Description

Each Zhu Zhu Hamter has its own unique personality & whimsical sounds. Loving Mode: Pet them, love them, hear them chatter Explore Mode: Let them scoot, scamper, across the floor. Provide them with their Hamster Habitat(sold separately) through which to scamper. Collect and connect all of the Zhu Zhu Pet accessories(sold separately) to make a Humongous Hamster city! Jilly may seem shy at first meeting, but once you get to know her, you'll see why she's the captain of the pep squad!

Customer Reviews

 Best Toy EVER - Aug 22, 2010

zhu zhu pets is one of the best toys of all time.I bought Jilly Back in April/May.zhu zhu pets are fun and adorible.
My daughter's jilly broke down but we fixed it!Good as new!So Buy Jilly/any zhu zhu pet NOW!

 Just cute - Aug 11, 2010

Ours is of a different color but... it's a battery-powered hamster that makes cute sounds if you touch her nose and makes cute sounds and runs in a random pattern if you touch a certain spot on her back - make sure it does not run on a table because it's likely to fall.

For some reason, little girls up to 8 years old love this toy. In fact, my 7 yr. old is crazy about it - she saw one at a friends of hers and she begged me to get hers, counting the days until delivery. Now, that she has her own Zhu Zhu, she's happy and this is all that matters.

 OK toy - Jul 26, 2010

It's fun to play with, but it gets pretty annoying if you don't want to hear it. If it gets accidentally pressed in the night... well, then. It wakes you up right away. Who wants that to happen? And I don't recommend running it on carpet. It gets carpet hair in the wheels... so... yeah. It stops. Otherwise, it is a fun, collectible toy that's pretty durable.Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Pipsqueek - Yellow here is another zhu zhu pet.

 A Hoot, But Supervise Play for Under 4 - Apr 26, 2010

I avoided getting sucked into the Zhu Zhu Pet hoopla over the Christmas season but eventually caved. My children's cousins owned a couple of them and they were all having a blast watching this little hamster make squeaky noises and run around. A week or two later, we were at the mall and picked up the pink, "Jilly" hamster.

The way that the hamster senses that it's run into a wall and needs to back up reminds me of a Roomba. Smart little hamster! I've observed an almost 2 year old, 3, 4, and 5 year olds all having a great time. However, be aware that Cepia, the company that makes the Zhu Zhu Pet, recommends the toy for 4+ year olds. While researching for this review, I found out that the Zhu Zhu Pets were almost recalled for a high level of antimony, which is a dangerous metal. Though the Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed the toy safe, I would probably still keep the toy away from younger children who may put the toy in their mouths, just to be safe.

We had to return our Zhu Zhu Pet after just 2 weeks because it worked only intermittently. It would make a high pitched noise and would not move forward unless we gave it a little push. We just ordered a replacement online and hope that this one is a bit more durable.

Zhu Zhu Pets are definitely fun little toys. Though some kids may not be that entertained by it, I think a vast majority will. And as with all toys, make sure that it is age appropriate and that play is supervised. We are responsible for our own kids' safety.

 "stupid mouse" - Mar 30, 2010

My daughter recieved this as a xmas gift and rarely plays w/ it. The "stupid mouse" as she calles it, scares her.(shell be 3)she gets pinched in the wheels (which have a very strong motor) almost every time she plays with it. She would rather have me turn it on and put it down so it can chase her while she runs screaming.

 SIlly but love it - Mar 30, 2010

An adorable little toy that the kids just love.I bought this and a few others for birthday gifts for them and they let them run around the house.The dog used to chase them but now just ignores them.The kids put them in ,I guess,a hamster house and they run around from one cage to the other.Mostly they just play on the floor with them.Truth be told I like to play with them too.They are adorable and I bought them on sale at Target and they were no where near the online prices.

 Waste of money - Mar 16, 2010

This is basically a pile of cloth on four tiny wheels.

