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#11
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
I have both the soft and hard sided carriers. I really like the soft one
except that for some reason, it doesn't keep its shape and the top of it will cave in when my cat is in it. So I usually use the hard one. Both the soft and hard carriers I have are "top loaders" and I really recommend that. S. -- **Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ ** --- "Wendy" wrote in message ... "-mhd" wrote in message ... "cshenk" wrote: Although a soft one will work fine to hold a cat, you may find the cat gets 'scared' and pees in the carrier. If you have a soft type, you will have an issue getting it clean again. A hard carrier will not have this problem. Easiest hard carriers have an entry gate at the 'front' and at the top both. Also, put a towel at the bottom so if they do 'pee' because they are scared, you wont be bringing a wet kitty to the vet and trying to dry the worst off as she/he gets examined. I prefer soft ones as they much easier to carry and are probably much more comfortable for the cat. As far as accidents go I would much rather throw the bag in the washer than try to wash a car seat that the hard carrier drained onto. A towel fits just fine in the soft bags as well. -mhd I would imagine the size and weight of the cat might determine which type serves better. I haven't seen too many x-large soft carriers and would worry about the handle pulling off if I was lugging around a large cat. I lug a lot of cats around though and most people only need to use their carrier on the occasions kitty visits the vet. I have had some cats who preferred not to have much of a view and many of the soft sided ones have screening on the sides that would provide too much view to a skittish cat. I'm not overly impressed with the zipper closures either. If one has a cat who really doesn't want to be in the carrier, having to zip close provides too much time for the kitty to engineer an escape. I do like something with a top door though in case you need to get a sick kitty in and out of the carrier. Years ago I had to take a carrier apart to get a sick boy out of it and have gone for carriers with a top door since. You do have to double check to make sure the top door stays latched though as some have a tendency to work their way open. Bottom line is that I would imagine you get whatever type best suits your cat. |
#12
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
*Both thesoft and hard carriers I have are "top loaders" and I really
recommend that. I highly recommend a carrier with both a top and side loader as well. Comes in handy if kitty doesn't want to come out, especially at the vet's office. I'm not fond of soft carriers for one reason: safety. I once took a trip to my parent's house (several hours away) and on the way back, I had a minor accident. I can still hear the "clunk" of the carrier hitting the dashboard. Fortunately, everyone, cat included, was just fine. I worry what could have happened if I didn't have a hard-sided carrier--he could have been flung much further in the car with nothing to cushion the blow. |
#13
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
"Rene S." wrote in message way back, I had a minor accident. I can still hear the "clunk" of the carrier hitting the dashboard. Fortunately, everyone, cat included, was just fine. I worry what could have happened if I didn't have a hard-sided carrier--he could have been flung much further in the car with nothing to cushion the blow. And the cat couldn't hit it's head on the inside of a hard carrier? Plastic covered car grill, hard plastic carrier. No difference there. With some forethought, the carrier (whatever type) should have been buckled down with a seatbelt or some other type of restraint. |
#14
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
"Rene S." wrote in message
... Both thesoft and hard carriers I have are "top loaders" and I really recommend that. I highly recommend a carrier with both a top and side loader as well. Comes in handy if kitty doesn't want to come out, especially at the vet's office. I'm not fond of soft carriers for one reason: safety. I once took a trip to my parent's house (several hours away) and on the way back, I had a minor accident. I can still hear the "clunk" of the carrier hitting the dashboard. Fortunately, everyone, cat included, was just fine. I worry what could have happened if I didn't have a hard-sided carrier--he could have been flung much further in the car with nothing to cushion the blow. =============================================== You should always buckle that carrier with a seat belt, just for occasions like this. And with a soft carrier the cat would be flung against fabric rather than hard plastic. JMHO Hugs, CatNipped |
#15
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
Newbie wrote:
[A very sweet stray or runaway cat has adopted us and we, ignorant of all cat issues, are in panic. That's why I have a few posts each with a question.] First, we want to take her to a vet (Chicago area). She seems to have no problems, just basic check up and shots. (She spends several hours outdoors each day.) What kind of pet carrier should I get that would be good for this purpose as well as longer drives we may have to take later. In particular, soft or hard? What kind do you use? I like the hard carrier as I can use the car seat belt to hold it tight in place on the passenger seat. I put three towels in there and the cats like it for vet trips twice a year. But then, they have never tried a soft carrier, so... I keep the carrier outside on the side deck and bring it in a few hours before the vet trip to warm it up in winter. If the cat goes to the bathroom in the carrier, it is all plastic and metal so I just use soap and warm water and then hose it down with the garden hose and let it dry in the sun. But that only happened once so far. We got our carrier free with our cat from a friend of ours, so go with whatever is cheapest and if that doesn't work, then go with second cheapest, etc... If you are on a budget that is... good luck, Jonathan |
#16
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
On May 6, 12:22 am, Newbie wrote:
