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ZhuZhu Pets

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69-479: ZhuZhu Pets ( Mandarin pronunciation: [tʂú tʂú] , formerly known as Go Go Pets ) is an American line of plush robotic hamster toys created by Cepia LLC in 2009. Multiple spin-off toy lines, including ZhuZhu Puppies and Kung Zhus, have been released. ZhuZhu Pets were created by Russ Hornsby for his St. Louis company, Cepia LLC. The name comes from Mandarin zhūzhū ( Chinese : 猪猪 ), meaning "little pig." In late 2009, Cepia employed only 16 people in

138-710: A $ 100 million venture fund to back up games, toys and entertainment startups with investments made in Nordlight, a game development company in Stockholm and Hoot Reading, an online tutoring service that provides reading lessons to children. By the end of 2021, Spin Master had grown to a global children's entertainment company, employing over 2,000 people in 28 offices around the world. On October 11, 2023, Spin Master announced an agreement to acquire toy company Melissa & Doug from AEA Investors for $ 950 million in cash. The acquisition

207-464: A female. If breeding hamsters, separation of the pair after mating is recommended, or they will attack each other. Female hamsters are also particularly sensitive to disturbances while giving birth, and may even eat their own young if they think they are in danger, although sometimes they are just carrying the pups in their cheek pouches. If captive female hamsters are left for extended periods (three weeks or more) with their litter, they may cannibalize

276-491: A good sense of distance or knowing where they are, but that does not stop them from climbing in (and sometimes out of) their cages or from being adventurous. Hamsters can sense movement around at all times, which helps protect them from harm in the wild. In a household, this sense helps them know when their owner is near. Hamsters have scent glands on their flanks (and abdomens in Chinese and dwarf hamsters) which they rub against

345-570: A mix, depending on the species. Two species of hamster belonging to the genus Phodopus , Campbell's dwarf hamster ( P. campbelli ) and the Djungarian hamster ( P. sungorus ), and two of the genus Cricetulus , the Chinese striped hamster ( C. barabensis ) and the Chinese hamster ( C. griseus ) have a dark stripe down their heads to their tails. The species of genus Phodopus are the smallest, with bodies 5.5 to 10.5 cm (2.2 to 4.1 in) long;

414-566: A new look in partnership with Nelvana , who would produce a new television series titled Polly and the ZhuZhu Pets for a 2016 delivery. This revival would being the toys back to their roots with the original four hamsters. Polly and the ZhuZhu Pets debuted on September 12, 2016 on Disney Channel in the United States, before being expanded internationally and gaining a renaming to The ZhuZhus , with Polly being renamed Frankie. Cepia signed

483-587: A sequel to the original title, this time based on the "Wild Bunch" subtheme. Kung Zhu and ZhuZhu Pets 2: Featuring The Wild Bunch were both released in October for the Nintendo DS, while the latter was also released on the Wii. Additional Nintendo DS titles were released in 2011 - ZhuZhu Princess: Carriages & Castles (a reskin of the first title) was released at the end of February, followed up with Zhu Zhu Puppies at

552-462: A short tail and fur-covered feet. Taxonomists generally disagree about the most appropriate placement of the subfamily Cricetinae within the superfamily Muroidea . Some place it in a family Cricetidae that also includes voles , lemmings , and New World rats and mice ; others group all these into a large family called Muridae . Their evolutionary history is recorded by 15 extinct fossil genera and extends back 11.2 million to 16.4 million years to

621-464: A similar basal position. The genus Mesocricetus also forms a clade . Their analysis included all four species, with M. auratus and M. raddei forming one subclade and M. brandti and M. newtoni another. The remaining genera of hamsters formed a third major clade. Two of the three sampled species within Cricetulus represent the earliest split. This clade contains C. barabensis (and presumably

690-579: A single brother–sister pairing. These littermates were captured and imported in 1930 from Aleppo in Syria by Israel Aharoni , a zoologist of the University of Jerusalem . In Jerusalem, the hamsters bred very successfully. Years later, animals of this original breeding colony were exported to the United States, where Syrian hamsters became a common pet and laboratory animal. Comparative studies of domestic and wild Syrian hamsters have shown reduced genetic variability in

