Zhu Zhu Pets are the must-have item of the 2009 holiday shopping season. It’s officially the future and your kid can have robot animals to take care of instead of the real thing if you like.

Stores can’t keep these little suckers on the shelves. Everyone wants one. What is a Zhu Zhu Pet? It’s a fuzzy hamster toy that makes sounds. The sound of teeth-brushing in the bathroom and sleeping sounds in the bedroom. The little creatures also squeak when petted on the nose.

These little electronic hamsters usually sell for $10 bucks but demand is forcing prices up. People are selling them for up to $60 a pop. Parents just gotta have this toy for their kids.

You can also get a Zhu Zhu hamster funhouse for about $80 bucks on Amazon.com.