Ok, I read the reviews before I bought this and knew I would need cable ties to put it together, so I bought some even before I looked at the directions. Then, when it came time to put it together, I thought I'd try without the cable ties first just to see if it was possible. I got it almost all together, when the whole entire thing just fell apart. So then I started over, using cable ties as I went, so it wouldn't fall apart again. When I was almost done, I realized that some of the sections looked like they weren't matching up as they should, and I noticed that I had put it together wrong, or at least not in the best way. This is why: There are little "D" shaped hooks at the corners that hold the sides together. At first, I figured they'll hook on to just wherever they seemed to match up on the opposite panel, but this won't work. Unless it's in the right place, the cage will fall apart. I believe this is why some reviewers said the cage would just fall apart. Here is the right place: the "D" shaped hooks go directly UNDER a horizontal wire. That latches them in, and makes the cage quite sturdy even without cable ties. I used cable ties to loosely hold things together until I latched them in at the right place, then I removed the cable ties (I have the kind with a release, so they're reusable). If I had someone helping me, I probably wouldn't need cable ties at all. The platforms seem sturdy. They support the weight of my 10-lb cat with no problems, but I may add some cable ties there later, just for peace of mind. How did the cats like it? My adventurous cat, Tarzan, couldn't wait for me to finish putting it together. I had to keep the doors closed so he wouldn't go in there until I was done. Then, when I finished, I opened the doors and he went right in and played and played. It took him a little while to figure out how to jump from platform to platform, but he got it. He really liked the bed that came with it. My lazy scardey-cat, Jayne, ran away and hid once the cage fell apart when I first tried to put it together (it made a loud noise). After I was done, she came out timidly, got close enough to sniff it, and then ran away. Later, I put her in the bottom of the cage and petted her, and she was okay for about 30 seconds before she wanted out. It's going to be a process with her. She won't even use a new bed for months. She won't even touch a new bed for months. She doesn't like new things. Whenever she hears the metal sound of me opening or closing the doors, she runs away. She is a very atypical cat, though. Don't pay attention to her. My other cat loves it, and goes in there voluntarily. Overall, Pluses: *Great value for the money *Large size *Does assemble without zip ties *Feels sturdy (if assembled the correct way) *Doors latch securely, but simple enough for a human to open and close *Doors also on the top level, so gives easy access to upper platforms *Double doors are also very wide, taking up almost a whole side. Or, you can open only one at a time. *Bed is very nice. Velcros to the platform, easy for a human to remove *Slide-out tray at the bottom for easy cleaning *Adjustable platforms, so you can raise or lower them *Folds flat for storage or travel. All the side panels are permanently connected to the bottom, so you don't have to figure out which panel is the side, which is the top, etc. Everything is connected. You just have to connect the corners to assemble. *Additional zip-ties may be used for added sturdiness and/or peace of mind, especially at the top and on the platforms Minuses: *Directions it came with are pretty much useless. It doesn't tell you how to properly put it together. Now that I look again, there IS a picture of where the "D" shaped clip is supposed to go, but it wasn't made clear at first how important the location of the clip is, in relation to the horizontal wires. A person would assume that clip could go anywhere on the corner. The directions also tell you to add the wheels pretty much last, although I wish I had put the wheels on first as the cage is huge! *Might be difficult for one person to put together, unless using zip-ties to temporarily hold the panels together *The top still doesn't seem to fit 100% perfectly, but 90% is close enough for me. I feel fine leaving the top panel with no zip ties, but another owner may want to put a couple zip ties up there just in case. *A couple latches are just hanging around, and I'm not sure what they're supposed to be used for yet. The directions don't mention them. (They're the small latches at the bottom of the short sides, if anyone else can leave me a comment and let me know what those are for.) *One door latch is stuck. I'll have to get some pliers and fix that. I'm sure this is just a fluke, and should be an easy fix. *I wish the platforms were a few inches wider, but my cat seems to like it fine the way it is
