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Posts Tagged ‘zhu zhu pets’

There’s not much doubt that Zhu Zhu Pets – the family of five robotic hamsters which feature artificial intelligence which allows them to interact with children and their environment – are the must have toy for Christmas 2009.  They are in such high demand that Toys R Us have not listed them in their Christmas 2009 catalog in order to avoid disappointing prospective buyers.

The Zhu Zhu hamsters are Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Num Nums, Patches and Chunk. As well as the hamsters themselves there is a broad range of accessories and toys on offer which can be used in a variety of different ways and which encourage the kids to use their imagination to the full.

The Zhu Zhu pets are aimed at children in the age range of 4 to 10 years old and appeal to both boys and girls. They are not suitable for very small children due to the fact that they contain both moving parts and batteries.

Cepia, the manufacturers, were founded in 2004 and are based in St. Louis. Since their launch in August of 2009, six million Zhu Zhu Pets have shipped. An additional six million unit sales are forecast between now and Christmas 2009. The hamsters are currently spending an average of less than three minutes on the shelves before being snapped up. It’s fair to say that demand is high. 

Prices are rising, both for the hamsters and the accompanying accessories, and you can already find them on eBay at prices higher than retail. Prices will probably increase even more as we get closer to Christmas.

Cepia are predicting sales of between $ 300 and $ 400 million over the next twelve months. This will be from not only the Zhu Zhu hamsters – they intend to expand their range to include hedgehogs, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits. No doubt any small, cute and furry woodland animal which would appeal to children might find its way onto their list in the future.

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The USA is being overrun by rodents, albeit little cute furry ones. The Zhu Zhu pet hamsters are the very latest craze in children’s toys and, based upon early indications, will be at the top of every child’s wish list this Christmas. They could even be the toy of the year in 2009.

According to the company’s marketing slogan, Zhu Zhu pets are “pets without the mess”. You don’t need to feed them, they don’t need their cage cleaned and they don’t pop their clogs leaving you to explain to little Johnny that his hamster has gone to heaven. Two new AAA batteries once in a while is all that will be required.

Zhu Zhu pets are innovative, interactive, plush motorized hamsters which incorporate artificial intelligence which allows them to talk and move around in their own environments. They have two modes of play: “Nurturing” mode where the hamsters make cute little noises and “Exploring” mode where they explore their environment and make various responses using their artificial intelligence and sensors.

The hamsters have over forty different sound effects and these are used, in conjunction with their AI system, in a manner which is appropriate to their external stimuli. For example, if one of the hamsters enters the bathroom they will make toilet flushing or tooth brushing noises. If they enter they bedroom then they will make snoring noises or alarm clock sounds.

There are five different Zhu Zhu pets available. Each one has its own unique personality and character traits. Mr. Squiggles loves to explore, Num Nums likes to snack, Chunk is a laid back surfer dude type of hamster, Pipsqueak is small but powerful and Patches is a flower loving hamster.

As well as the hamsters themselves, there is a wide range of Zhu Zhu pet accessories which allows children to connect them in a variety of customized configurations. These include; hamster wheel and tunnel, hamster funhouse, skateboard, adventure ball, hamster car and garage, hamster surfboard, hamster bed and blanket, hamster carrier and blanket. There’s a good range to choose from. Kids won’t get bored.

It seems that kids just can’t get enough of the Zhu Zhu pets. At the moment, eight out of the top ten slots in Amazon’s Toys and Games bestsellers list are occupied by either the Zhu Zhu Pets or Zhu Zhu Pet Accessories. They’re going to be a gigantic hit this Christmas – so get your Zhu Zhu pet hamster well in advance of the big day.

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If current sales returns are anything to go by then Zhu Zhu pets could well be the hot selling toy in the run up to Christmas 2009. Basically, these are a collection of five motorized hamsters which interact both with the kids and each other.

The five different Zhu Zhu hamsters – Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Chunk, Num Nums and Patches – all have their own individual personalities and little character traits. They operate in two modes “nurturing” and “exploring”. The first four are all available individually, but Patches can only be bought as part of the “Hamster Starter Set”.

In nurturing mode the hamsters respond to petting by emitting cute little noises. Each one of the hamsters has its own personal signature sound. In total there are over forty different sounds spread across the 5 hamsters.

In exploring mode the hamsters will run around – either free ranging on the floor or within their specially designed hamster habitats. The hamster habitats can be built and rebuilt in a variety of different configurations by the children and include tracks, tubes, toys and even a car.

There are a wide variety of different accessories available. Take your pick from a hamster skateboard, hamster wheel and tunnel (of course), hamster garage, adventure ball, surfboard, sleep dome, hamster carrier and blanket etc. It’s a long list of toys.

Children seem to love these little furballs. They are small and cute, they interact and the act of designing and building the hamster environments in various different forms will stimulate their imagination and ensure that they don’t get bored.

One of the marketing slogans for Zhu Zhu hamsters is “pets without the mess” – and that’s a definite bonus for many parents. There’s no need to feed them, no need to keep their water bowl topped up and no need to clean out their cage. Two AAA batteries from time to time is all the maintenance that’s needed.

Because they are motorized and contain small parts, the Zhu Zhu Pets are not ideal for very small children. They are targeted at kids in the four to ten years old age bracket.

These toys are going to be the next big thing (for a while at least). The launch has been perfectly timed, there’s just enough time to grow a following before Christmas but not long enough for them to become old news before the Yuletide gift season. If you can think of a child who might enjoy receiving one of these at Christmas then you would be best to get your order in well in advance.

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