# What happened to Martin's Cages? Any alternative suggestion?



## Poppy and Lavender (Jul 28, 2021)

I have two little ladies whose current home is something I made myself out of a bookshelf and it's only recently that a new/proper cage for them is within my budget. Looking around, one of Martin's cages would be perfect, better for me that Critter Nation because I am still in college and have to move with them, so something more portable is ideal.
At first glance, Martin's website indicates that things are being sold, with prices and everything, until checkout when it doesn't work, and their "contact us" page says their transitioning, not that it's been discontinued or anything, but the cages are also unavailable on Chewy. Nothing is on their facebook or anywhere else I've been able to find.

I'm more curious at this point than anything and will probably get a Critter Nation, but if anyone knows anything, I would appreciate you sharing it.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I think it's safe to say they're done. When they first announced that they would no longer to sell directly to the public but instead through larger online retailers, a bunch of models went up on the Chewy website but they said they weren't yet in stock. They never ended up becoming available and now Chewy has removed them from their site completely. 

Maybe it was COVID, maybe the owners just wanted to retire. I don't have that info. It's a shame, though, because they were a great alternative to Critter Nation cages (especially for people who need a more mobile cage).


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## Fofo (Oct 21, 2021)

I have a tip for assembling and disassembling Critter Nation cages that might be useful to you come moving time. 

When first assembling a new CN, apply a little bit of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the ends that fit inside the square tube frames. When you have to move, it will be easier to disassemble if the connections are greased. Use a rubber mallet to tap the pieces apart.


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

Martin's sold their company to new owners sometime in 2019-2020. The new owners' plan was to start selling via retailers, but it has since fallen apart. Their Facebook page has been silent since then. Most folks have turned to the only real out-of-the-box option which is the Critter Nation cage.

Some people have modified Pointer Hill cages. Please note their hamster/gerbil/rat cages are not large enough for any animal to live in. People who have bought their cages for rat use have bought the rabbit or ferret cages and placed smaller-spaced wire panels over them to prevent escape. For the money it seems like too much work, IMO. I considered reaching out to them to build better rat cages but ended up building one myself.

Others have built their own, which is what I did: Making a custom cage


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## TheKeptRat (Dec 31, 2021)

CorbinDallasMyMan said:


> I think it's safe to say they're done. When they first announced that they would no longer to sell directly to the public but instead through larger online retailers, a bunch of models went up on the Chewy website but they said they weren't yet in stock. They never ended up becoming available and now Chewy has removed them from their site completely.
> 
> Maybe it was COVID, maybe the owners just wanted to retire. I don't have that info. It's a shame, though, because they were a great alternative to Critter Nation cages (especially for people who need a more mobile cage).


I agree, it's very sad. My earliest rats were always housed in Martin's Cages.. (Back in the early 2000s). End of an era.


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