Outdoor Steel Frame Kennel Enclosure w/Black Canopy, Uptown Series, 4'x4'x4.3'

I bought the 6x4x8 cage to use as an outside enclosure for my two 12lb cats. I was expecting this to be great, but it is more than great, it’s freakin awesome! I wanted a safe place for my cats to enjoy the outdoors, something affordable, secure and easy to take apart if I decide to move. This cage is PERFECT! I was prepared to need to reinforce all the gaps with chicken wire, but this has been totally unnecessary. The gaps on the bottom, between the panels and next to the door are nowhere near big enough for my cats to squeeze through. There is no way my boys are getting out of there. If I had a kitten or a rabbit, I wouldn’t be so confident, but my cats aren’t tiny. When the cage arrived I took the panels out and to my back patio, had the cage up in 30ish minutes by myself. Super easy. The 6x4x8 is plenty big for what I wanted, the cats have a lot of room and I can stand up in the middle. The cage did come with a black top, but I chose not to use it because I wanted the cage to feel airy and open - and wanted my cats to be able to look up at the birds, squirrels and bugs. I was going to put some regular chicken wire over the top, but when I went to the hardware store they had some green plastic chicken wire, like thick plastic netting. It was much lighter, more pliable, wouldn’t snag my hair or scrape me, it's some good stuff. I secured the green plastic chicken netting with a million zip ties. There’s no way they’re getting out through the top. For the ramps and perches, I used 1”x8” boards. To secure the boards to the cage I bought some screw hooks and screwed them into the ends/sides of the boards so they could hook over the cage wires, and be easily repositioned if needed. I bought a couple cheap outdoor rugs at Walmart that I cut and tacked on top of the boards so the fur balls would have a comfy place to chill out and could get up and down the ramps easier. It’s perfect for them. They luxuriate in the warmth outside, chase bugs, meow at the birds and squirrels that taunt them. I can also keep my back patio doors open and enjoy the fresh air without worrying about my cats escaping. They’re very happy and I’m very happy!

This is a very nice kennel that was easy to assemble wit one person. It appeared well made, but two of the panels had faulty wire welds were the wires connect to the top rails. The wires were either completely broken and detached or they were barely holding on with a stand of weld. Also one upright tube was collapsed enough that I could not place the rubber ca in it to prevent rain from entering he tube and rusting out. Since the broken welds were at the top, and my new pit bull is just a puppy, she won't escape that way for a couple of weeks, but she will eventually find it. I am in the process of asking Amazon to send two replacement panels rather than returning the unit, which seems like a waste of time and money.This kennel is a bit pricey but it is convenient to set up. It is not a super strong kennel and will not stop any size dog that wants to get out by chewing through the wires.UPDATE June 28, 2017:I contacted Amazon about the damage, they gave me two options: call the manufacturer or they will ship out entire new kennel and I return unused parts for refund (i would be charged for new kennel if not returned in 40 days). I emailed the manufacturer, jewettcameron.com and was told to send pictures and proof of purchase, which I did. Within 24 hours I received an email response:Hello Fanny,We will get the two replacement panels sent out today, you are looking at 5-6 business days for delivery, delivered by UPS.Adam Van ScotenCustomer SupportPh. (800) 955-2879Fax (503) [email protected] will update review once the panels are received. In the meantime my dog hasn't broken out (25 lb pit bull puppy) but I did chain the bottom of the kennel door closed as she could pull it back with her teeth. If she pulled hard enough, either the latch would have come off or the wire would break. The chain has stopped that so far.UPDATE July 3, 2017:I received the two replacement panels last week, right on time. Thank you, Adam from Jewett Cameron! I promised I would update my review. The panels worked great and I fully assembled the kennel with the top on it. I am impressed with the top, it is very well made. I am confused how to use the bungee balls, but I think I figured it out. The instructions were kind of washed out print and not clear to read. I added two sliding bar gate latches to the top and bottom of the door to replace the chain I was using. I bought the 4" long kind and they work great so far. My pup puts her teeth on the door and pulls slightly, but gives up quickly. In a couple of months, she will be able to rip right through the cage if she wanted, but I think she will learn to calm down in it. I also built the kennel up on a raised wood deck foundation and strapped it down using conduit ties that I had to drill holes for in the kennel frame to anchor the bolts in. The kennel frame is thin aluminum and not difficult to drill through if you start with a smaller bit.Overall, I am impressed and this was money well spent, especially after the quick customer service response to fix the production problem with the original panels.

Update: I have bought these in two sizes now. Both are easy to put together. The shorter 4ft one won't work for your climbing type escape artists but is great for my more normal dogs. If you buy one that is used / basically a return item do beware though - the box for the second kennel we ordered was filled with trash along with the kennel (a cigarette carton with a single cigarette in it, a coke bottle wrapper, a coke can 6-pack plastic ring). It was unsanitary and just disturbing.We have an escape artist (dog) at our farm. This has been the only kennel that will keep him in; we did have to line the bottom to prevent digging. This kit is affordable when compared to the other options on the market, and it has the added bonus of being strong enough that our boy hasn't been able to bend or chew the bars. The cover keeps him from climbing out. We are hoping to buy a second kit to link to his outdoor run so he has a little more space when not indoors. I highly recommend this to anyone with dogs that rival Houdini!