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Review for Pocket Pets cage

Posted By: cuttlefish

Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/12/19 12:37 AM

Hi I'm new to Glider Central. I do not frequent forums very much, and I've been lurking here for months.

I recently purchased a Pocket Pets Jung-L-Gym Premium Start-R-Cage, as temporary housing for a new joey. (Joey is not from PP.) I tried to post an honest review on their website, but there's no chance is hades they're going to allow it on their site. So here's my review, because I want everyone to know:

I'm writing in the overly exuberant spirit of the Pocket Pets website.

CONS:

This thing should not cost as much as it does, and they shouldn’t advertise it as a finished SAFE cage. It’s just PVC coated wire fencing that has been cut, partially assembled, with sharp exposed ends and all. Like dozens of little knives. Every place where it was cut had a razor point bare metal tip that had to be filed (had to buy a metal file) and covered with multiple layers of PVC paint. Also, the “c clamps” they provide have sharp ends as well – they’re merely unfinished hog rings. (I had to buy zip ties.) The very bottom is made of very sharp bare galvanized metal. No finish at all. Can you imagine a little glider in this thing as I have described it?

How bad can it be? The instructions advise humans to WEAR GLOVES while assembling. So they know they’re sending you an unsafe product. It took me 10 hours of work to make this suitable for a joey: filing sharp ends, painting with PVC paint (sold on the website, $25), assembly with zip-ties. After I complained about the unsuitability and hazards of this cage, Pocket Pets sent a bottle of PVC paint at no charge. I used an entire bottle of PVC touch up paint. Even if they threw in a bottle of “Touch R Upper” PVC paint with every cage, half the price would still be too much.

PROS:

It is a good size – for a young joey, for a couple of months.
It is sturdy – after you work hard to make it safe.
It is not a bird cage.


[u][/u]
Posted By: Feather

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/12/19 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by cuttlefish
Hi I'm new to Glider Central. I do not frequent forums very much, and I've been lurking here for months.

I recently purchased a Pocket Pets Jung-L-Gym Premium Start-R-Cage, as temporary housing for a new joey. (Joey is not from PP.) I tried to post an honest review on their website, but there's no chance is hades they're going to allow it on their site. So here's my review, because I want everyone to know:

I'm writing in the overly exuberant spirit of the Pocket Pets website.

CONS:

This thing should not cost as much as it does, and they shouldn’t advertise it as a finished SAFE cage. It’s just PVC coated wire fencing that has been cut, partially assembled, with sharp exposed ends and all. Like dozens of little knives. Every place where it was cut had a razor point bare metal tip that had to be filed (had to buy a metal file) and covered with multiple layers of PVC paint. Also, the “c clamps” they provide have sharp ends as well – they’re merely unfinished hog rings. (I had to buy zip ties.) The very bottom is made of very sharp bare galvanized metal. No finish at all. Can you imagine a little glider in this thing as I have described it?

How bad can it be? The instructions advise humans to WEAR GLOVES while assembling. So they know they’re sending you an unsafe product. It took me 10 hours of work to make this suitable for a joey: filing sharp ends, painting with PVC paint (sold on the website, $25), assembly with zip-ties. After I complained about the unsuitability and hazards of this cage, Pocket Pets sent a bottle of PVC paint at no charge. I used an entire bottle of PVC touch up paint. Even if they threw in a bottle of “Touch R Upper” PVC paint with every cage, half the price would still be too much.

PROS:

It is a good size – for a young joey, for a couple of months.
It is sturdy – after you work hard to make it safe.
It is not a bird cage.


[u][/u]


While I have never purchased one from Pocket Pets, I do have several of the starter cages. If assembled properly there should be no sharp edges on the cage itself. The shelf and ramp on the other hand do. I remove the shelf and ramp from the Pocket Pets cages and then I can fit a full size Stealth Wheel into the cage.

I use them as over flow cages, hospital cages and travel cages for chewers (we normally use pop up nylon and mesh dog kennels).
Posted By: cuttlefish

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/12/19 03:48 AM

Hi Feather. That's good to know you feel safe using their cages.

People might read and think "If you hate it so much why on Earth did you keep it?" It's because I still think, given all of the issues and hazards of other options, this might be the best choice. Everything has its problems.

Did someone improve the cages before you got them? I'll play devil's advocate a little bit, and say maybe I got a bad one. You should have seen how sharp the cut edges were, on the cage itself and that ramp/shelf. The wire was cut at an angle making a no-joke knife edge. I couldn't get a good image of them, but I shudder to think about a glider wrapping it's dexterous little hands around the wire. I put several layers of PVC paint on the ramp/shelf and I'll remove it in the future, when I no longer need it as a nursery.
Posted By: Srlb

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/12/19 12:21 PM

My question is, did you reach out and contact Pocket Pets to address your concerns?
Their customer service dept? Or did you just try to leave a review.

The cages they sell as starter cages have been used for decades and thousands have been used before and still. I have never heard of a sugar glider getting injured on/in one of their cages.
Posted By: cuttlefish

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/12/19 03:29 PM

Hi Peggy. Yes, I let their Customer Service know, in less dramatic fashion. Their response was to send a bottle of Touch-R-Upper at no charge. Which certainly did help. No other response or explanation from PP.

In my review as posted here I used their own overly-dramatic style of writing as hyperbole. I feel my review is fair. It is an honest appraisal of what I received. Also, as I noted, their own instructions advise the human to wear gloves while assembling.

There was no mention of "some assembly required" or "unfinished product" noted for this cage.

I realize that as a successful business woman, you must be sensitive to knee-jerk reviews, where you weren't given a chance to defend yourself.

My biggest beef is with the cost - and what you get for the cost.

I understand what you are saying, that thousands of these cages have been used for years. That is a logic error. My point is what I was given was not safe enough for my hands.
Posted By: cuttlefish

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/18/19 06:23 PM

The bigger point I'd also like to make here is Pocket Pets is censoring negative reviews.
Posted By: Ladymagyver

Re: Review for Pocket Pets cage - 05/19/19 01:37 AM

I can understand your point. They have a bad rap on diet and bonding.

The diet has changed and improved.

I agree that something as simple as a cage they have made for years should be the last thing that has quality issues. I've never bought one new, but I have been where someone had them and I looked it over really well. The hog rings are the only issue I've seen that would concern me. I'm looking to buy a used one the size you have as a hospital cage.

I bought a Martin's cage that had to be put together with hog rings. The pliers they supplied were junk and had to go buy a good pair so I could close them properly. Their cages are powder coated and no sharp edges on the wire. It was cut, filed and then powder coated. No bare wire.

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