carriers

Well, Chester is going through ANOTHER growth spurt and has officially exceeded the max limit on the hard carrier that I got him a few months ago. He's going to be over 9lbs at this point, for sure.
I do a lot of driving when I travel, and have taken him with me lots of times to my boyfriends house, about 4 hours away. He always rides in his carrier.
Now I get to decide if I want to get a soft or hard shell carrier and all of the extras that go with them.
Anyone have any suggestions on where to start?

well, i have to tell you, i LOVE my carrier. It's easy to strap to a seat in a car, it's sturdy as a rock, plus, it's easy to put Marsh in it, it's top-loading. another plus which i love is the ability to open it a crack and let Marsh peek out while i'm driving. He's such a mellow dude, he loves car rides Marsh's 9.7lb, btw.

Rarepuss, where did you get that!!!!! It's sooo cute!!!!!!

Limerick had outgrown his carrier too, I think. He's 12 lbs and is very big for a cat so I've heard. Hard to compare when you only have one!!!
What about those solf carriers??? How well do they work??

Originally Posted by eburgess

Rarepuss, where did you get that!!!!! It's sooo cute!!!!!!

Limerick had outgrown his carrier too, I think. He's 12 lbs and is very big for a cat so I've heard. Hard to compare when you only have one!!!
What about those solf carriers??? How well do they work??

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i was torn between the hard and soft ones. But i decided to go with a hard one, just because i wanted to make sure it will be safe for traveling in a car and to be carried around and put down anywhere. Plus, its' super-easy to wash.

I actually love two types of these, one is mine, i got it from cattoys.com http://store.yahoo.com/cattoys/cuncapetba.html

The second type i like is from drfosterandsmith: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...&N=2002+113232

I went with mine because of a sturdier construction and i felt marsh would feel more secure in it as well, since it's not as open as the other one. I later found, as i started using the carrier, that the sideways opening door is GREAT, because i can open teh door in teh car, having the carrier next to me, and control the cat, with the lid on dr. foster and smith one, it would be hard to open the lid and keep it open, and plus, the whole carrier would become open as well.

That's very cute, although it does remind me of some kind of lego...something from my past (which isn't bad at all, I love toys).
I do indeed need one that will buckle in safely, and while the soft ones are appealing, I wonder how safe they would be in a car accident.

Sakura's old carrier looks alot like that but theres also a small door in the side too. She outgrew it and we had to get a different. It was a really good carrier for car trips

I've been using a medium sized top-loading crate for dogs. Merlin is 18 pounds, so he's over the limit for all the cat carriers that I've seen. Plus, he's really claustrophobic. The dog carrier is large enough for him to actually move around in and get comfy, but still small enough to fit in my front seat - barely.

I have a big cage-type carrier. It's sturdy metal wire, covered in plastic, and big enough that I can get both my cats in it at once. I like those because I know if I ever was in an accident while transporting the cats, the cage would protect them from damage. I suspect that a plastic carrier might buckle under pressure. Also, because it is an open design, the cats can see out from all sides (they like looking at the view). Whatever kind you get, make sure it can be strapped into the car (like a babyseat) so that the cats & box don't fly through the air if you have to brake hard.

Sue

I have a really nice soft carrier I got off of ebay ( I cant think of the brand right now) Four legged outfitters of something like that. Finnegan likes it much better than the hard carrier and its nice and big. The sides roll up and down so her can see out in the car on 3 sides and if its cold out i can roll them down. The front and top unzip so I can get him in and out either way. Its has handles to carry in your hand and an over the shoulder like a duffle bag so i can buckle him in nicely with the hand carrying handles. I also put the buckle through the over the shoulder strap for extra protection. Ive been meaning to post a picture of it so maybe tonight if i remember I'll snap a few to post up for you

Rarepuss - I've never seen that type of cat carrier before. I definitely prefer the top loading option and it appears it's not awkward to carry like some of the more standard types. I'll have to keep this one in mind. Thanks for sharing.

Soft carriers are the way to go if you will be traveling by plane. You can take a cat in a soft carrier as carry-on.

The other advantages to soft-sided is discretion (it looks like a duffel bag) and that they require minimal space to store.

The disadvantage is the cost.

Hard-sided carriers are less expensive and if you will be taking road trips, you can choose one that is large enough for a small litterbox.

One thing you should never get is a hard-sided carrier with a plastic door. If the cat thrashes at all, he can easily break the door open. Choose a carrier with a metal grate door.

Originally Posted by RoyalEnchntrss

Ive been meaning to post a picture of it so maybe tonight if i remember I'll snap a few to post up for you

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That would be great! The soft carriers are so entising for those very reasons, although I still wonder if I should look for a hard carrier for safety's sake. I'm not planning on doing any air trips in the near future with him, and I'm worried that the impact on the sides wouldn't be enough if I hit something. On the other hand, the carry-a-bility of having an over the shoulder or dufflebag style is really applealing, and the soft bags just look more comfortable overall.
I don't mind the idea of paying a little bit more right now, since I have to buy one anyway, but I want to make an informed choice so I don't have to buy another anytime soon. Know what I mean?

I have this carrier http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=1112070822623

Either end zips open as well as the top and the mat inside has a cover that comes off and can be washed.

Originally Posted by MissCharlotte

Rarepuss - I've never seen that type of cat carrier before. I definitely prefer the top loading option and it appears it's not awkward to carry like some of the more standard types. I'll have to keep this one in mind. Thanks for sharing.

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I'm glad to, on the market, there are as many carriers are there are ideas about what your pet would prefer most

Originally Posted by Sylorna

That would be great! The soft carriers are so entising for those very reasons, although I still wonder if I should look for a hard carrier for safety's sake. I'm not planning on doing any air trips in the near future with him, and I'm worried that the impact on the sides wouldn't be enough if I hit something. On the other hand, the carry-a-bility of having an over the shoulder or dufflebag style is really applealing, and the soft bags just look more comfortable overall.
I don't mind the idea of paying a little bit more right now, since I have to buy one anyway, but I want to make an informed choice so I don't have to buy another anytime soon. Know what I mean?

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well i forgot to take pictures but here it is on ebay.. and its pretty cheap too! I have the urge to take kitty pics so Ill try to get some of Finnegan in it. I promise!! He loves it I put him in it and he just curls up and looks around.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW