Untech: A More Comfy Pet Carrier for Cats and Small Dogs

by Elizabeth Kricfalusi, Tech for Luddites

I’m owned by two perfect cats. 🙂 When they first joined my family, I got a standard hard-sided carrier, which was perfectly fine then because I never took them any further than my parents’ house or the V-E-T. But then I moved to California in 2002 and I wanted a soft-sided carrier for taking them as carry-on for under the seats in front of me. (Some airlines do accept hard-sided carriers but the maximum dimensions are smaller because of the lack of “give” to them). I used these ones again when I moved to D.C. a few years ago, but by then my cats had gotten quite a bit bigger and, even though the cats could stand up and turn around in the carriers, they didn’t look all that comfortable.

So last year when I was planning my first-ever long road trip with them (10 hours), I decided I wanted something a little more spacious for the car ride. I looked at a lot of options online and ended up buying the Pet Gear Signature Pet Car Seat & Carrier for cats and dogs up to 20-pounds, Aqua. And I love them!

It’s not even that they’re that much bigger than the old ones (see pic at right). They’re exactly the same length and just a bit taller and wider (19″L x 12.5″W x 12″H), but that little difference is enough to let them lie down in a more natural position than before.

Here are a few other things I like about them:

• The three zippers are easy to open and give multiple options for getting your pet in and out of the carrier. You can also roll back the flap on the front and top with velcro tabs for when you’re not in transit.
• The mesh “windows” are less dense so I can see my babies better and vice versa.
• They come with a nice soft floor covering that you can fit an absorbent pad under in case of an accident en route.
• They have a couple of pockets on the back (for leashes, papers, treats, etc.) and a loop that you can put a seatbelt through to keep the carrier secure during the trip.

Now every time I take them to the V-E-T in their fancy new carriers, other pet parents in the waiting area always remark on how nice the carriers are. Yep, my kitties ride in style… Because they’re worth it! 🙂

Disclosures

• If you’re planning to use these carriers on a plane, make sure you check with the airline to make sure the dimensions will fit under their seats, as each carrier has different limits.
• I’ve linked in this blog post to the Amazon product page for the carrier. I am an Amazon Associate, which means I do get commissions from Amazon if you make purchases from them after clicking on one of those links.

Filed Under: Recommended, Untech