Sherpa Forma Frame Crash-Tested Travel Pet Carrier - Black, Extra Large

This is going to be the review of a lifetime, because i really tested this carrier to its limit! And I have some advice for people traveling extremely long ways on planes specifically with theirs pets if they’re in need of help! I recently moved from florida to germany and i of course needed to take my cat with me, so I got this carrier! Off the bat, i was shocked when my cat jumped into this carrier and took a nap VOLUNTARILY in it when it arrived! There are some photos of her in it, she’s about 13 pounds and average sized, couldn’t find any good photos of the carrier itself, looks exactly like the pictures though so hopefully the ones I provided will give you some more insight. The video is just showing what she looks like inside it. Our total trip was about 24 hours, from driving to Miami was 4 hours, the flight to Zurich swizterland was 9 hours, than the layover which was 4ish hours and our last flight was 1 hour and the drive home being another one. What I brought for my cat: health certificate needed to have for an animal in the EU, rabies vaccination, mircochip paperwork and paperwork my airline needed. Items I brought: pet safe wet wipes + wet wipes in general (for in case of accident), a pee pad, a travel litter box, lightweight litter with scooper, litter box liners, her medicine, portable water bowls, also don’t forget the collar, the harness and the lead! I actually only needed up using her medicine and water bowls other than her harness and everything but it felt good to be so prepared! ****Also huge huge tip from me: ask for a private room whenever you take your cat through security so they can come out of the carrier in a closed enviroment and the airline people can check the case that way, did not know this when i did the security and it was a bit embarrassing when my cat did not wanna out because of the loud noises and i held up the entire line🙈🙈**** I gave her no food the entire trip to avoid her having to go to the bathroom and cats can hold their pee in for 24-48 hours which is okay in emergency cases like this, only fed her when we got home,Just the medicine the doctor provided the morning of and of course as much water as possible! She did soo great, i also HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend the felineway calming spray and respray if you can every 4-5 hours. Expensive but worth every penny!!! She is a totally different kitty! onto the carrier! It worked great, it is totally sturdy and I love that there’s a hand held strap plus a on the shoulder strap. I never felt like it was going to break or that isn’t wasn’t made of solid material. It is a small carrier but my cat can turn herself completely around in the opposite direction in it, I added an extra reusable pee pad for more comfort (and velcroed it to the surface so it doesn't move around) and I have never had a problem flying Lufthansa with this carrier, it passes the inspection everytime. The only thing is that theres not many windows, there are on the sides and one in the front but in the future from the same company I might get one with more windows because I was worried, and when I stuck my hand in there multipe times throughout the flights and journey she felt a bit hot but I’ve read other cats on flights getting hot being in the cabin so normal probably, that is truly my only complaint and I would open her window up on both sides a bit and try to fan with her an actual fan whenever i felt she was a bit hot and give her water, if she didn’t want it I would put some of her paws and neck and mouth anyways, however I felt good about her being in so i think it is totally fine and my kitty did just fine! I took her out as much as possible, like in the car or during the layovers I took her to the family bathroom and let her run around. She was soo chill, no meows or anything which normally she is very energetic and vocal thank you felineway calming spray! So if you have any doubts, definitley buy this thing! Especially for long flights, or even just a car ride. Really good price too! GET THIS !!! :)) Edit: I have used this carrier about 6 six times with my cat flying internationally, and my cat has scratched the HELL out of the mesh multiple times and it has never broken!!! If your kitty gets unruly during flights or car rides, you do not have to fear that it will break because it defintely will not.

I’ve been waiting for this carrier for a long time. My dog and I travel frequently and we usually use the smaller Sherpa travel carrier. The small Sherpa is great for air travel, but too limited for car travel and regular use around the house. This is the answer. It’s large enough for my 13 pound dog to curl up and stand in, but still small enough she won’t get thrown around if the car brakes. I love that it’s crash tested. The frame is solid and it’s covered with loops for use with various seatbelts. The netting is also higher quality. It’s just about perfect, but the pad is a little insufficient. Not a huge deal, You can easily add a pad designed for a small crate. If you’re looking for a solution for the house or a car, this is great. I’d still recommend the small Sherpa for air travel because it fits under the seat. This definitely won’t. Also, if you’re looking for a Sherpa for air travel, I recommend the Sherpa delta bag, in particular. It allows the most room and it has an enclosed side that will protect your pets from the floor vents in the plane. I also own the roller bag, but it has much less headroom. In fact, I think it’s at least 2 inches shorter because of the wheels. It’s also heavy/awkward and 3x the price of the delta. One other recommendation for air travel - invest in a small, battery operated, hand fan. For whatever reason, it seems planes no longer run air conditioning at the gate. It gets hot on the floor - even if the bag is well ventilated. A small fan will spare your dog from overheating if there’s a delay. Trust me, it’s worth it to keep your pet safe/comfortable. Sherpa products are well-made, they don’t fall apart, and the materials don’t smell like cheap plastic (that tent smell I’ve noticed in other carriers). They’re more expensive, but you only buy them once. We’ve logged more trips than I can count with ours. With Sherpa, my dog has a little piece of home wherever we go. It really cuts down the stress of travel :)

