Product: Sleepypod
What It Is: combination pet bed and carrier
Manufacturer: Sleepypod
CatTipper Review: As our regular readers know, John and I were travel writers for years. We still do some guidebook writing but not at the pace we did for many years when we spent much of our time living out of a suitcase.
So we know luggage! We’ve hauled our luggage around the globe and know what we love and hate about luggage.
With that background, we jumped at the chance to test what’s probably one of the most recognized pieces of pet luggage: the Sleepypod. This stylish pet carrier for small pets (under 15 pounds) has a distinctive dome-shaped top with mesh to provide the pet a view as you travel.
But the distinctive touches don’t end there. The top unzips to allow you to place your cat in through the top; you can then tuck the top panels back to leave it open so your cat can go in and out:
It’s a great way to get your cat accustomed to the carrier; by leaving it unzipped, you can add some catnip and toys to the carrier and make it *the* place to hang out!
You can also completely remove the dome from the base of the carrier; just unzip to reveal the bed base:
The carrier comes with a plush bed. There’s also an optional Warmer Pad which would be great for senior cats during the winter and an Air Mesh bed for summer. You can also buy replacement plush beds; the bed zips out for cleaning.
We love the feel of the Sleepypod; like long-lasting luggage, the materials are made to last. The zippers have a substantial feel and the plush bed is, well, plush! The shoulder strap is padded and adjustable.
The Sleepypod has been crash tested; it is designed to use with your seat belt, slipping the shoulder belt under the carrying handle before closing it with its heavy-duty Velcro fastener. The lap belt fits around the bed portion of the Sleepypod, securing the unit when you travel by car.
If there’s any drawback to the Sleepypod for us, it’s probably the top opening. When we first saw the Sleepypod, we though the top opened similar to a convertible, exposing most of the bed. It doesn’t; the unit unzips and tucks back but doesn’t leave a large space for your cat to come and go. Smaller cats would probably love the opening but, for larger cats, it can be a bit of a squeeze. The unit is designed to hold cats (or dogs) up to 15 pounds so it won’t work for the largest felines.
In all, though, we give the Sleepypod a big thumbs up! Training your cat to love his carrier doesn’t just help de-stress your cat, it helps de-stress you as well. And offering a safe way to secure the carrier in the car makes this mobile pet bed a real winner.
Price: The Sleepypod sells for $199.99 on the Sleepypod site.
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Disclosure: We received a Sleepypod for review; we were not paid for our review and all statements and opinions are our own.
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