# HELP - Paw Got Caught in Cage Door! (ALL LIVING THINGS CRITTER CAGE WARNING)



## Millie & Daisy (Mar 7, 2015)

*HELP - Paw Got Caught in Cage Door! (ALL LIVING THINGS CRITTER HOME WARNING)*

I feel so terrible right now, I'm trying not to panic. A few minutes ago I was playing with my girls and when putting them back into the cage I noticed there was a defect and the cage door didn't close all of the way. I reached to latch the part that didn't close all of the way, not noticing how badly warped the wire really was. As I latched the stuck part, Millie reached her paw onto one of the wires and as soon as she did it snapped closed on her paws. One of them got free, I think, but I'm in such shock right now I can't even remember exactly which one. She screamed like I've never heard her scream before and I had to pry the wires apart to free her. 

As soon as she was free she hobbled and continued screaming. I picked her up to take a look and she screamed until I cradled her, at which point she calmed down drastically, but her heart rate was still up. This is a little uncharacteristic of Millie, since she's not usually my cuddly girl. But she stayed perfectly still for at least a couple of minutes and I don't know if it's from pain or shock. She seems OK now, but one paw is bigger than the other. I don't know if it's real swelling or just something I haven't noticed until now because I'm panicking. She was walking around on me like usual a few minutes afterward, but a lot slower. No nails are missing, and she is able to use her hands for grooming normally. I'm still worried she's in pain because she's moving more slowly. Is there anything I can do at all to help soothe her? If it gets any worse I need to find an emergency vet tonight or tomorrow, but hopefully it won't come to that. 

I am so angry about this cage. Ever since I put it together I've worried about the doors to the cage, as there is no way to open it without bending these horrible It's a HORRIBLY made product and I am undoubtedly getting a new one now. It's an All Living Things critter home for rats and chinchilla's - the smaller version of my large, better made cage. It was purchased for me as a gift last week at Petsmart and I swear I've seen that same cage on the shelf for a year. I've tried looking up the model and I'm pretty sure they don't even make it anymore. I am going to have to research and see if there have been any recalls.

The wire doors on this cage are so hard to open and close and the wires become warped to the point that they don't align with the cage bars and leave an undue amount of space that paws, tails, legs and even heads to get caught. My girls can get so excited to see me that they will stand between the bars and wait for me to open the door. It happened so fast, I'm afraid that next time it might be her neck and I'd lose her.


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## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

As long as nothing is missing or pointing in the wrong direction I would just take a deep breath and calm down. She was probably more scared than hurt. Her foot is most likely sore but if she's using it normally it's probably safe to say that nothing is broken. Could you get a picture? I would watch out for excessive swelling, redness, or favoring. Is there any way you could close the door without latching it?


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## erinsweeney (Nov 13, 2014)

I stepped on my ratty's toe once and felt awful. The nail ended up falling out and it hasn't quite regrown. I think if no toes are crooked/pointing the wrong way she'll be okay, but she might drop the nails like my girl did.


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## WolfPuppy (Jan 11, 2015)

Poor poor baby! I would feel so bad if I made one of my ratties scream, but it is definitely not your fault and she knows that. Like the others said, it will probably be okay, but keep an eye on it for sure.

Once when I was little I crushed my pet frog's finger in its container and it actually bled and was completely smooshed. It didn't really affect the frog's life, but it was a terrible thing to have happen nonetheless. Thankfully it wasn't any worse for your sweet little girl.


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## Millie & Daisy (Mar 7, 2015)

Thank you to everyone for your comfort and advice. Thankfully, Millie is now 100% okay as far as I can see. There is no more swelling and now she's a bit more cautious of where she puts her hands on the cage, and I'm equally as cautious where I put mine. I'm not using that door of the cage as much and I'm never using it when they're within reaching distance. It's a problem that still needs to be fixed. Millie has been very loving towards me today. I don't know if she understands how much I care about her or that I was trying to help her last night, but if I put an anthropomorphic spin on it I could say it might be gratitude today because she's been super affectionate : ) Last night when I picked her up she was crying, and I called my Dad to ask if he thought I should run her to the emergency room (he said he'd help with the cost if need be, because the night ER for animals is $250 - $400). I was holding her in my arms and when I started freaking out she started licking my nose and stopped squeaking. Today she has thoroughly enjoyed interacting with me and will take any opportunity to explore, as she normally does!


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