I don't understand why they call it the hottest toy, but my 7 years old lost interest in 2 minutes. I don't blame her.

Find something else, this is not worth your money!

 Cute and fun - Mar 15, 2010

Every girl in my daughter's third grade class had a zhu zhu pet, so now my daughter has one, too. Apparently, according to her classmates, "Jilly" is a rare hamster, so they were all excited that she had the pink one. We've had it about a month and it does what it is supposed to -- it moves around, makes noises, etc. We do not have any of the toys, and she just enjoys watching it. She took an old cardboard box to make a house for it, and has not had any problems with it.

 Unique toy! Kids will enjoy them. - Mar 02, 2010

I purchased two of these while on vacation in Laguna beach. I gave them both to my 2 and 3 year old. They immediately loved them and now three months later are still playing with them. The only thing you should know is that eventually hair and dust gets wrapped around the wheels not allowing for them to run. Don't throw them away unless you want to purchase them every other week or so. The way to resolve this issue is to simply take the Zhu Zhu a part. It is a fairly simple task. Just clean the wheels with tweezers and a needle. Once completed your Zhu Zhu runs like new. We currently have four Zhu Zhu's without any of the extras. My children love them.

 Happy Child!!!!!!!!!! - Feb 27, 2010

My daughter specifically wanted the "pink" hamster and EVERYWHERE was sold out. Luckily, I found it on amazon. Thank you so much for saving the day!!!!!!!!!!!

 cute hamster, kids and critters like - Feb 06, 2010

cute hamster zhu zhu kids like but interest didn't last long as have real animals

 fast shipping! - Feb 04, 2010

This product was shipped the day after I purchased it and received it within a few business days. It was as pictured however the box was a little crushed.

 Cute - Jan 31, 2010

This was the best product i ever got!! This hamster is so cute! I love it! I have the brown and white hamster , i named it CoCo!!

 Better than a real Hamster - Jan 30, 2010

Zhu Zhu Pets has kept me from having to buy a real hamster! I highly recommend if you are in that situation! Just be sure to keep them away from your childs hair, they will get caught!! They do work with all the acessories, and you don't have to clean a cage!

 Way overpriced on Amazon - Jan 24, 2010

We got Jilly for $10 at Walgreens, and the Funhouse is $20 at Walmart. I guess it's easier for some people to buy online, but wow, what a markup. My daughter loves them, and so far so good, the funhouse stays together quite well, and Jilly has been running for days.

 I am surprised to see it's a hit for 4-year & 9-year-old nieces - Jan 03, 2010

I heard of these toys from a friend but didn't really think much about it. A little mechanical hamster that runs around and makes some noise, nah.... that's what I thought and I said to myself that I would never buy such a toy for my kids. Then I intended to buy some play doh or coloring books for my nieces who will visit us, and I saw these little guys on the shelf. I asked a sale's person, and he explained to me why this is popular and fun with kids, and somehow he convinced me that this would make a fun toy for 4 and 9 years old girls. So I decided to go for it.

Well, my nieces were very happy to hold them in their hands, find a small box to put them in with dish towel over them as a blanket, and then carry the box all around the house. And they even built a little house and entry way with magna tiles (which is my favorite toy anyway) to sleep in or hide in. I could see them nurturing and caring of a pet.

I realized that when you're a little kid, it is just great to have a toy that makes a little sound and scoot around in the living room, and just right size to hold it in your small hands... They might get bored of it having them for 6 months. But for the moment, this hamster is the best thing ever for my nieces. Great invention that has brought lots of smiles to my nieces. And also pure luck being at a store when they have them.

Personally, I'm not reviewing this for the price. I'm simply reviewing a toy based on what reaction I've received after giving them to 2 preteen girls.

