Sherpa Kennels, Other Kennels, Flying...

[lemur 6]

Hey all,

So I booked a flight for next week and put in reservations for my cat as well. Problem is I don't have a kennel for her yet. She's flying in the cabin and the person I called to make reservations recommended a soft sided Sherpa kennel.

Is there a specific model of Sherpa kennel, or any other kennel that anyone likes in particular? Any vendors anyone recommends?

-Lemur 6

 

[scamperfarms]

I have a Sherpa and I love it. It was great for taking both the kitties to AZ in. You just want to make sure you have the right size for your baby

they sell them at Petsmart!

I got a cool tiger stripe one hehehe

 

[prissykitty]

I flew with my beloved cat Wellie (RIP) from Texas to Georgia and back for Christmas one year. She was always a mello cat and she was quiet the whole trip. The only problem we had was it was Christmas 2001 so airport security was horrible. They do have you take the animal out of the bag and carry them through the security area. I did not know this. Also when I walked through I did not set the alram off but the dumbass security person told me to walk through again and "Hold the cat away from your body!" I was like, yeah right! poor Wellie was clinging to me with all her claws. I guess the security people finally decided we weren't a threat after I had tried for 5 minutes to hold poor Wellie "away from my body".

But yes, the Sherpa bag was great. I reccomend getting the kind with the roll up coverings for the side so you can give your cat some privacy if he/she is scared and doesn't want to look around.

 

[lemur 6]

Hmm... I looked around a bit and found this one:

http://www.sherpapet.net/products/de...ddetail_post=Y

Haha, I'm just going by looks, but visually that looks sturdier than all the other ones. Are sherpa kennels generally the same? Maybe I'll go to the Petco and look at them first hand, kinda hard to tell the differences from a single picture.

My cat let me measure her too, she was the being the nicest, she let me run a tape measure on her back and measure her shoulder height as was perfectly still the whole time. From the guide on the Sherpa website she needs a medium sized kennel (15" long, 10" high), but seems that the kennels are just barely big enough for them, should I get a larger one than they recommend?

Do I need some water/sipper bottle in the kennel too? Flight is 2 hours long, but wondering if she'll get thirsty on the way.

-Lemur 6

 

[prissykitty]

I never fed or watered my cats even while driving all day long during my move from California to texas and then from texas to georgia. That way they won't have to go to the bathroom during your trip. 2 hours without water is no big deal in my book, your cat probably goes longer than that between drinking when he's at home : )

 

[sylorna]

I bought Chester a large green sherpa bag through an ebay vendor called "the bag lady". They're from Canada, so that was convient for me, but also they were the cheapest prices I found. The bag came new, and quickly too. Here's a link to their "store". Hope you find just the right one

Bag Lady Store

Also, Chester was in the edge of being between the medium and large. I figure he'll be growing a little bit more in the next few months, and got him the bigger one to provide more room. He has TONNES of room in the bag (likes to curl up in the back and fall asleep, but can also stretch out if needed), and I'm glad I got the bigger one because we go on car rides. Alternatively, I might have chosen a smaller bag if I were going on a plane. It might be easier to negoiatate in the airport and on the plane. I think it's a matter of preference. Have a safe, fun trip.
Jess

 

[ccsr79]

After extensive research for myself, everywhere it says for you to get the right size bag for your cat -- a bigger one is not recommended as the cat will be shuffling around with plane movement, car, etc, and it's unsafe for him as he doesn't have where to grab on to. I bought the medium sherpa bag here: http://www.petguys.com/-743723-medium.html it was the best price by far (Petco and Petsmart only had the small one where I lived, even though it was saying "medium" on their price, the measurements were for the small, and the only option was black or burgundy). I haven't traveled yet (my trip is in November, but I planned ahead), but the bag is wonderful.

 

[scamperfarms]

Good choice!

 

[lemur 6]

Originally Posted by CCSR79

After extensive research for myself, everywhere it says for you to get the right size bag for your cat -- a bigger one is not recommended as the cat will be shuffling around with plane movement, car, etc, and it's unsafe for him as he doesn't have where to grab on to. I bought the medium sherpa bag here: http://www.petguys.com/-743723-medium.html it was the best price by far (Petco and Petsmart only had the small one where I lived, even though it was saying "medium" on their price, the measurements were for the small, and the only option was black or burgundy). I haven't traveled yet (my trip is in November, but I planned ahead), but the bag is wonderful.

Sweet! I was debating last night on whether to get the large or the medium, but I went by the same reasoning and I bought the medium sized ultimate bag. Hope it gets here soon. I'll post and update when I get it and let kitty have a peek at it.

 

[lemur 6]

Well, I got the Sherpa bag, and one thing's for sure... she sure doesn't like it...

 

[ricalynn]

Lemur6,
The bag probably smells too new - be sure to air it out well, maybe set it outside in the sun for a little while. If it has any PVC I'm sure she will object when it's fresh out of the package. Also, try putting an nice smelly shirt, one you've worn for gardening or working out, in the kennel to get your scent on it. Even still, she may just object to being confined, and you may or may not be able to get her over that before your trip.

