Soft-Sided Travel Carrier

The single most important feature of a cat carrier is a top opening. A frightened cat braces all four legs against a side door and cannot be extracted without a fight; lifted straight up and out of an open roof, the same cat comes quietly. This one has both, and the top unzips fully to three sides.

The frame is a semi-rigid perimeter rather than a soft bag, so it does not fold in on the animal when it is carried against a leg, and it holds its shape on a car seat with a belt through the strap channel. The base board lifts out and the fleece pad on top of it machine washes at 40°C.

Ventilation is mesh on three faces with a roll-down solid flap on two of them. Cats settle faster when they can see less; dogs generally want to see more. Having the choice is worth more than any amount of padding.

Weight limit is 9kg, which covers almost every cat and small dogs up to about a Jack Russell. It is sized to fit under most airline seats, but every airline sets its own rules and enforces them at the gate. Check with the carrier before you fly rather than trusting a product page.