Holiday Gift Pick: Zhu Zhu Pets - Review and Giveaway (CLOSED)

Every year when the holidays roll around, there seems to be a hot toy that everybody wants, but isn't always easy to come by. This year, Zhu Zhu Pets are one of these hot toys. Zhu Zhu Pets are realistic looking, interactive, plush hamsters. Why buy a Zhu Zhu pet when you could buy a real hamster? There are some benefits to this alternative - no mess, no smell, no feeding, and when your child is done playing with them you can simply put them away until next time.

The Zhu Zhu Pets collection includes includes interactive hamsters (Patches, Chunk, PipSqueak, Mr. Squiggles and Num Nums) and a variety of connectable playsets that can be used to create a customized habitat for these furry little friends. In "nurturing mode", the hamsters respond to cuddles and gentle pats on the nose with coos, purrs and squeaks. In "adventure mode", they will explore their habitat, responding to stimuli with both sounds and actions. The hamsters are powered by two batteries (included!) and all of their artificial intelligence is concealed in their little bellies - for something so high tech, they are remarkably simple to operate.

Our Experience:
As part of a Mom Select review group, we received our own hamster and a variety of accessories. Jake was quite smitten with his furry new friend. He quickly found that the hamster prefers a hard surface, such as a hardwood or tile floor, and doesn't work so well on the carpet. Setting up the habitat took some help from mom and dad, but it wasn't long before the pieces became a compound any hamster would envy. Once it was all put together, we all had fun watching the hamster to see what it would do next.

We found that the connections between some of the parts aren't completely solid and come loose rather easily, requiring a lot of quick fixes during play. Every so often the hamster gets stuck and has to be moved along through a tunnel. The set-up does take up quite a bit of space, which is a bit of a concern for us. Taking it apart and setting back up every time Jake wants to play with it can be time consuming. If you had a dedicated space for the habitat, this wouldn't be an issue. Luckily, the hamster itself is fun to play with on its own when we don't have time to set up the whole works. This is a cute toy that has held Jake's attention quite well.

Buy It:

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters and accessories are sold at retailers including Toys 'R Us, Target, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. Many stores are out of stock, so if you see them, grab them! If you find yourself desperate to find them, you might want to check out the Experimental Mommy's hilarious Top Ten Ways to Get a Zhu Zhu Pet.












Win It:

One lucky reader will receive a Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster (design may vary from photo) and a Slide/Ramp Accessory!

Mandatory Entry:

To enter the giveaway, tell me who this would be for and why you'd like to give them a Zhu Zhu Pet.

Optional Extra Entries
• 1 Extra Entry if you tell me the lengths you have gone to to get that "must-have" gift.
• 1 Extra Entry if you subscribe via e-mail (see left sidebar)
• 1 Extra Entry if you follow this blog
• 1 Extra Entry if you add my button to your sidebar or add me to your blog roll
• 1 Extra Entry (Per Day) if you follow me on Twitter (@justaddcharm) and tweet about this giveaway - leave a link to your tweet.
• 1 Extra Entry for each of my other giveaways that you enter
• 5 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway with a link back here

Please leave an additional comment for each extra entry you complete.

RULES:

You do not need to be a blogger to enter this giveaway, however you must leave an e-mail address (or have it available in your profile) so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only and will end at 3pm PST on November 29, 2009. The winners will be selected at random and the entries verified. Winners will be e-mailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Good Luck!

Be sure not to miss my other current giveaways. You'll find a link list on the left sidebar.

Complimentary review samples and giveaway prizes provided by Mom Select on behalf of Zhu Zhu Pets. The opinions expressed are my own, based on my family's experience with the product. For more information about my reviews, please click here.