Top toys retailer Toys ‘R’ Us has launched the newest craze among children – Zhu Zhu Pets - in the UAE.
In what is expected to be the hottest best-buy since the famous Tickle me Elmo obsession, Zhu Zhu Pets toys have already proved a hit among Dubai residents, two days after their launch.
“Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters are truly unlike anything on the market. They’re completely interactive, as if they have a mind of their own,” said Wayne Cohen, General Manager – Toys ‘R’ Us.
“We are extremely proud to be the exclusive retailer for the launch of the Zhu Zhu Pets in the UAE and are confident children will simply fall in love with these cute hamsters,” he added.
Zhu Zhu Pets are available as four unique characters. These include Nugget, Scoodles, Winkie and Jilly.
Best alternatives to real life hamsters
In addition to the four hamsters, multiple Zhu Zhu Pets accessories are also available for purchase, allowing children to collect and connect them all to create their own customised hamster habitats.
Zhu Zhu Pets accessories include: Hamster funhouse, Hamster wheel, Hamster-car and garage, slide with ramp, Adventure ball, Surfboard and wagon, Skateboard and U-turn, Pet bed and blanket and Pet carrier and blanket.
Retailing at Dh69 each, the Zhu Zhu Pets are available at all Toys ‘R’ Us stores in the UAE including the Al-Futtaim Centre on Salahuddin Road, Deira, Dubai Festival City, Times Square Centre, Sahara Centre in Sharjah, Meena Free Port Area in Abu Dhabi and Bawadi Mall in Al Ain.
While clutching her latest ‘toy on the block’, Dubai based seven-year-old Shreya Manoj was delighted to be among the first in the country to lay her hands on the toys.
“The Zhu Zhu Pets are the best alternatives to real life hamsters,” she said, adding “They don’t mess or have an odour, but they are still a riot of motion and sound.”
Artificial intelligence at work
Cohen looked ecstatic while demonstrating how the latest fad in town works to the media.
“Darting around in their hamster tubes while scurrying from room to room, you never know where the pets will go next,” he said.
“Simply pet the hamster’s back, set him down, and watch him Zhu Zhu Zhu-oom! Pet them gently on the nose, and they’ll squeak with contentment,” he added.
These hamsters have over 40 different sound effects, depending on the unique environment they encounter.
Zhu Zhu Pets drive around in little cars, zip up ramps and spin down slides, run in their hamster wheels, and get into all sorts of crazy situations.
“Their artificial intelligence even allows them to know what room of their hamster habitat they are in,” Cohen says, adding “They even make toilet-flushing or teeth brushing sounds when they enter the bathroom and sleeping noises and alarm-clock sounds when they go into their bedroom.”
While the Zhu Zhu Pets are now on sale across all Toy s ‘R’ Us stores, customers will be able to reserve and buy them from the Toys ‘R’ Us website available at
www.toysrusme.com starting February 23.
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