What about this Marshall cage?

[SQ]

What do you think of this cage?
At present I have 15 rats and a few rescues soon to be arriving.

I am looking for another cage to use when I travel to visit my family to replace 2 or 3 of the cages I will be dragging with me this weekend. Leaving my giant custom martins here as it takes over 10 hours to assemble.

(Using a FN, 2 superpet, 1 chin, and 1 martins next week plus one martins playpen ... my poor mom doesn't know what she is in for .... )

Anyway, the cage is on http://www.ferret.com It is suposed to fold flat for storage. It is 39.5L x 22.5W x 46.5H and as far as I know, the strange looking shelves fit together to make 2 full levels. It has 2 large doors and a flip top lid. Of course, with the bar spacing it would only be good for adults.

Anyone know if it is made in the USA?

 

[jorats]

OMG... I love it!!!

 

[SQ]

Yes ... I thought it looks pretty good, esp. for ease of traveling.

BUT someone on goosemoose just posted that Marshalls is a ferret mill operation

Too bad, guess I will not be ordering another octoplay, or their nice inexpensive hanging fleece tubes or this cage

 

[jorats]

That's true. There are reports of cruelty to ferrets from Marshall Farms.

 

[user 78]

Marshall Farms are one of the biggest mills out there, breeding ferrets with horrible health problems, awful temperaments, etc.. They're the main supplier of the majority of chain stores in the States, if I remember correctly. I have a few of their products, from before I knew about what they did. It's always the way of things, though. Most of the stuff we'd love to buy is from companies we'd hate to support.

 

[Godmother]

I didn't know that. I'd bought quite a bit of their stuff before and had a Shopping Cart full of hammocks to order.

The cage does look good, especially the nice deep pan on the bottom.
I had had my eye on the cage that folds flat for transport.

Oh well, so much for that. I don't want to support a company that is cruel to ferrets.

 

[meep]

Maybe try to get it 2nd hand? so you can have your cage but you do not support marshall.

 

[user 78]

The majority of people who sell hammocks on the forums sell them around the same price, if not cheaper, than Marshall's/shops. You also get to pick better colors.

 

[Moon]

Ah no! I was so excited to see this cage, it looks like a neat alternative to lots of the ones out there. Not a cage I'd want to buy having read this, now.

 

[Vanessa]

One of the most significant complaints about Marshall's, and why PETA investigated their practices, is because of the mass quantities of animals that they breed for laboratory testing purposes. Just like Harlan Teklad, they supply a number of different types of laboratory 'models' that extend to beagles and other species outside the thousands of ferrets. Their facilities have been targeted by some of the more militant animal rights activist organizations.
Their early spay/neuter practices are in question, along with the allegations that vet technicians do the surgery and not fully qualified vets.
They have been accused of separating young ferrets from their mothers too early in order to fulfill their obligations to supplying large petstore chains, which has resulted in some states passing legislation in regards to the minimum age that ferrets must be to be sold in petstores.
You can find a lot of arguments for and against Marshall's if you google them. It is up to each individual as to whether or not you support them based on the allegations made and people's experiences with them.