I've found it helpful for getting my nervous traveller in the carrier by putting the kennel up on end and gently put the cat down into it, scruffing if necessary. I'm also a firm believer in Feliway spray for such occasions - I believe Petguys also sell it, as do a good number of net retailers and Petco & Petsmart. It may not be a "cure-all" but it will definitely make her trip more pleasant than it otherwise might be.

If she's been a nervous wreck on the way to the vet's, you may want to fast her for a few hours before your flight. Not eating for most of the day will not be harmful for her (just be sure you have some of her favorite food on hand when you are earthbound and settled again!

) and you will avoid any unpleasant messes in the carrier which will make everyone happier. Good luck on your trip, and keep us posted!

 

[lemur 6]

Well, I made it back with kitty in one piece. The bag made it through in one piece too. On the trip from Detroit to NYC she pooed in the bag, but it wasn't anything a little tissue couldn't handle, and thankfully it was before I got on the plane and I had enough time to clean it up in the "family bathroom" before I got on. Strangely, she seems to spaz out more on the car or when I'm carrying her around in the bag than on the plane. The trip back wasn't too much trouble and she didn't have any accidents. Also the security check personelle were pretty nice about it too, they didn't give me any hassle whatsoever. I actually got less trouble from them than I normally do (normally they have me sit down and pat me down and do the whole frisking thing, this time they just let me get my things and go on).

Here's the funny thing though. I think she liked it at my parent's place more than at my apt and didn't want to leave. She even showed a neighbor's cat how to enter the house and they were frolicking in the middle of the night. I caught the neighbor's cat in the house three nights in a row and even saw how she came in by pushing the window screen out. Even funnier is, the neighbor's cat is a slim black cat with yellow eyes by the name of Chiquita (as in the bananna), and I've always wanted a slim black cat with yellow eyes. Crazy coincidence? or maybe my cat overheard me thinking out loud.

Kitty's hiding the bathroom at the moment, I don't think she's very happy to be back...

 

[elmomax]

I want to warn you of the potential dangers of using a Sherpa carrier and of the terrible customer service with a major online seller from whom I purchased this product.

I purchased a Sherpa carrier with wheels and handle so that i could take my cat to the groomer as i am unable to lift and carry due to severe back issues. I managed to get my cat iggy into the carrier and zipped it up and to my horror as I was approaching the door of my apartment, my cat pushed his way out of the carrier.  The zipper was defective. Fortunately i was still in my apartment at the time or else he would have jumped out in the street and I would have lost my cat.  I asked the seller if I could return the product and they gave me a two week window to ship it back (of course i would need to pay the postage to return a defective product).  Unfortunately, due to being incapacitated with worsening back issues I was unable to get to the post office (or anywhere else for that matter). When I had a bit more mobility I contacted the seller and asked if I could return the defective product and they refused. I noted that they said they had a one year warranty due to defects.  

You should be aware of the zipper issues with at least the Sherpa soft carrier with wheels -- I cannot speak to their other products.  Even though their are many positive comments on Amazon, if you read negatives on Amazon you will see that the zipper breaking issue is not rare as it was mentioned by several other reviewers.

If you do purchase this carrier (and likely others by this Manufacturer as well), I suggest you push the case in at all zipper points before you transport your cat. You need to ensure that the zippers are working properly and the teeth have securely engaged at all points along their tracks. Having a defective zipper on a carrier while transporting a dog is problematic but with a cat it is far far far worse…. a cat who can jump out of a carrier while outdoors will bolt and if the cat is a 100% indoor cat, they will likely be lost forever. I am grateful to still have my cat.

Also you should not expect that Love Pets Worldwide (the online seller from whom I purchased the carrier, will honor the manufacturer's  warranty - so if the product does have defects in one year, you will need to toss the carrier out. Fortunately I purchased this carrier via Amazon and they will go after them. Amazon on the other hand is one of the best if not the best company I have ever done business with - they are totally customer focused and stand behind the products they sell and allow to be sold on their website.  If Love Pets Worldwide (The online distributer of the Sherpa carriers on Amazon and also has online store for this and many other products) does not behave honorably, they will not be allowed to continue trading on the Amazon storefront.  No matter how this turns out, the issues with this online seller and of the Sherpa Carrier go well beyond the cost of the carrier ($87.83 which is hardly inexpensive). Love Pets Worldwide is not the kind of company I wish to do business with as they are apparently not concerned about the safety of the products they sell (their response was cavalier and they touted how well made the Sherpa products are and how rare defects occur) and they apparently do not honor the warranties of the products they sell on behalf of Sherpa.  What their perceptions are of their own merchandise is of no consequence to me when I almost lost my cat in the street due to a product defect. And the zipper defect is not rare. No amount of convincing will make me believe that Sherpa has a quality product and they certainly are not working with an honorable and reputable online distributor, at least in my estimation based on my experiences. 

I did not research the relationship between QuakerPets and Love Pets Worldwide to see it the companies are related. I also did send feedback to QuakerPets regarding their product defect and the fact that their online seller did not honor their warranty.

I wanted you all to be aware of the potential issues with the Sherpa carrier with wheels and with the online pet product distributor, Love Pets Worldwide.

Erica