This is a good carrier to get. It's a Samsonite. As you can see, the two sides zip down and the top zips open. This type of carrier is more expensive than the plain ol' plastic ones, but Peanut likes it sooooo much better! I leave it open like this all the time and she sleeps in it all the time. The last time we took her somewhere, it was so easy to get her in the carrier because she was already sleeping there so all I had to do was quickly zip up the two sides and wallah - kitty in carrier with no trauma to either of us. I've since put a little towel on the bottom so make it a little more comfy for her and she just adores the carrier. Another nice feature this has are straps that you can put the seatbelt through so kitty can be belted in also, which is just as important as belting a child in, especially if you're traveling with kitty in the front seat like I like to do so I can reach her to help calm her down if she starts meowing.