What can I use as a cat carrier if I dont have one?

Have you noticed lately just how expensive cat carriers can be?  How about how hard it is to load your furry friend into them?  I’ve noticed the same thing.  Luckily, I haven’t had to stuff a protesting feline into a cat carrier in years, and she even complains less when she’s in one!

Best of all, it cost less than ten dollars to make our safe, sturdy, easy to clean carrier.

Here’s what you’ll need.

1 large clear plastic storage tub, preferably with a latching top.

1 old towel.

1 drill with a 1-inch bit.

Sandpaper or round file (optional)

Sturdy cord (optional)

Directions:

First, decide where you’ll want your air holes.  We made a grid of holes on the top, and a row on both sides.  We left enough room between them so there was plenty of strength left in the plastic.  Take a look at the photo for reference.

Once you’ve decided where your holes should be, use your drill to bore them out.  You can just keep the lid latched on and drill from the outside into the storage tub.  The plastic is pretty soft so it’s not too difficult.

IF you would like, take the round-file, or sandpaper, and smooth the edges of the holes.

Shake out the bin to get rid of all plastic chips.

Put an old towel or pet blanket in the bottom of the tub.

You’ve got yourself a carrier!  If you’d like, you can thread rope through some of the holes in the sides of the carrier to make yourself a handle, so you only have to use one hand.  I didn’t do this but it’s definitely possible.

Benefits of this DIY carrier:

Your cat can see out.  Many of them actually like that.   My little girl certainly is calmer when she knows what’s going on around her, even if it happens to be big scary dogs at the vet’s office.   If your cat wants a cave, you could drape a towel over the top for privacy.

Low cost.  Even a good quality storage tote costs much less than even a badly made pet carrier.

Sturdiness.  I’ve used mine for a long time with very little sign of wear.

Built in pee-gutter.  Most bins are slightly deeper towards the edges, which helps keep your kitty’s feet dry.

Good ventilation.  All those holes let in a nice breeze.

Easy loading.  Just pick up your cat, gently lower the lid, make sure the tail is in, and snap it closed.  Much easier than having to lure/stuff/wrestle a struggling cat into a carrier.  Of course, if you have an end loader, you could use the old trick of putting it somewhere high and holding the cat so it has nowhere else to step, but this still seems easier.

And, you made it yourself!

If you would like to read some of my short stories, tips for writers and artists, as well as other things about cats, please join me at https://mind-flight.org!

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Rohvannyn

Rohvannyn Shaw, an Arizona artist and author, runs the blog Mindflight as well as her art site, Rohvannynshaw.com. Educated at the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Visual arts degree, she comes from a family of writers. She has edited several books, both fiction and non fiction, collaborated on two poetry chapbooks, and illustrates stories and poetry as a sideline. Her recent novel, The Dice of Fate, is available on Amazon.com. Her ebook, Quests of the Avatar, is available free on Mind-flight.org. Her new book of comedy, How to P!ss Off The Customers, is out now and available.

Even though it’s a good idea to invest in a sturdy cat carrier, there are times when cat owners find themselves in positions where they need to make do with what they have. Whether you can’t afford one or your trusty old cat carrier broke, there are a lot of simple DIY cat carrier plans that you can make in a short amount of time. Some of these projects will only require you to look around your house, but you may have to visit the store for others.

Either way, here are five simple cat carriers that you can make at home quickly and easily.

Top 5 DIY Cat Carriers to Make Today:

1. Easy Comfortable DIY Cat Carrier

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Materials:Large plastic tub with latching top, towelTools:Electric drill with a 1-inch drill bitDifficulty:Easy

If you’ve used a drill before, you can make this super simple DIY cat carrier. The best thing about this plan is that you likely already have everything you need at home. Find a large plastic bin with a latching top—preferably clear so that you can see your feline inside. Drill a fair number of air holes in the latching top, as well as in the sides of the tub. After that, lay a few old towels along the bottom so that your cat has a comfy place to lay. This keeps your cat secure inside while still allowing them plenty of oxygen to breathe and room to move around.

2. Laundry Basket Cat Carrier

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Materials:Two laundry baskets, bungee cablesTools:NoneDifficulty:Easy

This simple laundry basket cat carrier requires absolutely no tools to create, and, you likely already have everything you need at home. Find two laundry baskets, preferably one small and one large, and set the smaller one upside down inside the larger basket so it creates a box your cat can comfortably fit inside. After that, secure the laundry baskets with half a dozen or so bungee cables so they can’t escape. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

3. Plywood Pet Carrier

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Materials:Plywood, hinges, latch, rubber feed, screws, nails, furniture bolts, washers, nuts, lacquer, spray adhesive, wood putty, wood glueTools:Table saw, scroll saw, disc sander, router, drill, clamps, hammer, screwdriver, scissors, tape measureDifficulty:Hard

Those who are interested in actually making a real cat carrier from scratch need to look no further than this plywood cat carrier. This plan is a fair bit more challenging than the other DIY plans on this list, and you may spend some more money and time to make it. That said, it looks beautiful and is as solid as most of the other products sold on the market today.

4. Litter Container Cat Carrier

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Materials:Large, empty litter containerTools:ScissorsDifficulty:Easy

As long as you have a large litter container and scissors, this is probably one of the simplest plans for a homemade cat carrier. Simply cut a few holes in the container and lid and you have a cat carrier ready to go within minutes!

5. DIY T-Shirt Pet Sling

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Materials:Long sleeve shirtTools:ScissorsDifficulty:Easy

A pet sling might not be the most secure option, but it is a cute and effective way to get your cat from point A to point B. This cat sling is something that anyone could make, although we recommend only using it for short trips and for cats that aren’t too skittish. Follow the simple step-by-step instructions, and you’ll have a perfect-sized pet sling for small cats and dogs in under five minutes.

Conclusion

Sometimes, life requires you to improvise and work with the materials around you. Not everyone has access to high-quality cat carriers, so they’ll need to work with what they’ve got. Most of the DIY plans on this list are simple enough, but we threw in a more complex design for DIY-minded cat owners too!

Featured Image Credit: mkupiec, Pixabay

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