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The Best Cat Carriers for Vet Trips, Car Rides and Large Cats

Five hard and soft carriers, from a plain plastic box to a crash-certified car seat, for cats from 5 to 25 pounds.

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By Maggie CallahanUpdated · 12 carriers compared

A cat who sees the carrier come out of the closet is under the bed before you've found your keys, and the front door of a plain box is where she plants all four feet. The Petmate Two Door Top Load in the 24-inch size gets around that: it opens on top, so you lift her and lower her in, and the front door stays for the cat who walks in on her own. It's hard plastic that wipes clean after an accident on the way, it takes a cat up to 15 pounds, and it costs about $54. Several owners say the top door won't stay open on its own, so the first time, have someone hold it while you lower her.

It doesn't fold, and at 24 inches long it's a carrier for the car and the vet, much too big for the space under an airline seat.

Our picks

5 picks, best first
  1. Best overallPetmate Two Door Top Load Kennel, 24 in$53.95 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET · 24 in long
    Check price on Amazon
  2. Best for heavy catsSportPet Hard-Sided Cat Carrier, Large$29.99 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET · 18.5 in long
    Check price on Amazon
  3. Best for the carSleepypod Mobile Pet Bed$224.99 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET · 17 in across
    Check price on Amazon
  4. Best for long catsPetseek Extra Large Soft-Sided Cat Carrier$69.99 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET · 24 in long
    Check price on Amazon
  5. Best under $30Morpilot Soft Cat Carrier$27.99 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET · 17.3 in long
    Check price on Amazon
On this page

The cat carriers, ranked

Top pick
Best overall

1. Petmate Two Door Top Load Kennel, 24 in

Petmate Two Door Top Load Kennel, 24 in

A top door to lower your cat in and a front door for the cat who walks in, in hard plastic that wipes clean.

$53.95as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your cat weighs 15 pounds or less, and the carrier's main job is the vet, the groomer or a weekend at the cattery.
Skip it if
Your cat is over 15 pounds, or you need to store the carrier flat between trips.

Petmate sizes the Two Door for pets from 5 to 15 pounds and gives the 24-inch model 21 by 14.5 by 13.5 inches inside, enough for a grown cat to turn around and lie on her side. The 19-inch version stops at 10 pounds, and at 9.25 inches tall inside, a full-grown cat rides in it with her head down.

The two doors are the whole point. A cat who fights a front door goes in from above without a struggle at the threshold, and at the clinic the vet can reach in from the top instead of tipping her out onto the table. The doors are steel wire with latches you squeeze to open, and a shallow channel around the floor keeps a spill away from your cat. Petmate makes it in the US from recycled plastic.

It comes ahead of the SportPet for that top door. The SportPet takes a heavier cat and folds away, but a cat who won't walk into it has to be pushed in sideways.

Measure her stretched out

Inside it's 21 inches long. Lay your cat on her side and measure from her nose to the base of her tail: if she's longer than that, look at the Petseek; if she's heavier than 15 pounds, at the SportPet.

Where it falls short
  • It doesn't fold: about 24 by 17 inches of closet space between trips.
  • Fifteen pounds is the limit, and plenty of big males go past it.
Best for heavy cats

2. SportPet Hard-Sided Cat Carrier, Large

SportPet Hard-Sided Cat Carrier, Large

A door that takes up most of one side, room for a cat up to 25 pounds, and it folds flat between trips.

$29.99as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your cat weighs 15 to 25 pounds, or the carrier has to live folded on a closet shelf.
Skip it if
Your cat refuses to walk into anything. There's no top door, so she goes in through the side.

It takes a cat up to 25 pounds, the highest limit of the hard carriers on this list, and the door in its side opens wide, so a cat can walk in instead of ducking through a small grille. The shell folds flat for storage, and it comes with a padded bed that goes in the washer and the dryer.

