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Cat-in-the-bag promotes stress-free travels

By Jeanne Starmack Inventor of the Cat-in-the-bag Cozy Comfort Carrier Gremlin was a typical cat with an independent streak matched by his determination to get his own way. A former stray, he had wandered into our yard. Our daughter was smitten – as for my husband and me, we had never owned a cat. We thought we were dog people. But our daughter begged, and suddenly we were thrust into cat ownership. We grew to love him, of course, but because we had never cared for a cat, we were in for some surprises. The first vet trip was no exception. I picked up Gremlin and tried to put him in a cardboard box. I closed the lid and started toward the car. The lid flew open, and Gremlin flew under the tool shed. I couldn't coax him out. Vet trip, canceled. Neighbour, amused. She told me that I would have to purchase a crate carrier for him. That’s how cats are transported, she said. I dutifully went to the big-box store and bought a plastic crate with holes in the sides and a metal grill across the door. We set up another vet visit, and we tried again. Gremlin quickly thrashed and scratched himself away from me. With help from my husband, he was finally crated. I held the crate steady while he shoved our clearly unhappy cat into it. While inside it, Gremlin rubbed the fur off his nose on the metal grill. The vet gave us an antibiotic cream, and the vet tech gave the fear-free advice that was most prevalent back then. Next time, she said, bring him to his appointment in a pillowcase. I was perplexed. How would that help, I wondered, when he would still be confined? It seemed likely to me that he just didn’t like being closed up. And who would, especially an animal with no idea that he’ll ever get back out? I thought about gathering the pillowcase around his neck somehow, so he could keep his head free and not feel the confinement. The looseness of the pillowcase, I realised, would indeed make it easier to work with than the crate. Then the idea for what would eventually become the Cat-in-the-bag Cozy Comfort Carrier came into my head. Two decades later, our bag-style cat carrier has evolved from an idea based on a pillowcase to a secure carrier that is engineered especially with cats in mind. The square, loose bag is still easier to work with, and it’s designed to be very roomy so your cat can move and stretch. An adjustable collar now fits snugly enough to keep the cat from getting loose, and with his head out, he doesn’t feel the confinement that scares so many cats about carriers that close them completely in. The bag is made from a heavier, tightly woven cotton. Air moves through the fabric, but the tight weave resists scratches and snags from claws.

On the back of the bag is a padded handle that can be used as a shoulder strap. Under the handle is a shorter loop that functions as a seat-belt pass-through so your cat stays securely on the car seat.

If your cat has a history of accidents in the car when traveling, we recommend using our

Acci-don'ts. They are absorbent, disposable liners that adhere to the bottom side of the bag -- the side the cat sits or lays on while in the car.

Over those decades since that vet tech’s advice, the fear-free movement has also evolved. Vets, vet techs and groomers are now encouraging new ways to help ease the stress for cats who fear their carriers and don’t travel well.

We’ve heard from plenty of customers over the years who’ve said our carrier has made all the difference on vet trips and on long car trips. Their cats no longer get sick or have accidents in the car. Their cats aren’t pulling out claws or injuring their noses trying to get free. Picture after picture shows their cats dozing on car seats, sitting calmly or gazing around with curiosity.

When you aren’t traveling, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself needing help when caring for your cat at home. Medicating and teeth-brushing are much easier with the Cat-in-the-bag. There are also ports on the shoulders of the bag that allow access for front-feet trimming. Back feet are accessed through the bottom zipper.

We believe the vast majority of cats respond well to our Cat-in-the-bag Cozy Comfort Carrier. If you were unsatisfied for any reason or felt you couldn’t use it, you could simply return it. Find it in our three most popular colours -- cobalt, lavender and light blue, on Amazon.au.

Find it in all eight colours including red, green charcoal, caramel and pink on our website,

cat-in-the-bag.com. Gremlin is no longer with us, but there have been eight other cats with us through the years who became important members of our family – and our company, traveling with us to cat shows and pet expos. We’ve never crated them, and they and the countless other cats our Cozy Comfort Carrier has helped have Gremlin to thank.


Cat-in-the-bag Cozy Comfort Carrier is also available in amazon.au in Australia. Ordering via amazon.au , dramatically cuts down the length of time a customer has to wait for an order. It also eliminates any surprise customs fees the customer would have to pay. We only have three colours available on amazon.au, but they are our most popular colours.


Cat in the bag tutorial


Cat in the bag vet visit


Jax, in light blue, and Scout were always nervous travellers, their owner Dana said:

She is happy that they travel much better now.


The Cat-in-the-bag is helpful when medicating


Amanda set out from Phoenix, Arizona, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her cat Archer in a crate carrier. He was extremely fussy, and the 2.343-mile 35-hour trip ahead seemed like it was going to be unbearable for him. Then Amanda and her mom, who was helping her move, remembered they had a Cat-in-the-bag carrier with them. They transferred Archer to it, and it made all the difference. Archer was calm and enjoyed cuddles.

Dr. Pamela Holmes, a vet from Texas in the United States, examines Zoe. Zoe's mom, Amber, takes all her cats to the vet's in Cat-in-the-bag carriers. Many vets leave the cat in the bag during the exam, as Dr. Holmes has done here.



Cat-in-the-bag Cozy Comfort Carrier is also available in amazon.au in Australia.




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