Pet Carriers

The Two Measurements a Carrier Needs

Weight limits tell you whether the bag will hold, not whether the animal will fit. The measurements that matter are length, from nose to base of tail, and standing height at the shoulder. An animal should be able to stand up and turn around inside, which makes internal height the number that fails most often rather than floor area. Cats need less length and more height than their weight suggests, and a long bodied dog needs the reverse, which is why two animals of identical weight need different carriers.

Getting an Animal Used to It Before Travel Day

A carrier that only appears before a journey becomes a signal that something unwelcome is about to happen, and the animal learns to avoid it. The fix is boring and effective: leave it open on the floor at home for two weeks with a familiar blanket inside. An animal that has chosen to sleep in a carrier travels very differently from one placed into it for the first time on the day. Short practice trips in the car before a long one work on the same principle and are worth the afternoon.

The Weight You Carry Is Bag Plus Animal

A backpack carrier moves the load onto both shoulders, which is why it suits airports and long walks better than a shoulder bag does. But the total is the animal plus the carrier plus whatever else is inside, and rigid framed bags weigh considerably more empty than soft sided ones. Check the empty weight of the carrier, because on a small animal the bag can weigh nearly as much as its occupant. A removable, washable base liner matters more than any other feature for a journey longer than an hour.

For walking rather than travel, the leashes, collars and harnesses are in Pet Harnesses & Leashes, and the resting places at the other end of the journey are in Pet Beds & Tunnels.