An urgent recall has been issued for millions of Calico Critters toys and sets amid fears that bottle and pacifier accessories included with some of the products pose a choking hazard to small children.
Three incidents involving Calico Critters toys sold with pacifiers have already been reported since 2015, including two fatalities.
Our Child Injury Lawyers have extensive experience representing infants, toddlers, and other children harmed because of defective and recalled toys, and have earned nationwide recognition for our aggressive pursuit of justice on behalf of kids and their families. If your son or daughter experienced a serious or fatal choking incident because of a Calico Critters pacifier or bottle, please call our law firm toll-free at 877-875-2927 to speak with an attorney and learn more about your legal rights.
What to Know About the Calico Critters Recall
Calico Critters is a line of toys that includes miniature animal figures made from a flocked material, as well as houses, furniture, and accessories. The toys were initially introduced in Japan in 1995 and are now available worldwide.
This recall involves all Calico Critters flocked animal figures and sets that were sold with bottle and pacifier accessories, which totals more than 3.2 million units. According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), Epoch Everlasting Play LLC is aware of three choking incidents involving the pacifier accessory, including two deaths. One fatality involved a 2-year-old child in 2018 in New Mexico, and the other incident involved a 9-month-old child in 2015 in Japan (with a pacifier accessory distributed by Epoch Japan).
Parents and caregivers should take the recalled bottle and pacifier accessories away from children immediately and contact Epoch Everlasting Play for instructions on how to submit a photo of the accessory along with contact information and confirmation of destruction to receive a replacement accessory free of charge. The company can be reached either by:
- Calling 800-631-1272 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday;
- Sending an email to productsafety@epocheverlastingplay.com;
- Visitingcom/recalls or epocheverlastingplay.com and clicking on “Product Recalls” at the top of the landing page;
- Visiting https://calicocritters.com/en-us/ and clicking on “Recall Information” at the top of the landing page.
How Do I Know If My Child’s Calico Critters Toy or Set is Recalled?
The Calico Critters recall includes 54 separate toys and sets with the following item numbers printed on the bottom of the packaging:
- Item No. CC1407, SANDY CAT TWINS
- Item No. CC1450, CHIHUAHUA TWINS
- Item No. CC1459, BORDER COLLIE TWINS
- Item No. CC1481, HAZELNUT CHIPMUNK TWINS
- Item No. CC1491, FLUFFY HAMSTER TWINS
- Item No. CC1508, WILDER PANDA TWINS
- Item No. CC1510, CUDDLE BEAR TWINS
- Item No. CC1529, SLYDALE FOX TWINS
- Item No. CC1533, HAWTHORNE TWINS
- Item No. CC1571, ELLWOODS ELEPHANT TWINS
- Item No. CC1586, PERSIAN CAT TWINS
- Item No. CC1641, FISHER CAT TWINS
- Item No. CC1643, BL HOPSCOTCH RABBIT TWIN
- Item No. CC1664, HIGHCHAIR AND ACCESSORIES
- Item No. CC1689, BUTTERCUP TWINS
- Item No. CC1694, CC SILK CAT TWINS
- Item No. CC1737, BL TOY POODLE TWINS
- Item No. CC1750, BABY NURSERY SET
- Item No. CC1761, TWINS ASSORTMENT ‐ PK 9
- Item No. CC1795, BL MAPLE CAT TWINS
- Item No. CC1924, BL PICKLEWEEDS HEDGE TWN
- Item No. CC1955, JASON AND AMANDA VISIT DR. MURDOCK
- Item No. CC1965, CARRY CASES ‐ PK 1
- Item No. CC2006, BEAGLE TWINS
- Item No. CC2019, ELLOW LABRADOR TWINS
- Item No. CC2067, ADVENTURE TREEHOUSE GIFT
- Item No. CC2269, BABYS NURSERY SET
- Item No. CC2269P4, BABY NURSERY ‐ PK4
- Item No. CC2484, JESS & NOAH’S BACKYARD FUN
- Item No. CC2537, BL SOPHIE’S LOVE N CARE
- Item No. CC2537P4, SOPHIE LOVE N CARE ‐ PK4
- Item No. CC2597, NIGHTLIGHT NURSERY SET
- Item No. CC2598, BABY’S BLUE BEDROOM SET WITH NIGHTLIGHT
- Item No. CF1407, BL SANDY CAT TWINS
