Will Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Toys Hurt Your Kid?

By Laura Robbinson

With any new toy that comes onto the market these days, safety is an obvious concern. In the US, we are lucky in this regard, as the numerous toy safety laws and regulations at least provide parents with some toy safety standards, which is unfortunately not the case yet in so many other countries. However, if you are thinking about buying a Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters (pronounced as Zoo Zoo Pets hamsters or Zu Zu Pets hamsters) toy or any of the numerous hamster accessories that are available out there, then it is always worth highlighting both manufacturer official safety guidelines as well as those parent safety concerns that have already been voiced. This article provides a quick overview of some of the more important and frequent concerns and recommendations, so that you can make an informed decision as to whether Zhu Zhu Pets hamster toys are safe for your children before you buy.

Cepia are the manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, including the hamsters which are currently sweeping the nation. Cepia is a responsible toy company from what can be seen, with its own self implemented internal safety standards imposed as well as adhering to the legal and regulatory standards. Cepia advises that their hamster toys are only suitable for children of four years and older. After all they do have smaller moving parts.

Parents may or may not realize, but these kids hamster toys scurry around on battery powered revolving wheels. As interactive electronic toys, the outer hamster structure obviously shields the necessary electronics inside. Once again, regulations and Cepia's own internal quality standards ensure that the design is at a standard to ensure maximum safety.

The speed of the wheels themselves can revolve at quite a speed, particularly when a fresh set of batteries are inserted. It is no surprise, therefore, that the tiny fingers of inquisitive under four year olds are perhaps not the best combination. Regardless of the age of your child, some parents have reported their concerns that the wheels have pinched their child's skin and also caught longer hair that got in the way of the moving wheels. These safety issues do, however, seem to be incredibly remote, especially considering the vast number of these Zhu Zhu Pets hamster toys that have been purchased. Parental common sense should really prevail when it comes to any kids toy with moving parts, your child shouldn't be sticking things or bits in them. At the end of the day, the only way we could completely guard our children from any toys with any kind of external parts, would really be to simply make them illegal to produce in the first place. So, common sense and a dose of calculated risk reality should perhaps be any parent's main safety guard.

Obviously these hamsters are electronic, battery based toy pets and not real hamsters, so again common sense would tell any parent that water would not be the best combination. One parent did voice her dissatisfaction that when her son submerge his toy hamster in water, that is stated to malfunction. I should imagine it would and am sure it would not be covered by any form of warranty. Let's also hope that the little boy doesn't get given a real hamster as a replacement!

So, are Zhu Zhu Pets hamster toys safe for your kids? That really is your own personal choice and it really is up to you to make that decision. From the facts and reports it would seem that any safety incidents, especially when within the recommendations of the manufacturer, seem very few and far between, with the overall parent and kid feedback focusing on just how much fun and entertainment value they are. - 29953

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here