Cat Carriers - Which Kind?

Which carrier do you guys perfer and use for trips to the vet and things like that (not long trips).

I've seen ads for these soft-sided nylon mesh type bags or this

All I have ever used is the regular hard plastic carrier like this

What do you and your cats prefer?

I have a pink hard plastic petmate carrier for my kitten, my older cat has a mesh carrier (kind of like a duffle bag)! I honestly wish I would have gotten the mesh kind for the kitten (I am always paranoid that the clamps on the side will release and kitty will drop out... Im weird I know)! The mesh bags seem more comfortable and easy to lug around! When the kitten gets bigger (if she ever does) I am going to get her a mesh bag this time around!!!!

I use an old dog carrier I got at a yard sale, big enough for two cats, hard plastic front door only, but If I got a new one it would be the top loading hard one. I never thought those soft ones look secure enough, and my friend had a terrible accident with one. Leaving the vets office with her brand new baby kitten in the sofft carrier, she tripped and fell on top of the carrier! She said her only thought was Oh no, I killed her. Fortunately Lily was ok, but my freind suffered a dislocated shoulder for which she will be going for PT. She is never using the soft carrier again.

For those reasons I sugges you get the hard top loading one.

Personally, I prefer a hard sided carrier. The soft ones don't look to me like they'd make a cat feel very safe or protected from knocks (like clumsy old me trying to get them in the car!) and I also wonder how easy they are to clean. But I've never used one.

I've just bought one of these

http://www.petstreetmall.com/AVIOR-P...ers/4345/1723/

I've not used it yet but I like the top opening as it's easier to get the cat in and out (particularly out - it's hard to get Jaffa out of the carrier at the vets). It was recommended to me by someone who shows her cat and always gets complimented on it at cat shows, especially by vets and stewards at vetting in.

I haven't tried the soft sided ones. I'm happy with the hard sided kind. One advantage, besides what the others mentioned...is that some of my cats are umm, resistant to getting in the carrier. Once I have them in the hard box, it's easy and quick to get the door shut. No zippers to fiddle with. I think some of mine would slip out or get their fur caught in the zipper, while they try to get away.

I forgot about that! When I brought my Tiger to come live with me I kept him in his carrier for a few minutes when all off a sudden I heard a yelp! My thirteen year old springer spaniel Angel (RIP) had fallen ontop of his carrier (mesh bag)! She didnt mean it, she had arthritis and was falling down alot! I never put Tiger on the ground in his case again after that! My dog was just curious and slipped and fell ontop of Tiger! He survived with no injuries!

Uhhh One advantage to the soft carriers.

They love their carriers. Not as much after recent traumatic events (emergency evacuation during a fire, and moving) but they will eventually sleep in them or on them if I leave them laying about.

I do sometimes get a little worried about them getting bumped, or tripping etc. I've been very fortunate though. And since there is just one of me I do love the shoulder straps, so I can carry them both at once. With these carriers the kitties can still be close to me through the mesh. The Sherpa bag I have is much sturdier than the other more generic one, it tends to retain its shape better (the green bag on the left).

Only other issue, Shinobi (the black kitty) can open the zippers if I zip it to the bottom. She's gotten her whole paw out once. But I usually let her stick her head out the top because she likes to see what's going on and interact with people, and I don't know how I could do that in a hard carrier without letting her out.

i switched to soft sided carriers after the last time we moved. 2 of my hard sided carriers had their handles break and 2 cats got dropped on pavement. the carriers didn't break open, but it was certainly not comfortable for my cats after a 5 hour drive. talk about a panic though! what if it had busted open and my cats were loose in the busy parking lot!

we now have one samsonite like the previous poster pictured. and 2 rubbermaid/graco made ones. i don't think the stores sell the rubbermaid ones anymore. they are nice though. i still have 1 hardsided carrier. in case of emergency it would fit 2 cats, and just as a place for the guys to sleep we keep it around.

I have the hard plastic carriers.

