the starter kit but then become so involved in playing with their kids that they end up purchasing a whole lot more. My impression of the toys is that they foster a sense of caring and involvement between children and their possessions, which actually works as an intermediary step before purchasing a live pet for young children.