If you have children or grandchildren, this Christmas may be the time you first hear about Zhu Zhu toy hamsters, five furry friends who’ve taken the toy world by storm. And as the Zhu Zhu pet craze

shows no sign of abating, it’s best you learn as much as you can about them while they are still available on the store shelves. The buzz is that they might become as phenomenally popular as the Cabbage Patch Kids, and you remember how big that was.

Each interactive, robotic hamster, male or female, has their own unique personality, sounds (some 40 in all), play and explore modes, and rival Barbie in their wealth of accessories. You may want to pick the one whose personality is most like your child’s.

Mr. Squiggles, whose light brown pelt makes him look most like a real hamster, continues to be the most popular of the quintet. Although all the hamsters explore, he is the most fearless of all. Pipsqueak is a petite yellow female daredevil who isn’t afraid of anything. Chunk is a snow-white surfer dude, laid-back and cool until the cry “Surf’s up!” gets him on his surfboard . NumNums is soft and gray and, as her name would suggest, simply adores eating and can find a carrot a mile away. And finally there is two-tone Patches, who loves flowers and is the fifth member of the group, but available only in the hamster starter set.

Each of the robotic rodents has two modes, activated by a button on their back. When in loving mode, they respond to cuddling and petting with soft and contented squeaks and purrs. They may even yawn and fall asleep. But switch to explore mode and watch out: they liven up and scurry and scamper about on the floor or in their hamster habitat, where they interact to various stimuli with artificially intelligent

sounds and movements. When they enter the bathroom, they will make the sounds of a flushing toilet or of teeth being brushed. In their bedroom, these clever little fur balls understand where they are and mimic sleeping noises and the sound of an alarm clock. They are really far more fun that a real hamster.

In addition to their hamster habitat, Zhu Zhu pets boast a plethora of play accessories including their own colorful beds and blankets, an adventure ball, a spiral slide and ramp, a Hamstermobileand garage, a surfboard , sleep dome, skateboard and u-turn ramp, and an activity wheel.

They don’t require food, water, or cage-cleaning, nor do you have to worry about them dying. All they ask for are two AAA batteries and some love, attention and room to roam.

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