Customer Reviews

Midwest Homes for Pets 36 inches long by 23.5 inches wide by 50.5 inches high Cat Playpen

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Goal: Behavior Modification
With the goal of happy cats in a harmonious environment, we purchased the Cat Playpen to facilitate the re-introduction of two adult cats that had a falling out. The theory is that if cats can see each other from a secure crate the aggressor forgets to be aggressive and the victim forgets to act like a victim thus breaking the cycle of aggression. Eventually, Aggressor and Victim take turns in the crate so everyone gets used to seeing each other just hanging "about." The behavior expert that I got this idea from said this process may take several months.

Background
A few years ago our home was the last stop before the Pound for a kitten who had been abused by some idiot who, no doubt, thought it was cool to have such a alternately sweet loving kitten and rough and tumble vicious little bully. It took months of work to teach the kitten bite inhibition and respectful manners. Nineteen months after he arrived, we were begged to take his ailing and fearful littermate who had been "put outside due to allergies." Eventually, Sis regained her health and integrated with the all of our feline/canine crew except for her rough and tumble brother and a young female who our now usually-self-controlled bully was mentoring. We tried our usual techniques to achieve and maintain harmony, but nothing brought about permanent harmony/integration.

Playpen setup
All of our cats are used to self-scooping litter boxes so i put a small LitterMaid (LM500) in the Playpen. Over that I put a table constructed to fit precisely over the box and then draped a large bath towel over the table (for their privacy and my view). On top of the table/towel I added a large cat bed. For the food and water bowls i attached stainless steel coop (parrot) cups with bolt clamps to the front panel of the crate. (Many cats will refuse to use a litter box that is too near their food or water and this keeps it at a respectable distance and off the bottom of the crate.) Two of the shelves were added to opposite ends of the crate above the table/bed, and the third shelf ended up on top of the Playpen after cats kept jumping up there.

Playpen PROS
Folds down to a small easy to store size.
Easy to assemble for someone who has experience with folding crates (see note about cable ties).
The double latch of the doors is very secure and seems cat proof.
Multi level shelves and crate is of a good size for a couple of adult cats.
Narrow bars, it will be handy for kittens to keep them safe when they cannot be watched.
LitterMaid (small LM500) fits well.
Casters, excellent idea, see note about casters below.

Playpen ASSEMBLY and Misc NOTES
After reading the assy instructions, I found it easier to do it this way...
(1) Unfold the crate (I left it on the cardboard to protect the hardwood).
(2) Tip the base onto its side toward the front panel, then put the casters on.
(3) Return it to right-side-up onto the casters.
(4) Put in the tray.
(5) Lift the front panel and one end panel and secure them with a couple of cable ties.
(6) Lift the other end panel and secure it to the front panel with cable ties.
(7) Place the litter box, litter, and cover (table, in this case) if using one, on the tray.
(8) Lift the back panel, secure it to each end panel with cable ties.
(9) Flip the top into place and secure it with cable ties.
(10) Add shelves, beds, toys, food (with a couple of treats on top) and water bowls.
You will need a Phillips head screwdriver, small pliers or adjustable wrench (or very strong fingers), and diagonal cutters if you use cable ties.

Playpen CONS
The shelf supports are off center so the crate the doors can still be opened once the shelves are installed, being cantalevered like this allows the shelf to flex when a 14 pound cat jumps onto it. After adding a cable tie to the free corner at the back of the crate the shelves are more stable.
The top does not fit the four sides well, but after securing it with additional cable ties, it feels secure. (Putting the third shelf up there and securing its corners with cable ties probably didn't hurt either.)
*** Cable ties, buy a large package of the long ones, black will match the crate's paint best. ***
***** I would not trust the Playpen we received to be safe (for cats or fingers) or secure without the cable ties! *****
*** Casters, these are of very poor quality and not up to the 40-50 pounds of two cats and accessories that i have in the Playpen. (The manufacturer did think about the weight of the cat and its accessories?) If the Playpen isn't rolling in the direction the wheels are pointed they scoot rather than turn - and this is on hardwood floors! It is going to cost me about $20 for better quality casters, and an hour or so to un-assemble and re-assemble the entire Playpen to replace them but it is necessary. (What a pain!)
People with carpet, especially plush carpet, might want to see what other reviewers have to say about how well the casters do or don't work on carpet.