759-479: A specific scent using their scent glands and also show body language to express how they are feeling. Hamsters can be described as nocturnal or crepuscular (active mostly at dawn and dusk). Khunen writes, "Hamsters are nocturnal rodents who are active during the night", but others have written that because hamsters live underground during most of the day, only leaving their burrows for about an hour before sundown and then returning when it gets dark, their behavior

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828-555: A spin-off of the Puppies line, and Zhu Zhu Ponies, which featured fillies. To promote Quest for Zhu , four Happy Meal toys were released at McDonald's restaurants outside the United States. The franchise was quietly discontinued by the end of 2013, due to decreasing sales. A short-lived spin-off subseries titled The Amazing Zhus debuted in Mid-2014, but was discontinued shortly afterwards. In 2015, Cepia LLC planned to reboot ZhuZhu Pets with

897-465: A string of 1/2 inch replicas of BMX bikes. In 2003, the company made its first corporate acquisition buying Bounce ‘Round, a company that created scaled down versions of the inflatable bouncy castles. Over the next handful of years, Spin Master opened offices in the United States, Japan and Western Europe . In 2003, Spin Master began marketing and distributing Pilot's Aquadoodle drawing toy for children with disappearing hydrochromic ink, which later won

966-467: A team of trains and their kid best-buddies as they keep things moving and get the delivery through no matter what the trouble -one thrilling adventure after another. In August 2013, Spin Master acquired the Erector Set by Meccano construction set line. In June 2015, Spin Master entered into an agreement to acquire Cardinal Industries, a 60-year-old game and puzzles company. The purchase made Spin Master

1035-673: A ten-year toy licensing contract with Monster Jam ending a previous toy licensing deal between Monster Jam and Mattel who marketed it Monster Jam toys under the Hot Wheels line. In February 2020, Spin Master announced the theatrical release of the Paw Patrol movie, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures . Paw Patrol: The Movie released in theatres on August 20, 2021, grossing $ 142 million worldwide. Following

1104-529: A toy master agreement with Spin Master , and in February 2017 they showcased the ZhuZhu Pets franchise at Toy Fair with designs, based more on the TV series. In 2018, ZhuZhu Pets was discontinued again, following the ending of the cartoon and lower-than-expected sales. In May 2023, Cepia LLC filed a trademark for 'ZhuZhu'. In June, the website was completely refreshed to say that ZhuZhu would be "Returning Soon". Rumours of

1173-602: Is either a blend of the root of Russian хомяк ( khomyak ) "hamster" and a Baltic word (cf. Lithuanian : staras "hamster"); or of Persian origin (cf. Avestan : hamaēstar "oppressor"). The collective noun for a group of hamsters is "horde". In German, the verb hamstern is derived from Hamster . It means " to hoard ". Hamsters are typically stout-bodied, with tails shorter than body length, and have small, furry ears, short, stocky legs, and wide feet. They have thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, colored black, grey, honey, white, brown, yellow, red, or

1242-514: Is from April to October in the Northern Hemisphere, with two to five litters of one to 13 young being born after a gestation period of 16 to 23 days. Dwarf hamsters breed all through the year. Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski hamsters. The average litter size for Syrian hamsters is about seven pups, but can be as great as 24, which

1311-483: Is good for hamsters, it is best if fruits and vegetables are also in their diet because it keeps them healthier. Even though hamsters are allowed to have both fruits and vegetables, it is important to understand exactly which ones they can have and how much. Hamsters do best with fruits that do not have citrus in them and most green leafy vegetables. Hamsters should never be fed junk food, chocolate, garlic, or any salty/sugary foods. Hamsters tend to love peanut butter but it

1380-536: Is important that they are supplied with food to make the transition from nursing to eating on their own easier. After the hamsters reach three weeks of age they are considered mature. Syrian hamsters typically live no more than two to three years in captivity, and less in the wild. Russian hamsters (Campbell's and Djungarian) live about two to four years in captivity, and Chinese hamsters 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 –3 years. The smaller Roborovski hamster often lives to three years in captivity. The best-known species of hamster

