Port-A-Crate Indoor and Outdoor Home for Pets, 24-Inch

Went to a chain pet store to look for cat carriers for a long-distance car move, they were all too small or too expensive. I found these on Amazon at a significantly cheaper price than the ones I didn't even care for in the store. I figured I would take a chance. I totally lucked out. Not only were they a real bargain, they seem nice and sturdy, took only seconds to set up, and they solve the problem I've had with previous carriers: The soft-side carriers have a bar across the top that holds the carrier shape, they have always come undone, and then you have the concern of the pet being poked with the sharp metal bar that is loose inside the cage. This unit has two well-fitted bars on either side that not only have no sharp edges, but they fit in to each other with a plastic sleeve that pulls back over where they meet. They are lightweight, despite the larger size, so they will be easy to carry, and I'm confident they will hold up with even the larger cats (my big guys are almost 14lbs). Though I purchased for cats, the bone window on the side does make them look styled for dogs, and I'm sure they would work out great for small dogs. Beyond happy with this purchase. Once again, Amazon saves the day!!!

I have to say, I was nervous about what I was going to see when I opened the box... I thought at this price point, I would find something flimsy, and cheap. Boy, was I wrong. This Port-A-Crate is the same quality you will find in the national pet stores at about half the price. I went into Petco to find a carrier for my puppy... one that wasn't too expensive since he'd outgrow it in a month... and they were all between $60 and $100! This guy was less than $30, and is durable, easy to set up and the nature's miracle orthopedic bed fits perfectly! The front and top both open, and the front flap rolls up and can be velcroed to the top to keep the front door open. there is also a safety clip to ensure your furry little one can't open it on his own. the carrying handles are nice and sturdy, and on top of it all, assembly, and dis-assembly are both a snap. When you want to fold it up, the two bars inside the top are easily taken apart and the entire carrier lays flat, with two clips to keep it together. This carrier DOES NOT come with a padded bottom, so that does have to be purchased separately, but it is still such a great value, that I don't mind that. They even show you right on the screen which nature's miracle bed will fit your chosen carrier! You could of course use another bed in there, but the nature's miracle beds fit so snugly into the bottom, that it is kind of a no-brainer! This is my second Petnation carrier, and I have been totally happy with both! GREAT VALUE for GREAT QUALITY! You won't be disappointed!

PROS: Great carrier for the money! This is the second one I've purchased. (Last one purchased about 1-1/2 yrs. ago.) I have two cats, and after buying and liking the first one, I decided to get another one to replace a hard plastic carrier. While I'm not crazy about dog bone shapes for the side windows, it's no biggie. The crate is well made and I love the sturdy poles that support the shape. I moved a while back and had to pack my car with lots of stuff. I was able to stack some semi-heavy items on top of this crate without fear of it caving in and squishing my cat! So, all-in-all, I say 5-stars for the overall design, usability, etc. CONS (the reason for only 4 stars - though 1-star would be more appropriate right now): The smell!!! What's up Petnation?? The first crate had NO plastic or chemical-type order - as I mentioned, I purchased that crate about 1-1/2 yrs. ago. But yesterday, upon receipt of this crate, once I opened the box - oh baby! I put up the sides and let it sit in my dining room for about 5 minutes before the smell was starting to permeate the room. HONEST!! Yuck ... I immediately grabbed Febreeze spray and gave the interior a few spritzes. Just made things worse - the plastic-y smell mixed with Febreeze isn't too pleasant. So ... I put it out on the porch and even after it being outside overnight, I just brought it in and once it warmed up a bit (it's 20 degrees outside right now) ... YUCK! That dang smell is still there and obvious - it is filling up the room again with that unpleasant odor. So back outside it is and I guess as someone else posted, it will take a few more days of "fresh air" to get rid of the stink. Thank goodness I don't need to use this right away. There is absolutely NO WAY I'd stick an animal in there, nor would I want to constantly breathe in whatever noxious vapors are being released from this thing. Makes me wonder what change of material is in this crate versus the one I bought previously. If I can't get rid of this smell, the crate will be returned to Amazon. So be forewarned ... there IS A SMELL! Petnation is using a material or perhaps a fire-proofing or water-proofing treatment what must be causing this. I do wonder what it is. I also wonder if it is detrimental to be inhaling the emitted fumes OR to have an animal inside this carrier inhaling the fumes, even if the smell dissipates over time. UPDATE - Feb. 12, 2013: I am updating this review because of the SMELL issue! You all need to know that I had to leave the crate outside for over a week - every time I would bring it in and it warmed up a bit, that chemical smell was still there. For about the last 5 days it's been sitting in a spare bedroom, as I'm hoping warmer temperatures might help dissipate the odor. It's not as strong now, but if I put my nose at any opening in the crate and sniff - there is still that smell! :( I see a newer review since my original posting date, and the reviewer had to wash down their new crate with mild soapy water. I was thinking of trying that too, and I'll do it today. I don't feel right about my cat breathing those fumes - I wouldn't want to be confined in it for more than 1 minute, thus won't do it to my cat. If the smell still lingers, I really believe I will return it. Petnation ... you need to respond to let those of us of made recent purchases know what is causing this and why!!! (However highly doubt they will.)

