Filed under: 
Or not. Does anyone even remember what the Hampster Dance is? Man, this makes me feel old 0_0 Seriously though, have you heard about the hottest toy for Christmas this year? They’re something called Zhu Zhu pets, little toy hamsters that can move and squeak around without all the noisiness, smell, and poop that accompanies a real hamster. Funnily enough, they’re named after the Chinese word for pig, “zhu.” As the New York Times put it:
They’re zero-maintenance artificial hamsters and they do not stink, chew electric wires, or run around their cages making noise at night.
Stores are having trouble keeping them on the shelves (reminds me of the Talking Elmo craze a few years back) and they normally go for $7.99 each but due to their limited stock, they’re going for $34.99 on Amazon and probably higher on Ebay. Talk about price gouging, but hey, some parents will do whatever it takes and shell out ridiculous amounts of money to get what their children want for Christmas, even with the economy the way it is right now:
Cepia has found itself increasing hamster production and fielding phone calls from parents desperately seeking Zhu Zhu Pets, as well as their slightly pricier accessories, like a ramp with slide and a garage with car.
I guess they’re kind of cute. I don’t know what the attraction is, but I have to admit it does sound nicer than having a real hamster. I owned two hamsters for awhile, and while they were fun to play with, it definitely wasn’t quite so pleasant to clean their cages. It’s a great alternative for parents whose kids are begging for a pet =)