1449-545: Is important to feed it to them carefully because this sticky food can get stuck in their cheeks. Hamsters in the Middle East have been known to hunt in packs to find insects for food. Hamsters are hindgut fermenters and often eat their own feces ( coprophagy ) to recover nutrients digested in the hind-gut, but not absorbed. A behavioral characteristic of hamsters is food hoarding . They carry food in their spacious cheek pouches to their underground storage chambers. When full,

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1518-431: Is indicated by a reddening of genital areas, a musky smell, and a hissing, squeaking vocalisation she will emit if she believes a male is nearby. When seen from above, a sexually mature female hamster has a trim tail line; a male's tail line bulges on both sides. This might not be very visible in all species. Male hamsters typically have very large testes in relation to their body size. Before sexual maturity occurs, it

1587-413: Is more difficult to determine a young hamster's sex. When examined, female hamsters have their anal and genital openings close together, whereas males have these two holes farther apart (the penis is usually withdrawn into the coat and thus appears as a hole or pink pimple). Syrian hamsters are seasonal breeders and will produce several litters a year with several pups in each litter. The breeding season

1656-405: Is primarily crepuscular. Fritzsche indicated although some species have been observed to show more nocturnal activity than others, they are all primarily crepuscular. In the wild Syrian hamsters can hibernate and allow their body temperature to fall close to ambient temperature. This kind of thermoregulation diminishes the metabolic rate to about 5% and helps the animal to considerably reduce

1725-518: Is set to expand later on. In December 2009, Activision and GameMill Publishing signed an agreement with Cepia to release ZhuZhu Pets video games. The first title, simply titled ZhuZhu Pets , was released in March 2010 for the Nintendo DS , iOS , and Microsoft Windows . In August 2010, Activision and GameMill Entertainment signed an agreement to release a Kung Zhu title for the Nintendo DS. alongside

1794-561: Is the golden or Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus ), which is the type most commonly kept as pets . There are numerous Syrian hamster variations including long-haired varieties and different colors. British zoologist Leonard Goodwin claimed most hamsters kept in the United Kingdom were descended from the colony he introduced for medical research purposes during the Second World War. Hamsters were domesticated and kept as pets in

1863-448: Is the maximum number of pups that can be contained in the uterus. Campbell's dwarf hamsters tend to have four to eight pups in a litter, but can have up to 13. Winter white hamsters tend to have slightly smaller litters, as do Chinese and Roborovski hamsters. Female Chinese and Syrian hamsters are known for being aggressive toward males if kept together for too long after mating. In some cases, male hamsters can die after being attacked by

1932-773: Is the type most commonly kept as a pet. Other hamster species commonly kept as pets are the three species of dwarf hamster, Campbell's dwarf hamster ( Phodopus campbelli ), the winter white dwarf hamster ( Phodopus sungorus ) and the Roborovski hamster ( Phodopus roborovskii ). Hamsters are more crepuscular than nocturnal and, in the wild, remain underground during the day to avoid being caught by predators. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, and vegetation, and will occasionally eat burrowing insects. Physically, they are stout-bodied with distinguishing features that include elongated cheek pouches extending to their shoulders, which they use to carry food back to their burrows , as well as

2001-423: Is their sharp incisors ; they have an upper pair and lower pair which grow continuously throughout life, so must be regularly worn down. Hamsters are very flexible, but their bones are somewhat fragile. They are extremely susceptible to rapid temperature changes and drafts, as well as extreme heat or cold. Hamsters have poor eyesight; they are nearsighted and colorblind . Their eyesight leads to them not having

2070-629: The Netherlands , Poland , Slovakia , Sweden , the United Kingdom , the United States , and Vietnam . Since 2002, Spin Master has received 92 "Toy of The Year" (TOTY) nominations with 28 wins across a variety of product categories, including 13 TOTY nominations for "Innovative Toy of the Year", more than any other toy company. In 2022, Spin Master won The Golden Screen Award for Feature Film, presented by

