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Petmate Kennel Cab
Easy-to-assemble and use makes this crate a good buy
| PRODUCT DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| product | kennel cab |
| type | crate/carrier |
| price | $25 to $75 |
| manufacturer | petmate |
| rating |  |
Petmate Kennel Cab: The way I judge ease of assembly is whether I can do it myself. When I was in high school, I took one of those aptitude tests and scored a 5 on spatial ability. Out of 100.
So usually when something arrives in pieces, my husband puts it together. But he was out of town when the Petmate Kennel Cab was delivered and I am notoriously impatient. I had it snapped together in minutes, without even looking at the directions. Oh, sure, the door was on backwards at first, but I recognized and remedied that pretty quickly.
The medium-size molded plastic unit is suited to cats, Pekingese, Shih Tzu and Toy Poodles. Young Cavalier puppies fit as well. A slot on the top for a seatbelt helps secure the kennel so it doesn’t slide around on the car seat. A small compartment on the top opens to reveal a small water dish that attaches to the door. It could also hold some small treats, a leash or the pet’s travel papers.
The finger hold for opening this compartment is difficult to grasp; I found it easier to pry it open from the back. A “moat” molded into the floor is supposed to divert spilled water or urine away from the dog. I’m not persuaded that the dog would actually stay dry, but I didn’t really have an opportunity to test that feature. Small, hard plastic eyelets at the top front and top back of the small and medium crates can be used to attach a shoulder strap or tiedowns.
A cushioned handle on the top allows for comfortable carrying. The best feature, for those of us who are starting to feel twinges of arthritis in our hands, is the pinch-style spring latch. I have a much older crate with this type of latch, and it’s very difficult to open compared with this one.
Call it: Easy assembly, an easy-open door and useful features earn it a good-buy rating.
Color: bleached linen with aloe green; also bleached linen with navy, olive, pomegranate or black.
Size: medium; also comes in small, intermediate and large.
Dimensions: 23” x 15.2” x 11.8”
The PetMate Kennel Cap retails for $33.99 and is available at retail pet supply outlets nationwide or on the company’s website: www.petmate.com or by calling 1-877-PETMATE (1-877-738-6283).
-- Kim Campbell Thornton
Comments
If you are going to be carrying your pet by the handle, please be sure to add cable ties to the fasteners. I picked up a new large one out of my van, one of the back fasteners was loose from the motion of the car in bad weather and roads. As I lifted it, it ALL “unzipped” dumping my small female Cavalier into the snowy parking lot at a college, and she took off running through the traffic. When I called Petmate, they suggested and sent me some cable or zip ties. Their tags should indicate this when you buy the crate. I was just lucky that my barely obedience trained young dog came back when I called and that no one hit her as she ran. Other than that, and that the top compartment latch broke early on, I like this crate and its seat belt grooves, too. The Vari Kennel—original traditional—is much safer.
2008-06-02 20:40:41
I just got the inter. size for my Molly. I learned the hard way that the moat is actually good for keeping my furbaby dry, but not a good place to keep the water bowl since it’s unstable. The bowls that attach to the door are a much better suit for this kennel.
2008-07-28 21:09:05