Cardboard Cat Carrier - Should you buy one?

Being a cat fosterer I can also be the go to cat person among friends and family.  So when a friend asked for help with a trip to the vets I was curious about the cardboard cat carrier she decided to buy.  I'd never seen them before and to be honest had my reservations about how safe they were.  I didn't want to offend and so we got her cat into the cardboard carrier and off we went.

The vet visit went fine and her cat was in good health but just thought it might be helpful to anyone considering a cardboard cat carrier what I thought were the  pros and cons below.  Alternatively an in- depth review and demo video version is available.

Pros

* Mostly are inexpensive a few pounds or so.  

* Top loading and quite easy to get your cat into.

* Well ventilated with lots of breathing holes at the top.

* Clearly signed that a pet is enclosed.

Cons

* Not very robust, I felt like I had to hold the bottom as well as the handle.

* Not scratch-proof, I noticed visible claw marks on the carrier bottom.

* Not waterproof which could weaken the box in rainy weather.

In summary a cardboard cat carrier has its purposes such as short infrequent journeys if you don't have a traditional carrier. And if it's just for a one off journey then probably a good buy.  However I felt the traditional cat carrier is a safer option and better investment if you transport cats more than one off single short journeys.