2139-562: The 120 year old stuffed toy brand Gund . In December of that year, Spin Master was announced as the new toy licensee of the DC Entertainment starting in spring 2020, having acquired the license from Mattel. Spin Master is now a $ 1.5 billion (sales) company, which employs over 1,600 people in 16 countries. At the end of 2019, Spin Master completed the acquisition of the award-winning Orbeez brand from Maya Toys, complementing its growing Activities segment. Also in 2019 Spin Master started

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2208-895: The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, for Paw Patrol: The Movie . Since 2021, Chase the police pup and Marshall the firefighting pup, two characters from Paw Patrol , are the company's mascots. Three university friends from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario - Ronnen Harary , Anton Rabie and Ben Varadi - founded Spin Master Toys with $ 10,000 in Toronto in early 1994. The company's first product, Earth Buddies , were small heads made out of Kmart pantyhose and grass seeds, which grew "hair" when watered. The Earth Buddy went on to sell over 26,000 units. Spin Master Toys' first major success came in 1998 with

2277-562: The American Toy of the Year award. In 2008, Spin Master launched the Bakugan Battle Brawlers franchise, a card game developed in conjunction with Sega Toys , featured plastic balls which burst open to reveal anime-style characters. Bakugan reached almost $ 1 billion in yearly sales. Under Harary's leadership, Spin Master Entertainment launched with Bakugan Battle Brawlers the animated action adventure television series under

2346-523: The Bonnier Group of Sweden. In August 2016 Spin Master diversified into the water and outdoor sports category through the acquisition of Swimways corporation. In 2017, Spin Master acquired Marbles, a firm known for creating games, gifts and gadgets and the maker of Otrio; Aerobie, a leading producer of outdoor flying disks and sports toys; and Perplexus , a 3D ball-in-a-maze Spin Master had been distributing since 2013. In March 2018, Spin Master acquired

2415-750: The Middle Miocene Epoch in Europe and North Africa; in Asia it extends 6 million to 11 million years. Four of the seven living genera include extinct species. One extinct hamster of Cricetus , for example, lived in North Africa during the Middle Miocene, but the only extant member of that genus is the European or common hamster of Eurasia. Neumann et al. (2006) conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 12 of

2484-487: The U.S. and 30 in China. The original ZhuZhu Pets are nine different characters, with names including Chunk, PipSqueak, Mr. Squiggles, and Num Nums. There are various accessories for creating customized hamster habitats. ZhuZhu Pets can be put in either of two play modes: "nurturing mode," in which they coo and purr, or "adventure mode," in which they explore their habitat and respond to various stimuli. The toy first launched under

2553-478: The United States at least as early as 1942. Other hamsters commonly kept as pets are the three species in the genus Phodopus . Campbell's dwarf hamster ( Phodopus campbelli ) is the most common—they are also sometimes called "Russian dwarfs"; however, many hamsters are from Russia, so this ambiguous name does not distinguish them from other species appropriately. The coat of the winter white dwarf hamster ( Phodopus sungorus ) turns almost white during winter (when

2622-438: The above 17 species using DNA sequence from three genes : 12S rRNA , cytochrome b , and von Willebrand factor . They uncovered the following relationships: The genus Phodopus was found to represent the earliest split among hamsters. Their analysis included both species. The results of another study suggest Cricetulus kamensis (and presumably the related C. alticola ) might belong to either this Phodopus group or hold

2691-690: The appropriate substrate. Wild hamsters will also appropriate tunnels made by other mammals; the Djungarian hamster, for instance, uses paths and burrows of the pika . Hamsters become fertile at different ages depending on their species. Both Syrian and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a young age (4–5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin reproducing at two to three months of age, and Roborovskis at three to four months of age. The female's reproductive life lasts about 18 months, but male hamsters remain fertile much longer. Females are in estrus about every four days, which