I like it, the dog likes it, everybody's happy! Before I adopted, I wasn't sure what size dog I would get. But when someone offered me a ginormous ugly old plastic crate, I accepted. Then I got a yorkie. The crate was more like an apartment for her, but she loved it, so I lugged it around everywhere we went for over a year. I house sit and travel a lot, so it was really a pain. Then my Jeep was in an accident and I ended up getting a Scion xB. Great car, fantastic gas mileage, not a lot of room for a massive crate. This pup tent looked perfect, but I wasn't sure how well she would adjust, so I put off buying it for ages. So wish I'd purchased this sooner! First, it took about 30 seconds to assemble it. Here's a tip- don't try to connect the bars through the front door opening, you'll only end up frustrated. Put it flat on the floor, fold the short sides up, unzip the top opening, and reach in to grab the bars from there. SO MUCH easier. There are short bars on each side, the fold up along the long sides and meet in the middle with a coupling. Pull the coupling back, snap the bars together, let the coupling go. Ta-da, all done! To get her used to it, I placed it next to her regular crate, and for a couple days put treats inside it, leaving it open so she could wander in. Then I took the pillow from her old crate and put it in here. Instant love. The neutral colors make it look very nice even out in the living room, and it folds up flat for travel. (This is not a crate for transporting the animal in, it's just super easy to fold and go.) This is also not for a dog who is not already crate trained. If your pup will claw at the mesh, it will probably manage to break out pretty easily. Again for emphasis, this is not to contain an untrained pet. It is a comfortable spot for a reasonable well behaved and crate trained animal, who is used to being in a crate without kicking up a fuss. She sleeps in it every night, goes in of her own accord (most nights) and it's comforting for her to have the same sleeping area wherever we wander. My only wish is a way to put in a water dish, her old solid crate had a water dish on the metal door, I haven't yet figured out how to put any water dish in that won't get knocked over in the dark, and she does get thirsty overnight.