- Item No. CF1412, BL HOPSCOTCH RABBIT TWNS
- Item No. CF1416, BL ELLWOOD ELEPHANT TWNS
- Item No. CF1418, BL YELLOW LAB TWNS
- Item No. CF1424, SILK CAT TWINS
- Item No. CF1429, BL PKLWEED HEDGEHOG TWNS
- Item No. CF1481, BL HZLNUT CHIPMUNK TWINS
- Item No. CF1491, BL FLUFFY HAMSTER TWINS
- Item No. CF1510, BL CUDDLE BEAR TWINS
- Item No. CF1513, BL NIGHTLIGHT NURSERY SET
- Item No. CF1520, BL WILDER PANDA TWNS
- Item No. CF1526, BL BORDER COLLIE TWNS
- Item No. CF1554, BL BABYS NURSERY SET
- Item No. CF1586, BL PERSIAN CAT TWINS
- Item No. CF1717, BL ADV TREEHOUSE GIFT SE
- Item No. CF1737, BL TOY POODLE TWINS
- Item No. CF1750, BL BABY NURSERY SET
- Item No. CF1761, BL TWINS ASSORTMENT
- Item No. CF1795, BL MAPLE CAT TWINS
- Item No. CF2537, BL SOPHIES LOVE N CARE
- Item CF2537P4, BL SOPHIES LOVE N CARE
The bottle accessories were sold in yellow, pink, blue and orange colors, and one style had two yellow handles. The pacifier accessories were sold in yellow, orange, pink, dark pink, blue and teal colors.
The recalled Calico Critters toys were available to purchase at Walmart, Meijer, and other stores nationwide and online at calicocritters.com and amazon.com from January 2000 through December 2021. The individual toys and sets cost between $10 and $80.
Preventing Child Choking Injuries and Deaths
Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of 5.
While food accounts for more than half of all pediatric choking episodes reported in the United States, the remaining occur when kids – usually babies and toddlers – place objects, such as coins, buttons, and small toys, in their mouths.
To ensure your son or daughter doesn’t fall victim to a choking episode, follow these tips:
- Insist that children eat at the table, or at least while sitting down. Kids should never walk, run, play, laugh or lie down with food in their mouths.
- Cut food for infants, toddlers, and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch, and teach them to chew their food well.
- Supervise mealtimes for babies, toddlers, and young children.
- Be aware of older children’s actions. Many choking incidents occur when older siblings give dangerous foods, toys or other objects to younger kids.
- Be aware that balloons pose a choking risk to children of any age.
- Follow the age recommendations on toy packages. Age guidelines reflect the safety of the toy based on possible choking hazards as well as a child’s physical and mental abilities at various ages.
- Check under furniture and between cushions for small items that kids might find and put in their mouths.
- Do not let infants, toddlers, and young children play with coins.
- Remember, if an item can fit inside a cardboard toilet tube roll, it can become lodged inside a child’s airway
- Do not prop baby bottles when infants are eating. This can cause choking and aspiration.
- Don’t feed kids while driving, as it’s difficult to drive and supervise eating.
- If using a rub-on teething medication, watch toddlers closely as the medicine can numb their throats and interfere with swallowing.
Because permanent brain damage and death can occur if the brain is deprived of oxygen for more than 4 minutes, the ability to administer rapid first aid is essential to saving a child’s life if they experience a choking episode. Parents and caregivers should enroll in a Basic Life Support class offered by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association to learn more about choking prevention procedures and CPR for infants and children.
Contact an Experienced Child Injury Lawyer
Child Injury Lawyer Jeffrey Killino believes kids hurt by recalled toys and their families deserve compensation for their pain and suffering. If your son or daughter suffered a severe or fatal injury because of the choking hazard posed by recalled Calico Critters toys and sets, our child injury law firm is ready to help you pursue a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-877-875- 2927.