2760-643: The cheeks can make their heads double, or even triple in size. Hamsters lose weight during the autumn months in anticipation of winter. This occurs even when hamsters are kept as pets and is related to an increase in exercise. Most hamsters are strictly solitary. If housed together, acute and chronic stress might occur, and they might fight fiercely, sometimes fatally. Dwarf hamster species might tolerate siblings or same-gender unrelated hamsters if introduced at an early enough age, but this cannot be guaranteed. Hamsters communicate through body language to one another and even to their owner. They communicate by sending

2829-484: The consumer organisation GoodGuide was initially thought to have found more than the allowed level of the toxic, silvery metalloid antimony in the Mr. Squiggles toy. After a review, regulators from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that the toy was within the "very protective" standard. GoodGuide subsequently issued an apology saying that their testing methods (which checked for surface toxins) were different from

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2898-665: The direction of Mitsuo Hashimoto. To date, Spin Master Entertainment has developed six television series with over 400 cumulative episodes. In 2019, Abby Hatcher , an animated preschool series debuted on Nickelodeon on January 1, 2019, in the U.S. The show centers on Abby and her new friends the Fuzzlies, who are amazing and quirky creatures that live in her family's hotel. Together with her best Fuzzly friend Bozzly, Abby goes on wild adventures to fix Fuzzly mishaps and help them in any way she can. In 2020, Spin Master launched its first direct to Netflix series, Mighty Express . The show follows

2967-490: The domestic strain. However, the differences in behavioral, chronobiological, morphometrical, hematological, and biochemical parameters are relatively small and fall into the expected range of interstrain variations in other laboratory animals. The name "hamster" is a loanword from the German, which itself derives from earlier Middle High German hamastra . It is possibly related to Old Church Slavonic khomestoru , which

3036-585: The end of March, a game tie-in to the Quest for Zhu movie in September, and ZhuZhu Babies (a re-skin of the second title) in November. Coinciding with the release of Quest for Zhu , a video game adaptation for the Nintendo DS was released. Cepia LLC created The Dream Garden Company for 4 films with distribution by Universal Pictures . On September 27, 2011, the franchise's first full-length feature film Quest for Zhu

3105-772: The federal standards (which check for soluble toxins.) Cepia encourages collecting of ZhuZhu Pets. Exclusive pets have been released in collaboration with Hallmark , Build-A-Bear Workshop , and Toys "R" Us . In early 2010 a set of new characters was released, including the Rockstar pets (Roxie, Ryder, Pax, and Kingston), inspired by the children of celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani . The brand continued to expand international, with an Asian (including Japan) distribution deal with Sega Toys occurring in January, with Sega Toys planning on releasing manga and animated adaptions. A European (non-UK) deal with Giochi Preziosi occurred

3174-485: The following year. The range expanded in 2010 with new sub-themes, starting with ZhuZhu Babies, which were not electronic or plush, but plastic toys articulated with a small ball under their belly. Summer 2010 saw the launch of Kung Zhu, aimed at a male audience age 8–12 and focused on battling hamsters. In December 2010, the ZhuZhu Princess series was released, as was a line of sixteen Burger King toys. The success of

3243-450: The forgery of pet store purchase receipts. Some activists attempted to intercept owners who were on their way to turn in pet hamsters and encourage them to choose adoption instead, which the government subsequently warned would be subject to police action. The extracted cells of babies' kidneys and adults' ovaries are used to study cholesterol synthesis . Some similar rodents sometimes called "hamsters" are not currently classified in

3312-503: The franchise returning were soon confirmed true by employees at Cepia, and in September 2023, Cepia LLC uploaded a video on Vimeo showing the first new Zhu Zhu Pets line for 2024 called 'Zhu Zhu Aquarium'. The new line was showcased at New York Toy Fair 2023 and made its debut release in April of 2024. The brand is currently active as of today, with the website online for their debut, alongside the idea that this new series/generation of Zhu Zhu Pets

