White hot holiday toy may be toxic

In the haze of Black Friday many parents were searching for the hottest toy of the  holiday season, a robotic hamster made by Zhu Zhu Pets. While this toy may give their kids hours of enjoyment it may also contain harmful chemicals according to new findings.

According to their web site GoodGuide is “the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.” They recently took a look at the hottest holiday toys including Zhu Zhu Pets’ light brown “Mr. Squiggles” hamster. GoodGuide found the toy not only contained lead but also "antimony, which may be linked to cancer, lung, and heart problems."

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 dictates that antimony can be no more than 60 parts per million. The antimony readings of 93 parts per million in Mr. Squiggles’ fur and 106 parts per million in the nose are more than out of bounds. There is a big possibility that the toy will end up in the child’s mouth at some point considering the fact that the fake hamster is aimed at children under ten.

The manufacturer of the furry little guys, Cepia LLC, issued a weekend press release stating "We want to assure everyone already enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr. Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards." Cepia LLC also put information about the toys on ZhuZhuPets.com under the headline “Correction of Misleading Testing Information.” It seems Cepia LLC is trying to ride their wave of hype while diminishing GoodGuide’s findings and avoid a costly recall.

Instead of wrapping up a robotic hamster that may expose your child to heavy metals this holiday season, why not get them a real live hamster? Hamsters are great pets for any size household and could teach your kid a thing or two about responsibility. Check out the Humane Society of the United States’ guide for the newbie hamster owner for more information.