Customer Reviews

IRIS Pet Carrier for Dog or Cat, Tan

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Brilliant Design, incorporating vintage (1950's picnic hamper) look into modern product. Large and roomy -- very big cat would be comfortable. Could put covered ice packs in for hot travel w/out leaking. Sturdy plastic will clean easily w/garden hose. Slits will allow animal to be private and look out but no one can look in. Easy to carry. The locks are inventive and appear to be strong. Small lidded compartment on top is convenient. Very attractive. Will store in car for travel like a beachbag which works better for us than the rectangular crates. It may be our best carrier ever.

i am owned by 12 (yes, twelve) rescued kitties. this is the best carrier i've found as it is easy to get them in and easy to clean. top loads are a must for cats---just not possible to shove them in sideways. i also have expensive sherpa carriers but they're not as good b/c they have a zip top, which is hard to zip with a struggling cat, especially when you're by yourself. also, my jezebel figured out how to open the zipper!! in addition, the sherpas are MUCH harder to clean. genevieve always vomits, poops, urinates or some combo every time, and the sherpas have nooks and crannies that i just can't get clean, in addition to the mesh panels. some kitties are also able to tear the mesh panels. not a problem with this carrier---solid plastic with no corners where excrement can remain. the soft sided carriers are smaller and easier if you have a small car but i still prefer this one as it is solid and more sturdy. even my psycho kitty moses--just plop him in and slam the lid b4 he knows what has happened. my vet thought this carrier was awesome. and it reminds me of the wizard of oz---the basket miss gulch put toto in. my 13.5 lb thug bagheera fits in just fine but a 17 lb cat likely would be too big for this carrier

I was looking for a new type of carrier for my cats -- sturdy, top loading, and, of course, cute. This carrier filled all 3 requirements! Upon receipt of the carrier, I immediately put my 17 pound kitty in it and was pleased (and a little surprised) at how easy it was to carry and that the handles felt secure. The lid makes it easy to pop the cat in (it would have to be a tiny cat or kitten to come in and out of the smaller top opening). We've made a couple of trips to the veterinarian with different cats and the cats seem comfortable and everyone who has seen it wants it.

The carriers are attractive enough, however, they're practically non-functional for holding large (15 + pounds) cats who don't want to be put inside.

Both of my cats repeatedly broke out of the cat holders without any special effort.

Poorly designed for holding large cats. The hasps that close the unit are easily opened by the least bit of exertion from my cats.

I actually wound up transporting each cat in a 20 gallon rubber-maid storage box securely taped down.

I donated both carries to the local pet shelter for transporting kittens. A more realistic use.

Don't waste your money if you have large, aggressive cats.

I bought this especially to move house with my cats. I put one smallish cat in it, and she panicked. She thrashed around in the carrier, the latches popped open, and she bolted. I was carrying her outside when this happened; fortunately, she ran back into the house, and I was able to catch her again and transport her safely (I wrapped masking tape around the carrier to prevent her from opening it again).

This is an adorable carrier, and I had thought it was a quality product, but I could have lost my cat from these latches. It might be okay if you have a passive pet--but if there's any chance s/he will panic, don't buy it. This particular cat is usually a very calm, sweet baby, but she completely lost it in that carrier, and her thrashing made the sides bend (it's soft plastic), and the latches popped right open.

This carrier is a great find for the price. Soft carriers sometimes get soiled while traditional front-load carriers are hard to get some pets into. At first glance, the carrier looked cheap. I thought the plastic walls were thin. Upon further inspection, they are quite sturdy. Plastic cleans easily even if it is not the most aesthetically appealing. For the price, I don't expect it to be a fancy item. It isn't, but it has a great design!

Pros:
- Small slits so the cats can see out, but they still have privacy
- Strong locks
- Little storage compartment where I keep my Rescue Remedy and treats
- There is an overhead window you can open if you want to put your hand in there without opening it up wide.

