A Letter to Kaytee Products, Inc.
I'm sincerely disappointed with one of your products, so prepare for a story. My husband and I recently got married and moved in together. For Christmas and our last time celebrating our dating anniversary, he got me two rats. I haven't had a pet rat in a few years due to a very tragic incident with my last, so it was a very big deal and a big step for me.
My new rats stayed with friends until we could get our Super Pet cage set up and the new house ready. From food to water we trusted the Kaytee brand. When I brought the boys home on February 9th, they were happy and energetic. By the 17th, they were lethargic and I knew something was wrong.
My husband and I noticed that our little boys hadn't been drinking nearly enough. After putting a butter container full of water in their cage, one is doing entirely better while the other seems to have troubles moving. I'm very far from any vets, out in the middle of nowhere on a US Army post, and my husband is away with the car. I just moved here and don't know anyone yet, so I'm going to have to suffer through the anxiety and hope that little Draven gets better.
The problem, it seems, is that our Kaytee glass water bottle is not dispensing water. If I tap it and test it, it works, but after putting it in the cage and letting the boys try, it stops and they give up. I'm going through a lot of bedding as they keep knocking their butter cup of water over, but it's better than them dying of dehydration from a product I trusted to keep them watered.
As someone with major depression and anxiety, my rats are meant to be low stress, therapeutic companions. My soldier husband and I have been very stressed, unable to sleep, and it is effecting his work life and my life. I brought my furry babies home to be a part of our family, not for them to become sick with dehydration at the hands of a "trusted" name brand. I'm just so glad we figured it out and hope there isn't permanent damage.
I'll be switching brands on everything to ensure I do not support Kaytee or its affiliates; I'll even make my own food if I have to. After reading reviews online, I'm not the only person who has had this problem, so get your products straightened out before you kill more pets!