Catit sent me a free carrier in exchange for this review. So far, I’ve used it once to take Violet to the vet.
What surprised me the most about the Catit Cabrio Cat Carrier is that it’s made entirely of plastic, including all the hinges.
I was skeptical before putting it together that it might be cheap plastic that would not hold together. However, it seems strong and just fine once assembled.
I could not figure out any way that the hinges would fail. The molded plastic parts are a unique design that works.
Links to Amazon in this post are affiliate links.
Here’s my video review:
Assembling the Cat Carrier
The carrier is NOT assembled when you receive it in the box.
The instructions include pictures of each step. You have to line up the parts and snap them together.
I read some reviews where people struggled with this. I took my time and didn’t have any issues.
There are pictures of each step that are easy to follow. It probably took me less than 15 minutes to put it together (I forgot to keep track of the time).
Inside the Cat Carrier
The cat carrier seemed spacious enough for Violet. Violet weighed around 7.5 pounds at her vet visit.
The length of the carrier is shorter than some of my other cat carriers. The inside height is a little higher, giving the cat more room to sit up.
The product dimensions on the carrier’s Amazon page are 20″L x 13″W x 13.75″H.
I weighed the carrier once it was assembled, and it was about 5.5 lbs without the strap.
The upper portion of the door is a clear, solid plastic piece. When Violet came to the door the first time, it felt like she was going to escape as if there was no door! I’m so used to carriers with the metal grate for the door.
I could see the condensation from her breath when she meowed while looking out.
Top Loading Feature
The top of the carrier opens, which is great when at the vet and your cat doesn’t want to come out of the carrier for the exam.
The handle has two clips that secure it on top of the carrier. They can be unclipped so the carrier can open from the top.
You could also load your cat into the carrier from the top. As I described in the video, the time to close the carrier quickly may be too long for escape artist cats.
I felt like I could not quickly close it and secure the handle if the cat I put in was going to try to jump out immediately.
I thought maybe a very strong, upset big cat could bust out the front door, but my vet thought it seemed secure.
A handle on the door needs to be used to open and close the door. So, it takes a bit of coordination to close the door quickly. I also talk about this in the video.
Features for Traveling
The carrier comes with food and water dishes that snap into the door. It’s a nice feature for those who need to feed their cat while it’s in the carrier.
You could also open the slot and remove the dishes to touch your cat while it’s in the carrier to try to comfort them.
The dishes are removable if you don’t want them in there. A small kitten could probably escape through the open slot.
The bowls are small and will probably cause whisker fatigue. However, for traveling, there probably isn’t much you can do about small dish size.
I haven’t traveled long distances with cats in carriers. One time, I drove 4 hours to deliver a kitten, but I didn’t put food or water in the cat carrier.
I have no experience with flying with cats. This cat carrier has two places where it can be secured with padlocks.
A lock can be used to secure the door and also on top where the handle comes together.
The carrier comes with a shoulder strap, which I didn’t use.
Another great feature is that the carrier can be buckled in using a seatbelt in a vehicle.
The carrier didn’t slide around at all when using the seatbelt. I was impressed and felt that Violet would be safe if we were in a car accident.
Catit Cabrio Cat Carrier
Overall, I like this cat carrier. The plastic design is sturdier than it looks.
I didn’t have any problems snapping the carrier together. I read some reviews where others struggled.
The carrier was spacious for my small 7.5 pound cat. The description says it will hold cats up to 25 pounds. It may feel too small for a very large cat.
You can read more reviews and decide if you want to get this carrier. I read reviews on Amazon and directly on the Catit website. It may also be worth comparing prices, as the carrier was for sale on the Catit site the day I wrote this review.
Read Next: 5 Ways to Give Your Cat Vertical Space
Heidi Bender is the writer and founder of the Joy of Cats. She enjoys sharing cat information and providing helpful cat tips. She considers herself a cat lady and currently cares for eight cats.