So your kids are clamoring for the new Zhu Zhu toy hamster for Christmas this year? That’s not surprising, as these cute little furry creatures are taking the toy industry by storm. But where did these little guys come from and how do they work? If you need a bit more information before jumping on the Zhu Zhu band wagon, read on. We’re here to answer all of your questions about the Zhu Zhu family of hamsters and all of their accessories.

What Is A Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster?

Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the past few months, you have undoubtedly heard of the Zhu Zhu toy hamsters. (According to Yutopian, Zhu is the 14th most common surname in China.) Originally introduced as Go Go Pets, these furry little creatures are now being marketed under the Zhu Zhu name by Cepia LLC, a company that designs and sells a number of different interactive toys. The Zhu Zhu hamsters are battery-operated life-like versions of real hamsters. Fitted with artificial intelligence, these little guys chirp and talk and move around in their own little habitat known as the Zhu Zhu FunHouse. Each Zhu Zhu requires two AAA batteries.

The Zhu Zhu pets operate in two modes, nurturing mode and adventure mode. When set to nurturing mode, the hamsters become cuddly little buddies who quietly purr and coo. When it’s time to play, the setting can be changed to adventure mode which allows the toy hamster to move around and explore their environment. When they enter different rooms in the Zhu Zhu FunHouse, the hamsters respond with intelligent audio and various mechanical reactions. When a Zhu Zhu finds its way into a bedroom, the hamster will respond by going to sleep, it makes eating noises in the kitchen and in the bathroom, well … let’s move on …

In addition to the FunHouse, there are about a dozen other accessories that can be added to enhance the Zhu Zhu experience. Your little toy hamster can drive its own car, ride a skateboard, surf, and of course, run endlessly in its hamster wheel.

How Many Zhu Zhu’s Are There?

There are four primary Zhu Zhu pet hamsters on the market. The first Zhu Zhu that was introduced was PipSqueak. The youngest of the group, PipSqueak features pastel yellow fur and is one of the most active in the Zhu Zhu family. Just set PipSqueak to adventure mode and watch her go! PipSqueak’s sister is called NumNums, and as the name suggests, she is always looking for food. NumNums has soft gray fur with a white heart on her back, which is indicative of her personality. NumNums is quieter and more cuddly than her sister, PipSqueak and prefers to be in nurturing mode.

Moving on to the Zhu ZHu boys, the first is Mr. Squiggles, sporting light brown fur with a white “squiggle” on his back. Mr. Squiggles should probably be considered the big brother in the family. He likes to operate in adventure mode where he can move around and keep an eye on the rest of the Zhu Zhu clan. His little brother, Chunk, is much more laid back. Chunk has beautiful white fur (think surfer blonde) and likes to hang around the FunHouse, eat and surf. Probably considered a slacker by his older brother, Chunk loves to be cuddled and just hang out in the habitat. When he does venture outside, he prefers skateboards and surfboards.

There is actually a fifth Zhu Zhu pet, known as Patches. The Patches Zhu Zhu is not sold seperately at the moment but is included with the purchase of the FunHouse box set. Since Patches is not as well known as his brothers and sisters, his personality is open to interpretation. Perhaps your child would enjoy getting to know Patches and discovering his tendencies and traits. It is interesting to note that the back of the FunHouse box shows a total of 10 different Zhu Zhu toy hamsters, so it appears that more will be released inthe future.

Where To Buy Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets?

While the Zhu Zhu toy hamsters are usually available at larger discount stores like WalMart, the Zhu Zhu pet craze has emptied the shelves of most retail stores. It is possible that some of these local retailers will be able to restock their Zhu Zhu pet supply before the holidays, but in the meantime, the pet hamsters can be purchased at online retailers such as Amazon.

Each of the four main Zhu Zhu hamsters: PipSqueak, Mr. Squiggles, NumNums and Chunk are sold individually. However, you can also purchase sets of two hamsters in a package. There is even a 3-hamster set, but the exact hamsters will vary by package. The Zhu Zhu FunHouse is sold separately, and each of the add-on accessories is purchased separately. The Zhu Zhu accessories include the Zhu Zhu Garage, ramp and slide, adventure ball, surfboard with sleep dome (Chunk loves it), skateboard with u-turn, hamster wheel, and hamster carrier with blankets that come is a number of different colors.

Learn more about Zhu Zhu hamsters by watching the short video below …

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