3381-707: The hamster subfamily Cricetinae. These include the maned hamster, or crested hamster, which is really the maned rat ( Lophiomys imhausi ). Others are the mouse-like hamsters ( Calomyscus spp.), and the white-tailed rat ( Mystromys albicaudatus ). Spin Master Spin Master Corp. , formerly known as Spin Master Toys , stylized as " SPIN MASTER ", is a Canadian multinational toy and entertainment company. Spin Master employs over 1,600 people globally with offices in Australia , Canada, China , France , Germany , Hong Kong , India , Italy , Japan , Mexico ,

3450-412: The hours of daylight decrease). The Roborovski hamster ( Phodopus roborovskii ) is extremely small and fast, making it difficult to keep as a pet. A hamster show is an event in which people gather hamsters to judge them against each other. Hamster shows are also places where people share their enthusiasm for hamsters among attendees. Hamster shows feature an exhibition of the hamsters participating in

3519-508: The judging. The judging of hamsters usually includes a goal of promoting hamsters which conform to natural or established varieties of hamsters. By awarding hamsters which match standard hamster types, hamster shows encourage planned and careful hamster breeding. When the first reported case of animal-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong took place via imported pet hamsters, researchers expressed difficulty in identifying some of

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3588-496: The largest is the European hamster ( Cricetus cricetus ), measuring up to 34 cm (13 in) long, not including a short tail of up to 6 cm (2.4 in). The hamster tail can be difficult to see, as it is usually not very long (about 1 ⁄ 6 the length of the body), with the exception of the Chinese hamster , which has a tail the same length as the body. One rodent characteristic that can be highly visible in hamsters

3657-563: The launch of the Air Hogs brand and its first item, the Sky Shark . Developed from the prototype provided by inventors John Dixon and Peter Manning, the Sky Shark was a foam plane that used compressed air to enable outdoor flight. Product development took over two years and more than $ 500,000, but ended up generating $ 103 million in revenue over the next few years. The Sky Shark put Spin Master Toys on

3726-447: The litter, so the litter must be removed by the time the young can feed and drink independently. Hamsters are born hairless and blind in a nest the mother will have prepared in advance. After one week, they begin to explore outside the nest. Hamsters are capable of producing litters every month. Hamsters can be bred after they are three weeks old. It may be hard for the babies to not rely on their mother for nursing during this time, so it

3795-491: The map, becoming one of the most popular toys in the world and earning them a slot on daytime television Regis and Kathie Lee alongside other international press. The company, which had grown to 28 employees by 1999, told the LA Times they were already “assessing 1,000 inventions a year.” They’d moved their manufacturing supply chain to Hong Kong in 1998. The company scored another success in 1999, with Flix Trix Finger Bikes,

3864-530: The name Go Go Pets in July 2009, but was rebranded as ZhuZhu Pets in October. Cepia soon signed a distribution deal with Character Options to release the product (under the Go Go Pets name) in the United Kingdom for the 2009 Christmas season. ZhuZhu Pets were a craze during the 2009 holidays. They originally retailed for US$ 9, but for a time they sold for over $ 100 because of shortages. In December 2009, testing done by

3933-480: The need for food during the winter. Hibernation can last up to one week but more commonly last 2–3 days. When kept as house pets the Syrian hamster does not hibernate. All hamsters are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more entrances, with galleries connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and other activities. They use their fore- and hindlegs, as well as their snouts and teeth, for digging. In

4002-584: The position of Global President and CEO in April 2021. In February 2022, Spin Master announced it renewed its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to continue manufacturing DC Universe toys through 2026. In 2021, Spin Master launched the Future of Play Scholarship committing to invest $ 100,000 in financial aid annually to the education and mentorship of underrepresented individuals. On October 19, 2021, Spin Master established Spin Master Ventures,

4071-498: The product led to several tie-in products, one example being Hasbro 's FurReal Friends Furry Frenzies, which featured other animals. This inspired Cepia to release additional products in the "Zhuniverse" in 2011, such as Zhu Zhu Puppies, which were robotic puppies that move around and bark, and a revived version of Zhu Zhu Babies, which now featured baby hamsters with motors. In 2012, this was expanded further to include Zhufari, which featured many different wild animals, Zhu Zhu Kittens,