I tried to put my 17 lb cat in here and he just layed down and allowed me to shut the lid. There definitely was not enough room for him, he filled the carrier up and couldn't move. I was surprised that he just crawled in on his own, though. This is a smaller carrier, more suited for my 9 pound kitty. He should be able to turn around and sit up a little in it.

I was a little hesitant to purchase this carrier based on some of the other reviews saying it was too small for a 10lb cat. But I checked the dimensions against the current carrier my 11lb cat has (that he can break out of by pushing really hard on the flimsy plastic door) and it's about the same size, just shorter. So I gave it a shot and it's a perfect fit. Cats don't want or need a ton of room for a transport carrier - they feel more secure in a small space and are safer if they can't slide around a lot. My cat can turn around and lie down but that's about it - but that's all he could do in his other carrier, too. It's SO EASY to get him in this, too---top loading is key! For help on size, my cat is a tall, fit 11lb so he takes up a good amount of space and this worked great.

Really seems to solve several problems for cat transport, as long as you're not going on an airplane. It's hard plastic (I think that works better than soft carriers, see below), it loads from the top and it has what so far seem to be sturdy handles. I bought this months ago and have had it around for the cat to get used to. She had enjoyed checking it out, even curling up for a short nap in there at times. Every once in a while I closed it up and tested that, carried her around a bit, etc. It looks a bit on the small side when you first see it, but I think all but the very largest cats would be comfy enough for a run to the vet.

Well, so, today was the run to the vet, finally. We may have lost all the positive association we had with the box now ;-) but really, the ride seemed somewhat improved. I bought this to replace a Sherpa soft-sided carrier, which the cat previously soiled 3 vet trips in a row (and the first two times had a period of at least 2 years in between). It's not a long ride, maybe 10-15 minutes, the vet is only 5 or 6 miles away. I began to think the carrier itself was the problem, either the less secure nature of the soft sides or at the very least now an association thing. I thought replacing the carrier might give us a shot at nixing this problem. And, it seems to have worked! Had no problem like that today. Oh, yes, the cat still protested loudly, especially at the beginning of the trip. She calmed down moderately later. We let her poke her head out of the small top hatch; she can fit through there I discovered one time, but only barely, and didn't move to get out.

So while taking the cat to the vet still seems like torturing the poor thing, this carrier does seem to be an improvement. If the design has intrigued you, I say go for it. It's inexpensive and seems to work well. If I had to find one con about it, it would be that the lid only opens to a 180 degree angle. In other words, it sticks out flat when open. It would be parallel to the floor, except, it's too top-heavy and makes the carrier tip over when open. To leave it around open for the cat to check out, you have to lean the top against something. Small con to an otherwise great product.

This cat carrier is, by far, the best I have ever owned! It is so much easier to place a cat in this carrier through the top compared to trying to stuff a struggling cat though one of those front-gate types. I adopted a young male cat in early June and purchased a traditional front gate carrier to transport him from the adoption center to home. As soon as I picked that carrier up with him in it, his weight (only 9 pounds) on the bottom caused the pins at the top of the gate to pull out of their slots.

That afternoon, I started searching the internet for an alternative style of cat carrier. That was when I found the IRIS Pet Carrier listed on Amazon. I immediately ordered it and could not be happier. With my previous cats, going to the vet was a stressful event beginning with trying to load them in the old style carrier. This IRIS carrier solves that problem completely. The cat goes in without a fuss and is calm and quiet on the ride to the vet office. The staff at the vet office and the vet herself have all commented on how awesome this carrier is. Don't hesitate to order this cat carrier - you will love it!!!!

I would have given this carrier 5 stars, but it is clearly not built to last. I bought two, and the first week a big chunk of plastic just snapped off the edge of one. It's still useable, but I wonder how long the rest will last. However, the design is great. It's roomy, conveniently top-loading (you can just take the whole lid off and pop the cat in), and it gives the cat a perfect combination of privacy, ventilation and view. The vet's office can't stop admiring it.