The best cat carriers for big cats

The PetLuv's open top helps at both ends of the trip. At home you can lower your cat in from above. At the vet, with the top and all three sides unzipped, the vet can reach your cat without tipping them out. AAHA lists a top that opens as one thing a good carrier needs, because it gives the vet easy access.

It's a soft bag on a light metal frame, rated for pets up to 45 pounds, and it weighs 7.5 pounds itself. The mesh windows roll up, and solid shades come down if your cat settles better in the dark. The zippers lock, there are loops for a car seat belt, and the 2-inch pillow comes out for the wash. Between vet trips, it folds flat.

The bag is 24 by 16 by 16 inches, and the chart doesn't say whether that's inside or outside. We treat it as outside, so the Fit Finder allows for the frame and fabric. That leaves room to turn for a cat up to 19 inches from nose to tail base. The chart gives no inside height, so you can't tell how much space your cat will have above their head. A cat longer than 19 inches from nose to tail base, up to 21.25 inches, needs the Ultra Vari.

Length is where the Ultra Vari pulls ahead. Inside, the 28-inch size is 24.25 inches long and 19.5 inches tall. That leaves room to turn for a cat up to 21.25 inches from nose to tail base, more than the PetLuv allows. A cat who stands up to about 16.5 inches tall still has 3 inches of space above their head.

It's the plain plastic kennel you've probably seen at the vet, with metal vents down both sides. The door has a squeeze latch, which you pinch to open instead of pushing. A channel around the floor, called a moat, keeps your cat dry if there's an accident on the way.

All that room makes it heavy: it's 12.33 pounds empty, so with a big cat inside, you'll want both hands. It's rated for pets of 25 to 30 pounds, but for a long cat, length decides whether there's room to turn. There's only a front door, so for a cat who won't walk in, the PetLuv's open top is easier.

This is a lighter Petmate kennel than the Ultra Vari, here in the 24-inch size. At about 5 pounds empty, it's the lightest of the three to carry, and the top handle is also made for securing it in the car. The door has holes for zip ties, so you can fasten it shut for the drive. A channel around the floor, the same moat the Ultra Vari has, keeps your cat dry if there's an accident.

Inside, it's 21.5 inches long, 15 wide and 13.5 tall, and it's rated for pets of 10 to 20 pounds. That leaves room to turn for a cat up to 18.5 inches from nose to tail base. Height matters too: a cat who stands about 10.5 inches tall or less, measured to the highest point of their head, still has 3 inches of space above them.

It only opens at the front, so a cat who won't walk in is easier in the PetLuv, which also folds flat once you're home. A cat longer than 18.5 inches, taller than about 10.5 inches or over 20 pounds needs more room than this. If that cat is up to 21.25 inches long, the Ultra Vari has space to turn.