Where it falls short
  • No top opening: a cat who braces against the doorway has to be eased in sideways.
  • At 18.5 inches outside, it's shorter than the Petmate inside; a long cat fits better in the Petmate or the Petseek.
Read more about the SportPet

For two vet visits a year, it's a better buy than a crash-certified carrier, which only matters if you drive long distances with your cat.

Best for the car

3. Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed

Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed

On the Center for Pet Safety’s list of crash-certified carriers, and a round bed at home the rest of the time.

$224.99as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
You drive long distances with your cat, or she rides in the car every week.
Skip it if
Your cat weighs more than 15 pounds, the limit Sleepypod gives for it.

This is the carrier on the list for a car crash. The Center for Pet Safety, a nonprofit that runs crash trials on pet travel gear, puts the Mobile Pet Bed on its list of certified carriers. Sleepypod rates it to 15 pounds. It's held on the back seat by the car's seat belt, through straps on the carrier, and the box includes Sleepypod's Handilock for the belt.

Where it falls short
  • It's by far the priciest of the five.
  • Fabric outside: if she's sick on the way, you wipe the shell and wash the bedding, which is slower than rinsing a plastic box.
Read more about the Sleepypod

Off the seat, the mesh dome lifts off and leaves a round, padded bed, about 17 inches across. Left in the living room, it becomes a place your cat already sleeps in, so on the morning of the vet visit you close a lid over a bed she knows instead of chasing her toward a box. The bedding goes in the washing machine.

Best for long cats

4. Petseek Extra Large Soft-Sided Cat Carrier

Petseek Extra Large Soft-Sided Cat Carrier

Two feet long on a steel frame that folds, with a locking zipper on each of its three openings.

$69.99as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
A long cat who can't lie flat in a hard carrier, or a move across several states.
Skip it if
You carry it far on foot. With a big cat inside, a bag 2 feet long gets heavy fast.

At about 24 by 16.5 by 16 inches, the Petseek has room for a long cat to stretch out flat. It's sold for two cats, but even two friends travel better in a carrier each: a stressful ride can turn them on each other, and one cat alone gets more air. A steel frame inside keeps the sides up, then folds so the bag goes flat in a trunk. Its three openings, on the top and the front, each close with a zipper that locks, and there's a safety clip inside. The fleece bed goes in the washer.

Where it falls short
  • Soft fabric: it's harder to clean than plastic after an accident.
  • Far too big for an airline cabin.
Read more about the Petseek

The seller gives no limit for a cat, only 55 pounds for a dog, so go by your cat's length against those 24 inches.

Best under $30

5. Morpilot Soft Cat Carrier

Morpilot Soft Cat Carrier

A light bag with a shoulder strap and a reversible pad, for a cat up to 20 pounds who rides quietly.

$27.99as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if
Your cat rides calmly and you want something light to carry on your shoulder.
Skip it if
Your cat gets carsick or tends to soil the carrier: plastic cleans up far better than fabric.

For short trips with an easygoing cat, the Morpilot is a light bag that opens on top and on the front. Morpilot gives it 17.3 by 12.2 by 13.4 inches and a limit of 20 pounds, with mesh on 40 percent of the bag, so your cat can see out. The pad has a cool side and a warm side, and the whole bag collapses for storage. If you walk to the vet rather than drive, a cat backpack leaves both hands free.

Where it falls short
  • At 13.4 inches tall, it's over every airline's height limit: a carrier for the car and the vet only.
  • A buckle closes it instead of locking zippers.

At a glance

CarrierPriceBest forTypeOpensCat up toFolds
1Petmate Two Door Top Load Kennel, 24 injust under $54Vet visits, cats up to 15 poundsHard plasticTop and front15 lbNo
2SportPet Hard-Sided Cat Carrier, Largejust under $3015 to 25 pounds, small closetsHard plasticWide side door25 lbYes
3Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bedjust under $225Long drives, cats up to 15 poundsSoft, rigid baseDome lifts off15 lbNo
4Petseek Extra Large Soft-Sided Cat Carrierjust under $70Maine Coons, long movesSoft, steel frameTop and frontNot given for catsYes
5Morpilot Soft Cat Carrierjust under $28A calm cat, short tripsSoftTop and front20 lbYes

Best cat carrier for large cats

A large cat is heavy, long, or both, and the two call for different carriers. For weight, the SportPet takes a cat up to 25 pounds in hard plastic. For length, start with the Petmate Two Door up to 15 pounds; past that, the Petseek gives a long Maine Coon about 24 inches to lie in.