4140-620: The related C. sokolovi ) and C. longicaudatus . The remaining clade contains members of Allocricetulus , Tscherskia , Cricetus , and C. migratorius . Allocricetulus and Cricetus were sister taxa . Cricetulus migratorius was their next closest relative, and Tscherskia was basal. Although the Syrian hamster or golden hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus ) was first described scientifically by George Robert Waterhouse in 1839, researchers were not able to successfully breed and domesticate hamsters until 1939. The entire laboratory and pet populations of Syrian hamsters appear to be descendants of

4209-721: The second largest games company in the United States. A month after announcing it was buying Cardinal, Spin Master made its initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange. In January 2016 Spin Master purchased the library of board games owned by Editrice Giochi SRL, one of the oldest privately held toy game companies in Italy. In February 2016, Spin Master bought the Etch A Sketch and Doodle Sketch brands from The Ohio Art Company for an undisclosed price. In April 2016, Spin Master purchased digital toy makers Toca Boca and Sago Mini from

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4278-498: The sound of their food and even their owner's voice. They are also particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises and can hear and communicate in the ultrasonic range. Hamsters are omnivores , which means they can eat meat and plant matter. Hamsters that live in the wild eat seeds, grass, and even insects. Although pet hamsters can survive on a diet of exclusively commercial hamster food, other items, such as vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts, can be given. Although store-bought food

4347-517: The success of its first theatrical film for the franchise, Spin Master announced that production had begun on a sequel, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie slated to release on September 29, 2023. On 27 October 2020, Spin Master said it will pay $ 50 million for Rubik's Cube , the iconic game invented nearly 50 years ago. The acquisition was completed on 5 January 2021. At the end of 2020, Spin Master announced executive leadership changes appointing Max Rangel as Global President effective January 2021, assuming

4416-453: The surface beneath them, leaving a scent trail. Hamsters also use their sense of smell to distinguish between the sexes and to locate food. Mother hamsters can also use their sense of smell to find their own babies and identify which ones are not theirs. Their scent glands can also be used to mark their territories, their babies, or their mate. Hamsters catch sounds by having their ears upright. They tend to learn similar noises and begin to know

4485-446: The viral mutations within a global genomic data bank, leading city authorities to announce a mass cull of all hamsters purchased after December 22, 2021, which would affect roughly 2,000 animals. After the government 'strongly encouraged' citizens to turn in their pets, approximately 3,000 people joined underground activities to promote the adoption of abandoned hamsters throughout the city and to maintain pet ownership via methods such as

4554-524: The wild, the burrow buffers extreme ambient temperatures, offers relatively stable climatic conditions, and protects against predators. Syrian hamsters dig their burrows generally at a depth of 70 cm (2.3 ft). A burrow includes a steep entrance pipe (4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) in diameter), a nesting and a hoarding chamber and a blind-ending branch for urination. Laboratory hamsters have not lost their ability to dig burrows; in fact, they will do this with great vigor and skill if they are provided with

4623-494: Was completed and was "secretly distributed" to TV stations in France and Brazil under the title "Amazing Adventures of Zhu". Hamster Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae , which contains 19 species classified in seven genera . They have become established as popular small pets . The best-known species of hamster is the golden or Syrian hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus ), which

4692-546: Was completed on January 2, 2024. Spin Master Games is the board game division of the company. Spin Master also owns Cardinal Industries, Marbles and Editrice Giochi board and card game publishers. Spin Master Games publishes titles such as: Alongside the company's toy and board game businesses, they are the company behind several successful kids' media franchises: In 2012, Spin Master launched its first digital gaming app for Tech Deck . Other successful apps connected to

4761-444: Was released straight-to-DVD . A second full-length feature film, The Power of Zhu , probably in the works and has a trailer, potentially being released on DVD sometime in 2012 as well as a third film The Secret of Zhu that featured the voices of Brad Garrett and Ken Jeong and fourth film Journey to GloE . However, as of February 2014, no other films or even plans for films have been released for "The Power of Zhu", although it

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