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Petmate Vari-Kennel Ultra
A great crate for car and plane travel
| PRODUCT DETAILS |
|
|---|---|
| product | vari-kennel ultra |
| type | crate/carrier |
| price | $75 to $150 |
| manufacturer | petmate |
| rating |  |
Petmate Vari-Kennel Ultra: Like its smaller sibling the Petmate Kennel Cab (reviewed here), the molded plastic Petmate Vari-Kennel Ultra comes with convenient features that include special holes on each corner so the crate can be secured with tie-down straps, ventilation on all four sides — required by the International Animal Travel Association and the United States Department of Agriculture — a “moat” molded into the floor to divert urine or spilled water, and a carrying handle on top. An ID sticker label ensures that your dog is easily identifiable.
Although I liked the ease of snapping together the aforementioned Kennel Cab, I like even better that this crate is held together with noncorrosive plastic wing nuts. If I were shipping a pet, it would give me a greater feeling of security knowing that the crate’s two halves were bolted together.
Given the instances of dogs escaping from their crates at airports, the Vari-Kennel Ultra comes with a welcome security element: holes molded into the door’s perimeter, allowing a plastic “zip tie” to be threaded through and latched. Once the zip tie is removed, the easy-squeeze latch makes the door, well, easy to open.
To move the crate smoothly through the airport, purchase the wheel-accessory kit with easy-to-install mounting brackets, a strap for pulling the crate, and a quick-disconnect lever for removing the wheels before the crate is loaded on the plane.
If “green” living is important to you, the Vari Kennel Ultra is made with 25 percent recycled content. And if you’d like your dog’s crate to match your luggage, Petmate has thought of that, too. The top half of the two-tone Vari-Kennel Ultra is bleached linen — more commonly known as off-white — and the bottom half can be brushed nickel, pomegranate, black or navy blue. It’s also available in bleached linen only.
Sizes are small, medium, intermediate and large. The size tested was medium (28” x 20.5” x 21.5”).
Call it: Safety and style come together in a sturdy carrier.
The PetMate Vari Kennel Cab Ultra retails for $79.99-$149.99 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