I have a med/large hard sided Walmart petmate one, and a small one. Old cat goes in the small one (also for one cat vet trips ), and the other 3 go in the bigger one. It has the metal gate on the front, and I set it up on its end and drop (so to speak) the cats in. I also have a set of luggage wheels on it . If I had a top load, I don't think I'd ever get 3 in at the same time . And if I had a soft one, I would have a cat carrier with a permanent door opening...

I have two sherpa carriers (soft sided) for my cats. We have a hard carrier for the cats back home, and while it does the trick with taking them to the vets, etc, my cats are riding back and forth with me on the 3 hour trip one way home. They love their carriers and will sleep in them if I leave them out. Also, it was pretty nice to have the option of using a duffle bag strap when there was a fire in the apartment 2 weeks ago. It made for an easier time carrying both carriers and my hands were shaking at the time, so I didn't need to worry about dropping them.
There is something to be said about the hard carriers being more protective in a car accident, but I also love the ability to seatbelt my carriers into the car without extra attachments.
The final seller for me was that I can collapse these ones and put them under my bed, or in a small storage area, where they'll take up less room in my apartment.
It really comes down to preference. Hope you find a great one!

What's with the apartment fires? I had the same thing happen in January, it made me grateful for my carriers. There were so many terrified cats in my lobby.

I use both the hard and the soft sided carriers. The soft are easier to carry (you sling them over your shoulder)

I have hard sided for Charlie right now as he probably will be too big for the soft one. Since I have 2 cats and 2 carriers, it doesn't matter.

Wow, so many differing opinions makes it hard to choose. When I move, I will have very limited space in the apartment so the soft one would be better for storage reasons as well as thinking it would be more comfortable and everything for the cat, but I would hate to fall on it or something like that

Good thing I have a couple months to decide!

I'm just trying to make a list of everything I'm going to need for the new kitty and have it all ready before I get him/her.

I have a soft sided small dog kennel for Damita because she beats herself bloody in a hard sided one. Otherwise, I have two small hard sided carriers & one larger one.

I use a hard-sided carrier, the type with an additional door on top. Sometimes I'll toy with the idea of getting a soft carrier, but I usually talk myself out of it because the hard ones just seem safer.

I am looking for a new carrier too. Currently we have the Walmart Petmate one. It is pretty large...too large (used it for our lab when she was a pup), I keep banging it into things, which isn't good. I definitely want hard because I feel safer with it. I like the Petmate but like someone said before, I get afraid that the clasps will open and my cat will get out, though I think that is unlikely. I may just stick with the Petmate just a lot smaller.

I have a very expensive soft carrier but don't use it. It was difficult getting my cat in and then closing the zipper fast enough. The first time I attempted it, she was out before I got the zipper closed. The second time I was more successful, but I had a long way to walk, and the carrier seemed to get heavier as I went along. The hard carrier is much better - can set it down easily when I get tired. Being solid, dropping the cat into it is no problem. The one I now have is rather large for one cat - she sits at one end of it which makes it out of balance. I have just bought a top-loader that is smaller and am hoping it will be okay. It is a Marchioro and I have ordered wheels and a strap for it. I really like it, but for the life of me I can't open the top door. I have read somewhere that they are difficult to open, but I don't seem to have the muscle for it. It also has a concave base, which I wanted in case of any "accidents" when taking taxis.

Clarification - when I say "concave" I mean that the bottom of the carrier is not flush with the bottom of the door - it drops down about 2 inches. The name of the carrier is Aran, by Marchioro.

I have a very expensive soft carrier but don't use it. It was difficult getting my cat in and then closing the zipper fast enough. The first time I attempted it, she was out before I got the zipper closed. The second time I was more successful, but I had a long way to walk, and the carrier seemed to get heavier as I went along. The hard carrier is much better - can set it down easily when I get tired. Being solid, dropping the cat into it is no problem. The one I now have is rather large for one cat - she sits at one end of it which makes it out of balance. I have just bought a top-loader that is smaller and am hoping it will be okay. It is a Marchioro and I have ordered wheels and a strap for it. I really like it, but for the life of me I can't open the top door. I have read somewhere that they are difficult to open, but I don't seem to have the muscle for it. It also has a concave base, which I wanted in case of any "accidents" when taking taxis.