Petmate Two Door Top Load Kennel

The Petmate Two Door Top Load Kennel, sold by Petmate as the E-Z Load Two Door Dog and Cat Kennel, is a hard plastic carrier with a steel wire front door and a steel wire top door. It comes in a 19 inch and a 24 inch size.

Who it suits

Cat owners who mostly need a carrier for vet visits and car trips, and who want to lower a reluctant cat in from the top instead of pushing them through a front door. It is not an in-cabin airline carrier.

Key facts

• Made for pets from 5 to 15 lbs (Petmate)
• Interior 16.75 x 11 x 9.25 in (19 inch) and 21 x 14.5 x 13.5 in (24 inch) (Petmate)
• Top door and front door, heavy duty plastic and steel wire (Petmate)
• Made in the USA from plastic with at least 90% pre-consumer recycled material; other parts imported (Petmate)

What reviewers say

Cats.com named it the best hard cat carrier. The tester liked the two entrances, the squeeze latches and the top door, which is wide enough to reach in with both hands, and noted that the halves are held together with wing nuts and bolts and went together without tools. The review also says it is not crash tested, does not fit in-cabin limits on most airlines (cargo only), has no attachments to secure it in a car, and that plastic can shatter in a crash.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Top door makes loading a cat easier
• Pro: Hard shell is easy to wipe clean
• Pro: Halves bolt together with wing nuts
• Con: Not crash tested
• Con: Too big for in-cabin airline travel
• Con: Bulky to store

Cautions

• Carry it with a hand under the base, not only by the handle.
• In the car, set it on the floor behind a front seat; feline vets advise against seat belting a carrier that is not crash test certified.
• Check the wing nuts and both latches before every trip.