 Cute toy - Dec 31, 2009

My 3.5 years old daugther saw this on tv during our Thanksgiving vacation and has been asking for it since. Found them at CVS for $9.99 a week before Christmas. I have to say it is quite cute. I also got her the carrying bag and she enjoys carrying it around more than letting it run around. The bag is made really small to fit the pet tight so she has trouble putting the hamster in it. She tore up the box and we threw away the user's guide so we are still trying to figure out how it works. I don't expect this toy to last too long based on it's price, but for now it's worth it.

 Enjoyable hamster - Dec 30, 2009

My daughter recieved the pink zhu zhu hamster for Christmas and totally adores it! We enjoy how it zips around, makes little noises and unlike a real hamster we can shut it off and not clean up after it. She is 8 and finds it rather amusing, we are planning on getting her the accessories for her birthday and another hamster. My daughter loves animals! and finds joy in toys like her zhu zhu hamster. I would recommend this toy to others, I just wouldnt pay more then the original asking price of 9.00 - 9.99

 Very Cute But Doesn't Last - Dec 27, 2009

I purchased, "Jilly" for my daughter for Christmas. I was so excited to see they had a pink one! She received it on Christmas Eve and it worked great. It was so cute! She didn't play with it much yesterday since we were out and about. However, today she pulled it out and it worked for about five minutes. Then she brought it to me...no sound and it would not move. I naturally replaced the batteries...nothing. I then took the whole thing apart. I was able to get the sound to work when the nose (which fell out incidentally)is pushed. However, the buttons on the top no longer work at all and the wheels no longer turn. I have read multiple reviews on Toys R Us.com that complain about this very same problem! This is such a shame. I know these things are cheap, but do they really have to stop working after only a full day of play? My daughter is so disappointed and so am I. I will be calling the company on Monday...keeping my fingers crossed that they will send me a replacement as these are impossible to find now.

 We love zhu zhu pets! - Dec 22, 2009

They are silly, yes. But they are so fun and not to mention adorable. We have had ours for about 3 months and we have had no problems with the durability. I wish people would stop giving the toys bad reviews because they are mad about the mark-up (which does suck) because these toys are fun! I have just as much fun with them as my three year old son,and 10 year old niece! We barely use the accessories though, they were sort of a waste of money. My kiddo just lets his run all around the floor, and sometimes the hamster ball. The other stuff just collects dust.

 Great for a Child with Special Needs - Dec 22, 2009

I'm always on the look out for products that my daughter can play with. She is 8 years old with multiple disabilities. Most "normal" toys she just can't use. Try to get her something that plays music, forget it..she's deaf. Most toys require two hands to use - she had Cerebral Palsy and can't use alot of toys geared for her age. Tired of just toys with flashing lights (difficult with kids with seizures) as something she can play with with her low vision.
I saw Jilly in a pharmacy, of all places (just last week and it was $8.99). Thought maybe the movement of the pet would catch her attention. I couldnt wait - opened it yesterday and she LOVED it! She loves scooting on the floor after it and likes picking it up and holding it. Even though she can't hear it, we can so when we can't see where it went (ex. under a couch or bed) at least we can hear it to find it for her. We're not concerned about getting the house and play structure additions for these hamsters.... it does fine on the floor (just watch for hair as it will get tangled.) My daughter likes watching it move inside a large box lid as it moves forward and reverse. I really recommend for kids with special needs that need a little motivation to help move around and work on things like therapy and visual tracking.

 crap - Dec 21, 2009

I bought my first 2 zhu zhus in August for my daughter's birthday within 20 minutes were making a loud grinding noise. Returned to the store for a second set, same thing happened. I feel bad for the people that are actually excited that they found this toy and the ones that paid way above the 7.99 for them when they aren't even worth that.

 Want new Zhu Zhu pets? - Dec 10, 2009

Before you buy one for $84, check out the Fao Schwarz website, I just ordered the four pack of the New 2010 Zhu Zhu hamsters for a mere $89, plus $14.95 S&H. Not sure how long they will stay in stock on-line, good luck.