Hard-sided or soft-sided cat carrier?

For the vet and the car, hard-sided. International Cat Care recommends solid plastic because it cleans easily if your cat soils it, and it suggests a top half that comes off so the vet can examine your cat without pulling her out; fabric and wicker are hard to clean after an accident. Soft-sided is for the plane, where the bag has to squeeze under a seat (see the best airline cat carriers), and for a calm cat on a short trip. The Sleepypod sits between the two: soft outside, and certified for a crash.

What to look for in a cat carrier

A way in from the top

A top door, or a lid, lets you lower a cat who won't walk in, and lets the vet reach her where she sits.

Room to turn, no more

Your cat should be able to stand and turn around. Check the maker's inside measurements, not only the weight limit.

Latches or zippers she can't open

Squeeze latches on a hard carrier, locking zippers on a soft one, and a harness clip inside if you'll open it on the road.

Easy to clean

Plastic rinses off in the bathtub; fabric needs a bedding that comes out and goes in the washer.

The ones I'd leave on the shelf

Amazon Basics 2-Door Top-Load Carrier, 22.8 in

The same idea as the Petmate Two Door, but its own listing says the weight it gives is "for reference only." The Petmate gives a limit and its inside measurements.

Cat-in-the-Bag Cozy Comfort Carrier

A zip-up bag that leaves your cat's head out, made for trimming nails and giving pills. It's handy in the exam room, but it isn't a carrier to sit in for a long drive.

Petmate Vari Kennel, 24 in

A sturdy kennel, but it only opens at the front, which is the door a reluctant cat braces against. The Two Door is the same length and opens on top as well.

Also compared: Catit Voyageur and Petmate Top Load Cat Kennel; the Sherpa Original Deluxe and the Sleepypod Air (both ranked in 6 best airline-approved cat carriers).

How I picked

A weight limit from the maker or sellerA top door or a wide doorPlastic or washable beddingLatches or locking zippersPrice
How I choose what to recommend
Pin: The Best Cat Carriers for Vet Trips, Car Rides and Large Cats
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Common questions

Is a bigger carrier better for cats?

No. Most cats feel safer in a small, enclosed space, so pick the size that lets yours stand and turn, not the next one up. The exception is a long or heavy cat, who needs a bigger carrier just to fit.

How can I get my cat into its carrier?

Through the top if you can: lift her and lower her in, instead of pushing her through a front door she can brace against. Before the day itself, the carrier should be somewhere she already naps, which is why the Sleepypod is built as a bed.

How do you travel with a cat in the car?

In a closed carrier every time, never loose on the seat and never in the trunk. For long drives, the Sleepypod is the only pick certified for a crash. A flight or a day on a trail calls for a different bag, and the page of cat travel gear is sorted by trip.

How much is a cat carrier?

A plain soft carrier or a folding hard one runs about $28 to $30, and the Petmate Two Door about $54. A crash-certified carrier like the Sleepypod costs about $225.

The verdict

For the vet and back, the Petmate

If the carrier's job is two vet visits a year and the ride home, get the Petmate Two Door in 24 inches. In the car, hold it on the back seat with a seat belt, or wedge it in the footwell behind a front seat, where it can't slide when you brake.

$53.95 as of Oct 22, 2:43 AM ETCheck price on Amazon

Sources

  1. Travelling with your cat, International Cat Care
  2. CPS Certified, Center for Pet Safety
  3. Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, Sleepypod
  4. Petmate E-Z Load Two Door Dog & Cat Kennel, Petmate

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