Perfectly healthy cats are well know to break with illness from stress of confinement after trapping, and living too close to their food and litter box in a small cage during holding and recovery is very stressful for them. This is well documented in shelters where they have reduced URI cases by expanding the cage space available to the cats to be away from their food and litter. The doors of this ProSelect pen are large enough to load in a cat from a trap or carrier and a large litter box passes in and out easily for cleaning. With the deluxe divider shelves available below, the cat can be contained in the upper or lower level if necessary during cleaning. Then allowed full run of the pen after cleaning.
This Pro Select pen has uses for many different situations and is the one I use to help tame ferals, treat sick ferals and hold borderline ferals for observation. It's usually on sale for $99 through PetEdge.com. PetEdge.com Item # ZW003
Dimensions 35 1/2" X 22 1/4" X 48" Also comes in Pink and Purple
It comes with optional wheels so you can wheel the kittens around to the place where they will get the most exposure to the sights and sounds of indoor life. I roll it into a small room or up to the bathroom door for taming sessions at feeding time. The rest of the time I wheel them out into the active household so they aren't in "solitary confinement" when I'm not actively working with them. I've discussed this technique in several of the other blog entries but it's a great combination being able to work with them hands-on in a small space AND bring them out into the household inbetween. The doors are large enough to get a litter box in and out easily. For sick or convalescing cats, the pen can be covered partly or completely with a sheet to reassure a cat that needs more peace and quiet.
There are extra shelves you can order to add lots of space to keep the bed, food and litter separate for a great quality of life while in the pen.
There are extra shelves you can order to add lots of space to keep the bed, food and litter separate for a great quality of life while in the pen.
A laser light is a great help for leading them into the pen to close them in, but usually at feeding time they just hop in on their own if you make it a habit of feeding them in the pen. Even when they are doing really well and almost ready for adoption, I continue to feed in the pen with the door open so I can close them in and/or get my hands on them without the stress of chasing them around. We have several of these and even loan them out to adopters for the first couple weeks so they can bond with the cats before turning them loose into the new home. It's a good transition because we can bring the litterbox, beds and smell they are used to along with them to the new home. This works when the adopters can't put them in a bathroom for the first few days to bond with them before turning them loose. I put it together alone but always welcome help of a second person to make it easier.
I buy the fleece covers for the shelves. It's tight but they also fit over the divider shelves.
Item # ZW84195 PROSELECT FLEECE CAT PERCH COVER
http://www.petedge.com/product/ProSelect-Fleece-Cat-Perch-Cover/44478.uts
PROSELECT DELUXE CAT CAGE PLATFORM Item #ZW84198 ($36)When put side by side they either divide the pen in half as shown here or two make a large shelf for beds up away from the litter. I always buy them to make the cat comfortable up away from the litter.
Cats love the hammocks which are very cheap. ZW3012 Cats prefer the hammock suspended tightly from the sides of the pen, not droopy. It swags down with their weight but it is much easier for them to get into the more tightly it is hung. On PetEdge.com, the file is: https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemain/catalog/productDetail.jsf?wec-appid=PEDM_WEBSHOP_TR&page=72A214C22827430A9795247F1BF064D6&closeLiveSearchOverlay=TRUE&itemKey=005056A633791ED2B58664B6D0850FB3&menuLinkSelected=none&wec-locale=en_US
The wheels are sturdy but replacements can be ordered if necessary. ProSelect® Cat Cage Casters Item ZW84191
The wheels are sturdy but replacements can be ordered if necessary. ProSelect® Cat Cage Casters Item ZW84191
