So in an attempt to try and find one ideal soft carrier for my new kitten I have read some articles and looked at some reviews and still could not find enough info to have the feel for what would best serve my needs. My needs: A soft carrier for plane travel An everyday carrier to take the kitten/cat to the vet - ideally bike mountable A backpack for possible future adventures/long trips/hikes Wants: Ideally extendable because on the first trip coming up (to bring the kitty into the country) we will have a long layover in a city (talking about 10-12 hours of being basically homeless, so would be nice for her to have a safe space to move about a bit without being on a leash in an unknown area Comfortable to wear Easy to set up and fold Good quality weather proof design (never know when it will rain in the UK and don’t think the cat would enjoy getting soaked, so ideally the top has an optional raincover Visibility of my cat, she’s black so a whole black interior with a black mesh would not let me see her well So I have looked at over 10 different carriers and here’s my comparison. Note most have not been tried with my cat as she was not with me at the time. I looked at the Pecute collection: Cat Carrier Airline Approved and the two sizes of Expandable carriers - the airline approved is very similar to the Sherpa but slightly bigger (and every so slightly over the limits of the airline I am taking) and requires assembly (pushing the metal frame into place) but on the other hand has a top mesh which is nice and is much cheaper so in my mind better value than Sherpa. The smaller expandible one is very much the same but has two expandable sides and comes with a collapsible bowl. The bigger one is lovely and I really like that it does not require any assembly with the metal frame but instead all you need to do is zip up the sides and you are ready to go. It also has less velcro than the smaller version, but it is heavier and bulkier and unlikely to pass with an airline. With both the extensions have no divider from the main compartment unlike the Petsfit and so may be susceptible to chewing/clawing when not expanded (I would think this would be hard to notice unless you are actively watching your pet as that mesh is not on the outside surface when closed). However they are immediately accessible to your pet and have a nice plush surface. On the smaller bag one of the extensions has a direct zipper access from the outside while on the bigger one both extensions have an access point. Of minor note is that the bigger one just holds shape better over all and when you extend it the floor of the extensions lies perfectly flat whereas with the smaller one they pucker a bit. Having gotten the smaller expandable version I really have to say that the metal frame is a bit of a nuisance as it makes the bag so sturdy that I could not fit it under the seat in front of me on the plane (it was like literally 3 mm too tall, I would have probably been able to fit the bag sideways but as there were blankets inside due to the time of the year and the outside temperature I could not easily turn the bag without opening it, which you aren’t allowed to do in the plane). Also when I tried to reassemble the bag the long strap got around the bag as I was trying to push the metal frame into place and it took me about 15 minutes to figure out why I was not able to push it into place fully, I did not enjoy this stress on the trip but it is my silly mistake, however at the same time proves the point of the frame being a bit too fiddly. Cat loved it for the long trip we had to make! Did not actually end up expanding it at all as she was so nervous and it was so cold that she was mostly hiding under a blanket anyways (but we did a trial walk to the beach when no one was around in warmer weather and she loved the expansions and being able to watch the seagulls from there) Also the clip for the harness is just the right size to make it comfortable and safe. On the other hand the dark net and interior made it really difficult to actually see my cat inside there. Another thing that the smaller one has that is not found on the bigger expandable version are the multiple loops on one of the expandable sides - in the promotional video they show hanging the bowl on one but I am thinking that they could also possibly be used to secure the bag with some velcro straps to my bike (esp if I buy a rack for added security). Petsfit Cat Carrier Airline Approved, Expandable Pet Carrier Two Sides Pros Actually fits the airline dimensions I need No velcro it is all just zips Expandable Nice zip only design so no extra finicky steps in setting/opening it up The mesh of the extensions is hidden behind a zipped separator (I think this may help if your pet is likely to try and chew on the mesh) Very light Cons The expansion is curved so quite small No rain cover Quite a few reviewers said the quality was poor and the zips break quickly The expansions have no direct ...