I got the X-Large for my cat, and I wouldn’t want anything smaller. She’s not a big cat, either! She would be fine in a smaller carrier for a short trip or flying, but not for a long at ride. Also, the design of this carrier is really for dogs, or cats that are leash trained. Once it’s in the car, it’s not coming out easily without you climbing into the trunk each time. Because the hooks are fixed to the carrier, and at the bottom of the carrier, you also have big straps with heavy metal buckles swinging around while carrying it. It would be really awkward to carry the cat to and from the car in the carrier, and probably not great to install it with the cat in it, much less get the carrier out quickly and easily, especially in the case of an accident. I am giving it four stars because it is very well made, and easy to put together, just not right for my purposes! Really for dogs, not cats.

My kitty didn’t hate going in. It’s fairly light to carry. Fits a 12 lb cat perfectly! Good quality.

***UPDATE*** I contacted the company about the smell of my crate. They said it should not smell and sent me a replacement crate. The new crate has no smell at all! Very happy with the company and my new crate! We got this for our new Havanese puppy who was 4 lbs at the time and will be about 11 lbs full grown. The large size crate will be a perfect size for him when he's full grown. We love that this carrier is crash tested and buckles into the latch system in our car. We really only have two complaints. 1. Boy does it smell. We wiped it down and washed the pad after getting it. That didn't help. Almost a month later, it still smells just as strong. It's a chemical smell and has made the car also stink. 2. The top buckle is crazy hard to adjust. With all of the good carseat belt designs out there, I was surprised at how bad this one is. It took me 10 mins to get it adjusted for my car. When mt husband decided to move the seat to his car, he spent another 10 minutes readjusting it. We're had hoped to be able to switch this carrier between cars, but that might not happen simply because if the belt design.

Roomy, easy transport. Large enough for a 7hr car ride for my adult cat. Has three straps to secure to car seat hooks. Zipper easy to use. Only complaint bottom bedding in side slides around. Had to place with own blanket.

Heavily used/filthy. Felt like it had been peed on. Visible dried fluid spots. Covered in hair, dirt, and bark.

I have a small 15 lb mini labradoodle that has always ridden inside her Sherpa carrier. However, she recently had an issue with her neck and I wanted her to be safe but not cramped in the car. This is the perfect carrier for safety since it connects via the same hooks used for child car seats. It is comfortable because it has a high enough top and more room so she can sit, stand or lie down without having to strain her neck. Very happy to have found this.

Very very expensive but I’m hoping that it will be worth it if ever needed. Want to get another one but can’t justify the cost. So far so good, no issues with it. Quite sturdy and robust.

It’s collapsible for easy storage, it’s sturdy and a nice fit for my mini-schnauzer. The mat provided slides which can alarm her, so I prefer to use a thick blanket. All in, happy with my purchase. I do wish that wheels could be attached!

An excellent design, lightweight, and easy to carry. Unfortunately, the medium size was a bit small for my 4kg cat so I use it now for other purposes.

I am impressed with this carrier. It arrived quickly and I am training my dog to use it before a plane ride this summer. I am wondering, however, how well it will fit under the seat in front of me, on the plane. Luckily, you can collapse the roof a bit, which should allow it to fit more easily. Fingers crossed.

Super happy with this! I bought it for my cat- I love the fact it’s crash tested. Decided on the XL and was very happy. Sturdy and good quality materials and the perfect size. I will be driving for about 2 days this Christmas, so it was important to me that it was big enough for her to be comfy. 20 second setup and can be folded flat for easy storage. Would highly recommend!