Each morning, after their breakfast I put my two bullies in the Playpen and roll them to wherever I am and then eventually to my office, since they prefer hang out on my desk all day while i work they seem to like this a lot better than being confined in another room! After only three days, I can see some relaxation in all three cat's attitude toward each other when they are all in the same room.

Am very happy with my new cage. Have 5 cats and they can all fit fairly well and just love it. Reason for getting this particular one was it folds almost flat and will fit in my motorhome so when arriving at campgrounds can set it up in a few minutes and they can get fresh air and watch the birds, etc. When at home I take it outside (has wheels) also. The cats just LOVE IT!

I priced a cat play pen at my local pet store and they were asking more than twice what I paid for this one. I had some reservations thinking that this play pen whould not be as sturdy as the one I had looked at in the store but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was made. It was a lot of room for my cat and it gives me peace of mind while I'm away that he's not getting into trouble. There is plenty of room for his litter box , food and water and there are three different perches for him to lay on and a soft cover for one of the perches comes with the play pen as well that is very comfortable for him and if you want you can purchase a hamack and hang it in the top of the cage. If you have a cat that you can't turn your back on this might be the perfect way to give you some peace of mind when you can't have your eye on them every second.

Poor engineering and poor quality leaves lots of gaps where kittens can get stuck and loose/protruding parts that could injure them. Several of the vertical wires were unattached to the frame, a kitten who fell against them could scratch or seriously hurt themselves. Shelves are poorly attached and tip forward with pressure (like a cat jumping onto them). Plastic shelves have no traction for kittens that are unable to jump well enough from level to level. This product may work well enough for older cats, or for temporary containment, but we were looking for something that our young kittens would be happy in while we were at work and we did not feel good about trusting their safety to this cage, nor did we feel it would give them enough room or ability to play.

I bought this to house feral cats before and after surgery. It held up well on the first run of two VERY feral cats. I especially liked having access via two seperate doors. That caused less stress on both the cats and me at feeding and cage cleaning time. It seems to be very sturdy, and the wheels make moving a breeze. The cat bed included is top of the line. Mine was stolen by the house cats before it got to the cage. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a cat cage. Mine will probably come inside once all my feral friends are fixed.

Not as convenient as we'd hoped, but it will serve its purpose.

Why We Bought It:
We purchased the pen to temporarily house our two cats while repairmen and delivery people are here, and in case we ever need to take our cats with us someplace. Both cats are active youngsters; about 10 lbs each and still growing.

Pros:
1) The pen is big enough for both cats to be comfortable while temporarily confined. A small litter box, food bowl, and water bowl fit in the bottom and still leave room for the cats to maneuver.

2) All edges and surfaces are smooth. Another reviewer noted something about rough texture making it difficult to clean. Ours has no roughness at all - completely smooth and very easy to clean.

3) We also like the latching mechanism on the doors. It requires two different movements to unlatch, and the latch closes very snugly. Thus far, our very persistent cats have not been able to release the latch, and we doubt they ever will.

4) As usual, Amazon's service was excellent. We requested standard ground shipping, and the pen arrived in less than 72 hours. It arrived in very good condition - all parts were there, and there were just a couple of minor defects that we repaired ourselves. (Several bent closures and one tiny spot where paint had chipped.)

Cons:
1) The three shelves have supports on the short ends only and flexed considerably when the cats first jumped up on them. We created three additional supports per shelf, and it definitely helps. But given the price, we're disappointed that we had to make any modifications at all.

2) The top does not line up exactly with the four sides. Had to "muscle" it into place. Consequently, it isn't flat but instead bows. That probably isn't good for it, but just couldn't get the four sides to line up evenly, so that threw off the alignment of the top.

