Tldr
This crate is great! The size is ideal for 2 cats who get along or 1 cat and a small litter box on a long trip. It's well made, sturdy enough to stand up even with the doors open and a 14+lb cat curled up on the “roof", thanks to the design which put the wire in a separate zip up panel just outside of the “doors". More carriers should implement this design, as it allows for flat, compact storage AND sturdy stability.
2 carriers can fit end to end in the back of most cars/SUVs, which is great.
Possibly downsides to think about is that it's awkward to carry because of the size & there's no shoulder strap option to help mitigate the hand carry issue. Also, it could be difficult to get in & out of a car when loaded with cats, depending on your height, physical ability and vehicle configuration.
The full review
I have 3 cats and am planning a ~1400 mile move that I expect to take 3-5 days minimum (my spine is a hot mess). I learned a lot from the experience of evacuating to NC for Hurricane Milton with the cats, and knew I wanted/needed a better option than their regular small crates for an even longer trip, so I've been trying to gather things I think will make this trip more pleasant for us all, and this carrier from Pecute is one of the things that will actually make it a more pleasant experience for them!
First, the size of the crate is perfect for 2 cats who get along or 1 cat and a litter box. I'm going the 1 cat and a litter box route with it, as I already have another slightly larger carrier that will accommodate the other 2 plus a litter box, and my older girl hates car rides & already sometimes gets a little testy with the 2 gray “kittens" even under the best of circumstances. She's also been known to soil a carrier in the car, bc when she's gotta go, she's *really* gotta go(!!!), so having a carrier and litter box to herself is ideal. At 24x17, this crate has plenty of room for a decent size litter box AND space sprawl out, esp since she's a petite 8lbs. The carrier is spacious enough that even one of the 14+lbs grays would have plenty of room with a litter box added, too. (One of the pics is with a 16x12 travel litter box on one side of the carrier)
I set the carrier up when it arrived, and all of my cats immediately decided it was a great little hangout spot. They've use it to snuggle up in, as a nap spot, and as a home base to return to in between attacks on their toys.
The carrier is very smartly designed. To “assemble", simply zip up the 2 sides and voila! A sturdy carrier/soft crate is born! One of the sides has a zippered mesh “door” in it, the other has a mesh window. Because of the way the crate is designed, it's surprisingly sturdy, even with the doors open, and somehow manages to maintain its shape and structure with a 14+lb cat running across the roof several times before deciding it would be a good place to settle in for a nap. (I'm mad at myself for not snapping any pics during the hour+she was snoozing up there!)
There's a second very large mesh “door" on the front that also features an optional “curtain” for privacy, and another “curtain” on the back. Both “curtains" and the large zippered door on the front can be rolled up and securely held open (the curtains are held up by Velcro, the door with a toggle).
All of the zippers have clips on one of the dual zippers, so even if your cat is typically an escape artist capable of opening zipped up doors, they won't be able to perform a vanishing act as long as you remember to snap the zips together.
There's a leash clip on the interior, along with an insert that adds firmness and stability to the base while also acting as a cushioned bed with removable & washable cover.
A big storage compartment lives on the exterior back of the carrier, secured with Velcro closures. It's big enough to hold travel bowls, leashes, a travel litter box (collapsed of course), etc.
There are even straps with buckles to keep the carrier compact and together for storage, which is something I haven't seen in other carriers or similarly sized playpens and like much more than the usual elastic (as a side note, I wish smaller carriers included some sort of buckle or even elastic to keep them closed and compact when not in use!).
There's a lot to like about this carrier, and I know I'm forgetting something!
I do wish there was a way to connect a hammock, which would make use of the height this carrier has, and would potentially even allow for 2 cats and a litter box in the carrier. If there is a way I haven't discovered it.
Other stuff… the carrier is big enough to be awkward to try to carry or to get in & out of a car, esp with a cat or two in it! I'm not sure this would be doable (for me) if I had to remove the carrier each night & return it to the car in the morning… Instead, the cats will be harnessed and I'll be leashing them in the big carriers before transferring to their small carriers to go into the hotel each evening, leaving the big carriers s...