cat carriers

[Sirrahsim]

I measured Boomer to see what size soft carrier he would need and according to my numbers, I can't find a carrier big enough! Are the measurements listed at PetSmart.com REALLY how big the soft carriers are? I don't think of Boomer as a big cat... maybe it's just cause I don't have another cat here to compare him to? What do you know about soft-sided carriers?

[Logan]

I have a soft sided carrier made by Samsonite. I bought it several years ago at K-Mart. But it is the devil to get the cat in (especially Butter). Mimi goes in pretty easily. Butter "fits", he just doesn't like to fit!!! LOL!!! Just this weekend, we went to WalMart and bought a hardsided carrier for Butter, who has had to go to the vet a lot recently due to some skin issues. I'll let you know how that one works!

Logan

[Denyce]

My husband was able to get his 22 pound bundle of love in a soft sided carrier to come her on the plane from Vancouver. But she wasn't really able to move around like she should have been able to but what choice is there? It was that or a larger carrier and in cargo. So we sedated her so she would sleep most the way and away she went. The only tricky part was when they wanted her to go through the x-ray machine. Brian had to open the carrier to prove it was a cat. Even though you could see through the mesh sides.

[Sirrahsim]

well, it's thinking waaaaaaaayyyy (like a few years) in advance, but the reason that we want the soft carrier is ultimately to take him home in the cabin with us when we go back to the states. They say that the cat must be able to stand up and turn around freely- though I don't see how that's possible under an airline seat! I had thought about sedating him, but depending on what airline they stick us on, we may not be able to. I know Continental and several other carriers do not allow sedation for international flights. 16 hours is a looooooong time to have a poor kitty in a carrier, but I'd feel better if I was able to look down ad see him and pet him occasionally..

Brian had to open the carrier to prove it was a cat.

lol, I can just see the Japanese customs people seeing my hissing, rolling, meowing ball of fur and asking me to take him out. Boy would THAT cause a scene

[nibblets]

Oh my! Sixteen hours...my poor Julie can barely take 16 minutes in her carrier going to the vet. She is not one to hide in boxes or bags and putting her in a carrier really hacks her off. She was rescued as a stray at a very young age...I don't know if she had a bad experience in a small space or what, but she sure doesn't like to be contained. I would have no choice but to sedate her on a long flight.

[jenluckenbach]

Is a soft sided carrier the only type that will fit under a seat? (I never flew with a cat)
I feel the soft sided carriers are not suitable for the heavier cats, so how much does Boomer weigh? Most carriers will have a weight limit on the tag, so when you go to buy one you can see if it is a correct size.
When an animal is sedated for a flight, is it just a relaxant or are they out cold? (again, I have no clue). If it is just a relaxant, how could the airline people tell? You can just say he is a calm cat.

[catmandu]

For my Tubbies , Moose JJJ3 and BoBo , I got a medium Dog Carrier , and they use it as A Fort , until it is Vet Time , and then they are SCARCE! Almost Invisible! In Fact!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Not the least bit helpful but.....

I actually saw someone using one of these in Miami!

[aki]

Have you guys seen the new Redneck Cat Carrrier? Sorry, I just couldn't help my self! LOL

[Sirrahsim]

lol!! redneck cat carrier lol! ues, a soft sided cage is required in order to carry a kitty in the plane's cabin. it's also about half of the price of using a bigger cage in the cargo bay- I do NOT want my baby to be alone in a scary cargo bay with strange animals for 16 hours!! I don't know how the sedation works, I'm pretty sure it basically puts the cat to sleep. The information i have just says that if they have any suspicion that an animal is sedated/drugged it will be refused admittance onto the plane per the advice of yadda yadda yadda yadda. According to Boomer's weight he'll fit easily into the large size carrier, but they require it to be like twice the width of his shoulders and 1.5 times the length of his body or something like that( at least fro international flights)
That little carrier is sooooo cute I've never seen one like that before! Here is the type that I have been looking at. This one is made by Samsonite and approved by most major airlines.

[Denyce]

What we used with Kaliban is called Acepromazine. I think that is how it is spelled. It is a very mild sedative and has many uses. It doesnt' really knock them out...it just takes the edge off. I think it is also used as an anti vomiting medication.

Denyce

[Nomilynn]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
Not the least bit helpful but.....

I actually saw someone using one of these in Miami!

I soooooooo want one of these, but I want one that's bigger so I can take all of them at once I would totally use it!!!!

I use a medium size carrier for Bassett and Tilly, and Nutmeg has a smaller one. Bassett is about 15lbs, Tilly is about 9lbs. I bought a soft sided one, and I think it was a meduim, but Tilly figured out how to open the zipper

[RedHedd]

What did you end up getting? Mishi broke out of the second Samsonite soft-sided carrier I bought so now I'm looking at the Sherpa line. The one I want, large one with wheels, is about $100! I'm trying to get the online store I purchased the Samsonite one at to exchange it (again - 2nd time that model has broken with Mishi) for the Sherpa, but have yet to hear back.

I need one with wheels as Mishi has gotten too big for me to lug around without me endangering my ability to walk upright! Any suggestions?

I've tried eBay and craigslist too. I NEED a new carrier for my big boybee!

[Sirrahsim]

I haven't ended up buying one yet.. how big is Mishi? It would be a disaster if my sweet terrified Boomer was able to break out of his carrier at the airport or even on the plane! Boomer is about 13 lbs.. Oh by the way, do you know how much the carrier itself weighs? They are telling me that carrier and cat can not weigh more than 15 lbs. (though I doubt that they'll check) Would you recommend that Samsonite one, even though Mishi got out? Is he particularly feisty when contained? Boomer tends to curl up into an itty bitty little ball when he's scared and I have a feeling he'll be curled up like that for most of the flight. If you do get a Sherpa, let me know how you like it I most likely have quite a while before I'll need to have the carrier for Boomer. He'd doing well on his harness so I'll probably just use that for vet trips.

[Dog1,Cats2]

I've got a pretty hefty 13 or 14 lb maine coon mix; and although he HATES to go in the carrier to the vet, he fits OK. It's one of the soft sided ones with a shoulder strap that would fit under an airline seat. (I frequently take both of my cats to the vet at the same time & needed to be able to sling one of them over my shoulder.)

I agree that I'd take my critters with me on the plane rather than in cargo -- too scary!

My mom took a cat that I rescued with her back on the plane to her home. Used the same soft sided carrier; worked fine. With changing planes and all, it was about 12 or 14 hours, and the cat did great. They did make her take him out of the carrier for security check, so I'd recommend you have a halter and maybe a leash on your cat in case it freaks and tries to run off.

(Are they completely STUPID about cats??? is it going to take somebody suing the airline because their cat was terrified and got loose and ended up dead???) Can't they Xray the carrier to see that there really is a cat in there??