I bought this item last summer and posted it under a different listing: Two weeks ago we adopted a dog who is not crate trained. I decided to buy this crate just as a refuge and sort of indoor dog house. I live in a small house and did not like the idea of a traditonal crate sitting in my living room. I also did not want to be always taking her collar on and off because of using a wire crate. Being a new adoptee, there is too much risk of her darting out the door without her collar. Daisy would go into the crate to get treats that I threw in but she backed out just as quick. I wondered if I had got too small of a crate. I decided not to push it at this time but left it sitting next to the dog bed she uses sometimes. A day or 2 ago I unrolled the top, thinking she might be more comfortable with the increased openess. Just tonight she, all on her own, just walked into the crate, curled up, and went to sleep. She has been in and out of it several times now. It will be a while before I try shutting her in so I don't know if she will chew her way out. I feel the actual construction is very good. Dogs can chew out or damage zippers but that's because they have sharp teeth, not because of shoddy construction. I did find it slightly hard to pop the roofline bars into place while trying not to pinch my fingers. In my opinion it's not all that easy to pop up or down, but the function is there for when you need it. The Midwest Quiet Time Pet Bed size 24 by 18 fits perfectly inside the 24 by 16 by 16 version of the Port-A-Crate. Daisy weighs 13 pounds and is about the size of a large cat. The 24" crate seems to be a good size. She can definitely turn around in there and currently she is sleeping sideways inside. I really just want her to be able to use a crate when we travel and maybe have to leave her in a motel room for a little while. If the canvas doesn't work out, at least she's getting used to the idea of a crate and later we will have to get a wire one. NOTES FROM APRIL 2011: We keep the kennel open in a corner of the living room and Daisy likes to go in there and sleep. I no longer keep the top open but might when the weather is warm. We are working on shutting her inside for 20 or 30 minutes at a time so far, and she does not get frantic. I think I am going to get a Petmate type kennel for motels, however, so I don't have to worry about her clawing her way out while we are out of the room, swimming in the pool. All the bad reviews for this product are from way back and all pertain to receiving an item different from what was illustrated. The product I got was exactly as pictured. Receiving something different from the illustration is grounds for return under amazon policies. If the company doesn't make it good, amazon will. Perhaps they had the wrong illustration posted originally or maybe people just made mistakes, like not noticing that only certain sizes have a handle. This little dog house is just adorable.

My always frightened 12lbs dog absolutely loves this crate! After two, almost three years of owning this, we now call it her mobile home since any time she gets scared, she runs in there - no matter where we are. It's her home away from home. This is how I transport her in the car so that she's not all over the car (and me!) and since it's a little too short for her (she can't raise her head all the way while standing) it forces her to lay down. On long road trips, she curls up all the way in the back. As for the durability, this carrier is tough. She scratches to tell us she wants out and hasn't torn it yet. We've piled stuff on top of it while traveling and I've even sat on it (although I'm not a big person). There's a handy little strap on the back that we use to attach her leash and for longer trips, we attach a plastic bag containing her leash, bowls, and food. The handle on top makes it easy and comfortable to carry. As is common for scared dogs, she's thrown up in there and it was relatively easy to clean up. I don't think it leaked out. Sometimes she runs into her mobile home so hard, she pushes it back. Oh man, this thing is great at the vet!!!! I can put the carrier on the ground while I sign paperwork and not worry about her trying to run off or getting hurt by another animal. Plus, she loves it so much that she can hid in there until the vet needs to see her. Then, when she won't come out, I use the zippers at the top. The only cons are the velcro holder the front door open gets full of her hair so it doesn't look great. Also, the bottom is only fabric. At first, I didn't have anything in there so when I lifted it, I could see underneath where she was standing. I doubt that was very comfortable. I thought I would have to put a piece of plywood in there but I put a small flat crate cushion in there and now it's perfect! I recommend purchasing a cushion for this product. I would definitely recommend this fantastic carrier to anyone!!!!

