My cat was in the veterinary hospital and even though she was being cared for exceptionally well, I wanted her home with me if at all possible. The vet recommended one of these oxygen cages and I purchased the medium size. I called customer service who helped make sure my order was shipped overnight so I could have my baby girl home for the holidays.
It arrived as scheduled and was fairly simple to put together. The metal bars inside do hold the carrier together well, but I could have used an extra set of hands to assemble the cage because the material would flop down while I was putting the bars in place. All together, it took about 30 minutes to assemble.
I then followed the instructions of how to connect the nozzles and hose (which are included) to the cage and the oxygen machine I rented locally for about $200 a month. Afterwards, all I had to do was turn on the oxygen tank and my cage was ready for use. I did open the flap and let it air out a little because it is new and smells a little like plastic. But after about an hour, it was fine.
I then zipped it back up and filled it with oxygen and waited for my cat to arrive home. Please note, that I did not zip it completely closed - I left about 2 inches open so the air inside the carrier could circulate outside.
When she got home, my cat sat down inside her new home and enjoyed the cushy pad that was included. I did line the cushion with potty pads and a towel. There was enough room for the cat to stand up or relax and sleep, plus have her food and water bowls inside. The plastic is thick enough where I feel like she cannot break out of it. Plus, it is very see through, so I can easily monitor her and make sure she is breathing well.
Initially, I was concerned about how this product would compare to the professional grade oxygen cages at the vet's office, but this worked very well. The cat had no respiratory distress. She relaxed and took a nap after she ate her dinner.
I must say, I am very pleased and would recommend this to anyone with a small pet that needs oxygen at home.