MidWest Critter Nation Deluxe Small Animal Cage

I have rats let's start there! So I needed space, bars without big gaps, easy open and easy clean. Critter Nation does just that plus more! I also have to add that building this is so much easier, if you need a sign on whether to buy this or not here is your sign BUY IT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND I AM GOING TO ORDER THE STACKABLE PIECE TO CREATE EVEN MORE ROOM FOR MY BABIES!!

The photo shows what must be a new design. The panels drop into the square holes to complete the base, just like how the rest of the cage is built. I really liked this and wanted this design because the old design uses bolts to connect the base. Well, the cage I received uses the bolts. Half of them wouldn't screw in all the way no matter how much I fought with it so the whole thing is rickety now. Also, my plan was to connect two of them side by side, which I can't do because of how much the bolts stick out. But it's too heavy to return and wouldn't know how to ensure I received the correct design next time anyway so I guess I'll just have to find a way to rig this one to work for me.

So i seen the reviews about this cage being a nightmare to put together. I was so hesitant purchase it but.. It was awesome. I put it together in a small room with little floor space (taken up by other things). Some of the part were bent but not beyond use. Nothing needed bent back to fit and really only had to hit on piece to slide it into place. The space is amazing. Some screen mesh for the bedding that falls out and poof perfection!! 10 out of 10

Where to start.. This thing sucks. Says no tools needed, yet in instructions, says a rubber mallet is basically needed. You'll need more than that. Hardly any of the holes lined up, there is a very evident lack of ANY quality control at all on this. Holes don't line up.. need to hammer pins to make them actually fit, then you need to bash the crap out of it to make it ACTUALLY fit into the holes once you line them up (if you can. some things were cut so far off I couldn't but luckily, it still assembled, just small raised gap on bottom) since the pegs/pins don't even physically fit in without smashing or grinding them down some.. hammering sliced off some and that was the only reason they Where to start.. This thing sucks. Says no tools needed, yet in instructions, says a rubber mallet is basically needed. You'll need more than that. Hardly any of the holes lined up, there is a very evident lack of ANY quality control at all on this. Holes don't line up.. need to hammer pins to make them actually fit, then you need to bash the crap out of it to make it ACTUALLY fit into the holes once you line them up (if you can. some things were cut so far off I couldn't but luckily, it still assembled, just small raised gap on bottom) since the pegs/pins don't even physically fit in without smashing or grinding them down some.. hammering sliced off some and that was the only reason they eventually went in. Once its together its together, but its rough to do since you need to modify the thing to make it work as intended since they don't do quality control for these. The worse part? The pan liner DOESN'T EVEN FIT THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF CAGE NOR does it have raised edges to prevent everything from falling out (bedding hay etc). there is roughly a 2 inch gap from the wall of the cage between the pan. What does this mean you may ask? It means when your pet goes pee, its a hit or miss if he actually goes on the pan, or it just slides out through the gap. Issue for pets like Chinchillas and guinea pigs since they like to back up and pee in corners. Once we make a pan ourselves to solve that issue, this will work ok, but a cage shouldn't require THIS much work to just 1. put it together and 2, make it actually decent (no pee sliding off poorly designed pan) Get a different cage. … more

So... the instructions are clear enough but still leave the mechanically disinclined in a spot of struggle. The box was slightly damaged in shipping, which is to be expected at that weight and size. However, the cage was warped just enough that I hade to beat it into alignment with a hammer. This is best assembled with two people due to the awkwardness of some of the assembly. Once it was put together and I put in all the toys and stuff the boys were super thrilled!!!!

it took me and two other people to be able to put this thing together. Pieces didn’t fit correctly but it was easily fixed by just hammering or bending. I wish I didn’t have to hammer or bend anything but it is what it is. After around two long hours the cage was put together nicely. It’s a good cage just putting it together really was a lot.

These are the best cages imo on the market right now. They are worth the price. Every penny. I almost wish I saved and just got the double for my boys instead of the single. But I'll just have to get the add on one day! Highly recommend. I'll post pictures of my double and my single.

This cage is roomy, solid and can be easily cleaned. However, the box it comes in is very heavy. It was delivered at the foot of my stairs and I had to cut it open and carry pieces up one at a time. Could be an issue for some, but it's doable. It's difficult to put together, requiring a mallet to make pegs fit into holes. My worst issue was a metal burr inside one of the support bracket holes, making it impossible to get the screw in. Chewy customer service said they couldn't get replacement parts, and that I would have to return the entire cage (after I'd cut open the box) for a refund. Luckily my brother was able to drill out the burr, and the screw still threaded so I could assemble the cage This cage is roomy, solid and can be easily cleaned. However, the box it comes in is very heavy. It was delivered at the foot of my stairs and I had to cut it open and carry pieces up one at a time. Could be an issue for some, but it's doable. It's difficult to put together, requiring a mallet to make pegs fit into holes. My worst issue was a metal burr inside one of the support bracket holes, making it impossible to get the screw in. Chewy customer service said they couldn't get replacement parts, and that I would have to return the entire cage (after I'd cut open the box) for a refund. Luckily my brother was able to drill out the burr, and the screw still threaded so I could assemble the cage. I'm happy with it now, and my rats love it, but it was a huge hassle. Just be aware you can't get replacement parts and be prepared for a struggle putting it together. … more

Came on time, was heavy as actual heck, and was easy...enough to put together. I do second others' recommendation of having a rubber mallet (or a towel-wrapped hammer, in a pinch) as well as a screwdriver (in addition to the one they provide). They say it's a no-tools-needed assembly, but that's okay, I've lied in my life. I frequently tell my brother that his kids are cute. They're super not. It's like the kind of lie that's really obvious, you sort of just do it to be polite? But it's also me lying about kids to my brother's face, so I don't really know which is worse/better. Anyway, my boyfriend got one of these two and he likes it, so yeah, I recommend it.

My fiancé bought the double story cage for our 5 rats and i helped put it together. Some pieces were bent out of shape and we had to use pliers to get the pieces to go in. There are design flaws and im not sure this product is worth almost $300, however it's sturdy, spacious, and our rats love it. Cons: Some pieces bent out and we had to use a lot of force to put it together. Bedding ends up on the floor due to the pans not having great sideage (which isn't a huge deal to us but might be for someone else). Pros: Seems pretty sturdy. Rats love it. Spacious. *hammock, beds, bottles, dishes, and bedding are not included in the cage. Thats our stuff