I was against metal or plastic dog crates because I thought they were unattractive. I wanted a nicer looking crate, so I was pleased when I found this. I liked that the crate had the option to collapse if I ever wanted to put it away too. But if you are thinking of getting this because it's more attractive than other crates, don't. My five pound Italian Greyhound chewed through this in about a month. From day one, he was eating the threading on the inside, which is not covered at all. All the threads are left exposed. No matter how many times his nails were trimmed and filed, his scratching at the mesh front door snagged it terribly. Eventually, he chewed through the front mesh beyond repair, escaped from the crate while I was gone, and made a big mess. The downsides of this crate are: - It is not easy to clean up accidents at all. Because there is no liner or anything on the bottom, it is hard to clean around the metal poles that hold it up. I never felt like I got it cleaned very well after an accident. - Because it is fabric, the crate holds the smell of any accidents your dog may have. A plastic crate will not trap smells like fabric does. - There is no handle to carry it from the top. Why? There is a handle on the side, to carry the crate when it is folded up. It's basically useless without a way to carry it from the top, and it is very awkward to carry with your hands/arms because of its size. - The zipper on the front opening on my crate was sewn crooked and because of this, sometimes the zipper wouldn't zip properly. The teeth would get jammed up. - It seemed much cheaper in person than I realized. What I did like about this crate was... - It is light weight - It is attractive - The top opening was very convenient and most crates don't have this feature I know some reviews say that the crate is only good for crate trained dogs, and my dog is still a puppy. That aside, considering it is an object to contain an animal that you clearly do not want to escape, the product should be able to fulfill its purpose regardless of the animal's age. It's not my dog's fault that he had the ability to chew through the crate. He doesn't even chew anything else, so it was quite amazing that he did chew through the crate. I realize this product may work fine for some people's dogs, but it definitely did not work for mine. I need a crate that can contain my dog. I have a plastic crate now that my dog has never tried to scratch or show any attempt to get out of. He actually loves the plastic crate and hangs out in it, whereas he never hung out in the other crate. I have read that many dogs prefer plastic crates (the kind with the metal grate door) because it gives them a better sense of security. This is especially true of my dog. This crate had too many open windows and was not sturdy enough to give him that security. I hope this helps, and please think through whether this crate would be a good choice for your dog or not.

We have a 24" plastic dog carrier that is cracking so I bought this one for ease of travel. Unfortunately, it last 2 weeks before our dog (who is not a chewer or digger) ended up with her head through the front mesh. Boo! There are any pros to this product but unfortunately, it didn't last long. Pros: 1) ample size. This 24" unit has a much roomier interior than our other plastic carrier. 2) folds flat for easy transport in the car. 3) mesh sides and front allow for easy viewing of pup and lots of air flow. Also was easy to teach our dog to go in and out without front mesh door rolled up (like a flap door). 4) easy zip front door Cons: 1) mesh can easily rip or tear. Pup made holes within the first couple days of use. Two weeks after first use, heard noises, went to check on her and her head was sticking through a hole in the front mesh door! 2) if zipper is not locked, dog can escape. Our dog escaped in the first couple days. No further issues after locking with the clasp on the zipper. I really wanted this to work for us but I'm not sure if there is a good fix for the holes. My guess is it would be a constant battle of repair and holes.

Fantastic little kennel for travel. A breeze to assemble and no tools required. Sturdy construction. No dog should be left in a kennel unsupervised, and certainly not for a long period of time, therefore, no concerns with chewing, destroying or escaping. Speedy delivery. Reasonable price. Plan to buy another one.

Great quality. Perfect size for my mini dachshund. He loves it.

FABULOUS PRODUCT!! Our 'Shorkie' loves this - I purchased two lovely dog beds from LL Bean - & those are great for naps but she loves her Port-a-Crate for sleeping in at night, or when she needs security. Great item to travel with - we just throw all her toys and necessities inside and use it as a 'duffle bag'. The metal frame is nice and solid - it folds down if you need it to, though I doubt that will ever happen for us. Initially I figured it would get us through the house training period but I figure she will use this as her bed through her lifetime. We purchased a "Pet Dreams Plush Sleep-eez" mattress for it as it did not come with any padding.

Easy to put up and fold down. Perfect size for my papillon and my JRT. Well made. Would not leave a dog alone in a soft crate that is not 100% crate trained as a panicked dog would be able to rip his way out.

Great crate, fits two cats however we use it for one at a time. They sleep it in at home all the time and both of them cuddle up inside of it. Very sturdy, zippers work well and easy access on top too.