MidWest Homes for PetsDeluxe Critter Nation Double Unit Small Animal Cage (Model 162)

I ordered the Deluxe Critter Nation for $250 and it arrived the next day. The box was not damaged at all. HOWEVER, there was, unfortunately, some damage to the cage from the factory itself.One side panel has a scratched up bar. I don't mind the damage and have it hidden by facing the panel toward the wall in the back.The top door panel has a lot of issues. The two doors are slightly offset. I believe there was a mess up in the factory since the door panel originally came with the doors slightly scratched and the tab blocking the doors shut. The bottom bar on the panel was also bent because of this, but thankfully it was not permanently disfigured. One of the doors also swings fully open on its own when unlatched. I will probably end up requesting a new door panel from the company. Not sure if they're going to replace it for free, though (will update!). This defect is the main reason my review is four stars instead of five.Assembly…Putting the first half of the cage together was a breeze! Then, while setting up the second cage on top, I ran into a problem and had a bit of a rough time. The pegs at the bottom of the top cage's panels were supposed to slide into the holes on top of the lower cage's panels. Unfortunately, one of the pegs was slightly bent and I was struggling trying to get it to fit. I was thinking I was going to have to return the entire cage since I couldn't get one of the side panels to secure. I ended up using a rubber mallet to hammer the bent peg straight and it worked. Basically, assembly would've and SHOULD'VE been simple if it weren't for that one defect.Customization…I didn't find much information about cage customization through reviews here, so I'll offer some myself. This information is true for the Deluxe Critter Nation only.Lower cage: the half-shelf has to be on the right side (facing the front of the cage). It has three different heights with pre-cut holes to slide the shelf hooks into.Upper cage: the half-shelf can be on either side of the cage. It also has three different heights with pre-cut holes to slide the shelf hooks into (on both sides).Shelves: if you didn’t notice in the product pictures, there are bars underneath the half-shelving to hang hammocks on, which is so awesome!Ramps: The ramps work for any of the shelf heights. They can be attached to the middle, far-left side, or far-right side of the shelf. (This does NOT apply for the ramp giving access from the lower cage to the upper cage. It cannot be moved.)Being able to adjust the ramps on the shelves is super convenient for working around large items in the cage such as wheels. The ramps also unhook very easily for cleaning/switching covers, which is awesome.Material…The metal material of the cage seems strong and durable. However, damage is very noticeable. Scratches appear white on the dark gray metal due to paint removal.The trays are black and made of regular plastic. They aren't too heavy nor too thin, they're just… plastic trays. They fit on top of the shelves securely, and rest on top of the main floors (but don't shift around at all).The ramps are made of metal with wide bars (please cover them to protect your pets’ feet!). The ramp covers are very soft and have a dark purple side and light blue side. They slide on easily and have a Velcro attachment at the top. Haven't washed them yet, so I'll update this once I see how well they hold up in the washing machine.Size…I kept noticing people online saying that the single Critter Nation was enough space for four rats. I looked at pictures online and thought “there is no way that is enough space for four rats.”I was very wrong. However large you think this cage is in-person, it's even larger. Due to the width and depth of the single Critter Nation, you could definitely keep four rats in it. I would do four at MAX, however. I have three girls currently and they definitely did not need the Deluxe (which could quite comfortably hold eight rats), but they seem to love having the extra space to play and run around so no regrets. Might have to adopt more rats to fill the space! 😉Though assembly was frustrating and the door panel is somewhat defective, I'm still giving it four stars because that's just how awesome this cage is. I’ll up it to five stars if the company is willing to send a free replacement door panel.UPDATE: I contacted Midwest Homes through the form on their website. After emailing customer service and sending pictures of the damage, they contacted me and let me know that they are sending a replacement door panel! They responded quickly. Very thankful for Wendy! ---- UP. 2: New, non-defective door panel arrived not long after and all is good.

This thing is a beast to assemble - certainly have at least one other person assisting you if only for bartending duties. I went rogue and tackled the project on my own. I can see that you could make a drinking game with friends out of assembling it for every time someone swears. All will be hammered within the hour. You need at least two people to carry the box to avoid likely permanent back injury - no joking, kids. Indicates "No tools required" and they include this hateful little phillips screwdriver thing that looks like a bottle opener [subliminal suggestion, perhaps, and it's just a tease as it certainly IS NOT a bottle opener], but I opted to use a much better-suited 14V cordless screwdriver and an actual church key bottle opener to make at least some of the assembly easier and the retention of my sanity more likely. Once together, it's an imposing piece of hardware but rolls very easily and has locking wheels for once you get it to where it's going. Castles weigh less. They should make little trebuchets and guard towers as accessories to fit. Maybe even little ferret guard uniforms. Many pieces interlock or otherwise fit together without hardware - nice touch - but it did prove problematic with two of the 4 end panels where I had to enlist the assistance of a block of wood and a hammer to get things to line up and go together. Instructions recommend having a rubber mallet on hand but I'm fairly strong and don't believe that would have sufficed for the couple issues I encountered during assembly. Guessing, actually, the rubber mallet would have eventually been violently thrown thru a window out of frustration and due to the recoil and nailing one's self in the forehead with said device a few times. Very solid and sturdy once together, quite the palace for an ungrateful ferret. Get the optional Accessory Kits 2 & 3, which install fairly easily and should make machine washing a simple task - since the mongrels stare you straight in the eye like a boss while defecating BESIDE their totally clean made-for-ferrets litter boxeS. Total time to assemble: one six pack and half a bottle of wine, but I finished the other half just as a reward to myself.