The Zhu Zhu Pet Craze: What Every Parent Needs to Know

So, your child has begged you for a Zhu Zhu pet for Christmas. Or, your child has begged the poor beleaguered Santa sitting at the mall for a Zhu Zhu pet for Christmas. Either way, probably the first thought in your mind was either: "Oh no!" or "What's that?"

My first thought was "What's that?" Well, for the uninitiated, a Zhu Zhu pet is a little motorized hamster. Think of a fur covered moving toy car. They squeak and chatter, according to the official Zhu Zhu pet website, and they "scoot" across the floor or around their little hamster "habitat."

There are actually five different pet hamsters, with somewhat corny names such as "Mr. Squiggles", "Numnums", and "Chunk". Basically, the color is different, and they are programmed to move and act somewhat differently from each other. It's really not an amazingly complicated toy. Little bumps on the bottom trigger the different programming for each Zhu Zhu pet.

The big question is, are they worth purchasing? Yes, if you can get the toy for $10 or less. No, if you are paying big bucks for it.

The benefit of the Zhu Zhu pet is the fact that it could satisfy your child's longing for a little pet, without the mess, care, and clean-up of getting a real pet. They are cute, and fun to watch.

But, there are downsides. The accessories can add to the price of the item, if your child wants the Zhu Zhu habitat, and Zhu Zhu blanket, and all the other Zhu Zhu add-ons. This could cost you bigger bucks, to the tune of $150 or more for one Zhu Zhu pet and all its stuff.

Parents should be aware that it is hard to find a Zhu Zhu pet in a retail store. I believe there are a few reasons for this.

First, it is a popular toy, so many parents are buying them for their children. And there is surely not enough supply to meet demand.

Second, I have read that some toy retailers are holding back Zhu Zhu pets (Toys R Us included). They will put fifty or a hundred Zhu Zhu pets out at a time, and advertise them (one per family) to get customers into the store, where hopefully they will purchase more than just one Zhu Zhu pet.

Finally, there are people who are snatching them up, to resell them on Ebay or Craigslist for $30-$60.

What to do if you cannot find the Zhu Zhu pet your child wants for Christmas?

1. Do not pay an exorbitant price. Truly, this toy is only worth $10, not more!

2. Teach your children about getting more if they are patient. For example, if I were in this situation, I would tell my son, "Honey, if you get a Zhu Zhu pet on Christmas morning, mommy can only get you one, if you wait until after Christmas, Mommy can get you two." Most reasonable children would rather wait until January and have two.

3. Remind yourself that for sure in January, there will be a glut of Zhu Zhu pets on the market, and they will be selling for under $10.

4. See if your child will accept a substitute pet toy (Furreal Pet, etc) until you can get a Zhu Zhu pet for a reasonable price.

5. If you *must* have a Zhu Zhu pet, watch the Toys R Us ads, and get there early, and wait in line (torturous, but the only way to obtain one for a reasonable price).

Personally speaking, I am happy my sons do not want Zhu Zhu pets, especially after hearing how a friend spent $50 on ebay for one. They are cute, but not worth more than retail.