Play set:Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster Wheel & Tunnels

One of the hottest new toys in 2009, and very difficult to find around the holidays, was the Zhu Zhu pet. These adorable, furry, interactive hamsters double as a family pet and a best friend. With five hamsters to choose from, kids can select one that reflects their personality, including Patches, the flower-lover; Chunk, a laid-back surfer; Pipsqueak, a tiny titan of power; Mr. Squiggles, who loves to explore; or Num Nums, who loves to eat. The pets have two different modes: nurturing, where they coo and purr, and adventure, where they explore their habitat with audio and mechanical responses to various stimuli. Add their various environmental play sets and special tracks and a child may have the most nearly perfect artificially-intelligent pet.