3) Our key disappointment is that the pen is very difficult for one person to set up alone. You really need two people working together to set it up. The entire unit is all one piece. When you set it up, the four sides need to be unfolded and latched together at the same time, or temporarily tape the sides up while working. And because of the height, each side is two pieces that are linked with hinges. So it isn't easy to just lean a side up while working because the top half keeps collapsing. The top of the pen is hinged to one of the sides. Once you get the four sides in place, you flip the top over and secure it. But the weight of the top adds to the challenge of working with the attached side.

Hubby wasn't home when the product arrived, so I set it up myself. Working alone, it took nearly 40 minutes. We're adding velcro closurers all around to make it easier next time.

4) Althought Amazon's price was lower than than local stores and other Websites, we still feel the product is overpriced. We need the pen for an upcoming event and the holidays, so we're keeping it. But if we had it to over again, we would not buy it. And we are not recommending it to friends.

Bottom Line:
The pen meets our needs, but for the price, we feel is should be sturdier and easier to set up.

This large rolling cage is excellent for the b/w, long haired, 8 wk old, feral kitten "Howie" that I have rescued. There is room for his sm. litter box, basket bed, food and water dishes, and also room to play. I placed the 3 platforms, one with fleece close to the bottom, altho he scales right up the sides. Hanging strands of yarn hold paper twists for him to bat at. The 4 doors have secure latches so the small grandsons can't release him. This cage also keeps Howie safe from the pugs, westie, and senior cats, and yet he can still react with them. I am really happy over this product!

I bought 2 of these, to keep my cats safe in situations where they were bolting outside (indoor cats) and to keep them contained while my dogs have run of the house (cats don't like the dogs). They're nice, but not quite as sturdy as I expected. I have a Midwest ferret cage, which is very well made, and expected the cat cages to be on-par. I'm not sure I'd say they are. Everything doesn't quite fit together as it should... The top isn't snug. Thought maybe it was that one was a dud, but both cages ended up this way, though I bought them two separate times. I ended up putting zip ties on both cages, for my own piece of mind. It did work!

All in all, it serves its purpose. One of the shelves bows down oddly, and that is the cat that's much lighter! Still works. I wish the shelves attached in a different way, but I understand why they don't.

Plenty of room for short-term containment. We have a litter box in each, food and water bowls and toys.

The cats LOVE the shelf liner, that's a huge hit.

So, I'd say that if you need to contain your cat, the Midwest Playpen works. However, I was disappointed in the overall quality of the cage, given the wonderful sturdiness of the ferret cage from the same company.

Also, I had a rough time, being the only one putting it together, as things kept collapsing in on me and not staying put. I'd recommend 2 people for setup!

This product was purchased to house stray kittens at work with the idea that it could be collapsed and easily stored when not in use.

Problems on day 1: all the pieces connected were slightly bent the wrong way meaning things would easily not slide together and the way it was sitting was not sturdy enough. We had to end up modifying it and bending connections together to make is sturdy and prevent escapees. So now it's no longer collapsible to easily put it in storage.

Other problem is cleaning the wire, pan and shelves. The bottom pan and sleves are rough & grooved, probably to make them less slippery for jumping & climbing cats. However that roughness is hard to clean clay out of when cats track litter all over, play and spill their water then track wet clay all over. The black tray and shelves are all stained/grey looking and that's with them being fully cleaned 2 times a day. The wet clay was also hard to clean from all of the wires and cleaning cloths get snagged easily.

I still recommend this product, it does serve its purpose, it's just a pain to keep clean with active playful kitties. You can also hang a hammock in the top with adds more sitting room to the cage.

This has turned out to be a great product for us! It's well made, large enough to be comfortable for at least two medium sized cats to be in for at least an 8 hour span or so with a kitty litter box, food, and water. It's perfect when you need to keep the kitties contained for a period of time but don't want to put them in little cages. Easy to set up and folds down flat. Great buy!