[A very sweet stray or runaway cat has adopted us and we, ignorant of all cat issues, are in panic. That's why I have a few posts each with a question.] First, we want to take her to a vet (Chicago area). She seems to have no problems, just basic check up and shots. (She spends several hours outdoors each day.) What kind of pet carrier should I get that would be good for this purpose as well as longer drives we may have to take later. In particular, soft or hard? What kind do you use? MY cat has a soft carrier for short trips to the vet, and a hard carrier in case he has to be evacuated a long distance. It is large enough for water and food bowls and can be stashed in a motel room and give him a secure retreat. I would def. recommend both. |
#17
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
On Fri, 16 May 2008 17:42:51 -0700 (PDT), val189
wrote: On May 6, 12:22 am, Newbie wrote: [A very sweet stray or runaway cat has adopted us and we, ignorant of all cat issues, are in panic. That's why I have a few posts each with a question.] First, we want to take her to a vet (Chicago area). She seems to have no problems, just basic check up and shots. (She spends several hours outdoors each day.) What kind of pet carrier should I get that would be good for this purpose as well as longer drives we may have to take later. In particular, soft or hard? What kind do you use? MY cat has a soft carrier for short trips to the vet, and a hard carrier in case he has to be evacuated a long distance. It is large enough for water and food bowls and can be stashed in a motel room and give him a secure retreat. I would def. recommend both. I've always stuck with hard carriers. My inclination is hard is better since if something falls on it offers more protection for the cat. |
#18
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
On May 5, 9:22 pm, Newbie wrote:
[A very sweet stray or runaway cat has adopted us and we, ignorant of all cat issues, are in panic. That's why I have a few posts each with a question.] First, we want to take her to a vet (Chicago area). She seems to have no problems, just basic check up and shots. (She spends several hours outdoors each day.) What kind of pet carrier should I get that would be good for this purpose as well as longer drives we may have to take later. In particular, soft or hard? What kind do you use? As a vet tech I hated the soft-sided carriers, if the cat was difficult to handle, at all. The hard-sided ones can be opened and stood on end so that the cat can be dropped in from above. They are also much easier to clean. (Nothing like having to clean diarrhea out of a soft carrier - it gets ruined...) -L. |
#19
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
I have the biggest I can get, (about 1/2 yard wide by 3/4 yards long) so I
have room to put a long narrow container with cat litter on the side an attach a metal water container if I need to. However, I have discovered that some cats are totally terrified of carriers and are better off being simply let loose in the car. Never open a window or door, even for a split second, without putting a leash on them first, as they will quickly jump out of the car in terror and run as fast as they can in terror, leaving them subject to great harm or starvation. If this should happen in spite of all precautions, try to park the car and quietly sit beside it, calling the cat repeatedly, with very little movement. Never RUN to chase it, as this will scare it more. Have a can of sardines or other strong smelling food handy at all times. You may have to wait there for half an hour or more (if there is traffic -- even possibly waiting until darkness and quiet) calling the cat several times. It's a most terrible, frightening, and upsetting experience for all. Hopefully the cat will return. One thing I discovered is that cats shouldn't be given any pills while travelling; nor should they eat heavy meals before. Pills that make them tired or dizzy can be really frightening to them and they may pee all over the place in fear. Always carry lots of cat litter in the car with you, as well as a bowl of water. On long trips, they will generally cry for the first two hours or so, and then will get used to the driving and settle down. If the trip will be 8 hours or so, chances are that the cat will actually even enjoy some of the ride for the last few hours and will want to look out of a CLOSED window. Overall, cat's generally DON'T make good travellers and are best left at home with someone you can really trust to come in and feed them, unless you will be gone for quite awhile. They feel secure in their own homes and are very uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. Don't ever travel with any cat without putting a tag on a STRETCHABLE collar around its neck, saying IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL THIS PHONE NUMBER COLLECT, ASAP: (Your number, including area code). _______________________ "Newbie" wrote in message ... [A very sweet stray or runaway cat has adopted us and we, ignorant of all cat issues, are in panic. That's why I have a few posts each with a question.] First, we want to take her to a vet (Chicago area). She seems to have no problems, just basic check up and shots. (She spends several hours outdoors each day.) What kind of pet carrier should I get that would be good for this purpose as well as longer drives we may have to take later. In particular, soft or hard? What kind do you use? |
#20
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Newbie questions: What kind of pet carrier?
"Tracy101" wrote in message However, I have discovered that some cats are totally terrified of carriers and are better off being simply let loose in the car. I definitely don't agree with this. The first priority is to control how and where you drive without undue interference from outside sources. An unrestrained cat, no matter how terrified it is, a loose cannon inside a car. Case in point. I remember some years ago driving along taking my cat to the vet. He managed to get out of his carry box and the first thing he did was to search out a place to hide. That happened to be right underneath the brake pedal on my car. I was coming up to an intersection with a red light at the time. Fortunately, I don't easily panic in such situations. I reached down and grabbed him by the tail and hauled him out of there. Sure, he shrieked, but that was much preferable to be being crushed under a brake pedal. After that, I made absolutely sure when driving that he was securely held in some type of carrier that he couldn't get out of. |
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