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- Mr. Peanut's Platinum Series Double Expandable Airline-Approved Tote is a versatile, comfortable pet carrier made for easy
travel and storage. - This pet carrier expands to nearly three times the size of an average carrier and has several useful features including soft fleece mats, luggage and seat belt straps, an exterior pocket, and a padded handle.
- Mr. Peanut's is a PETA-certified ethical company that donates a portion of its profits to animal rescue organizations.
My cat Osito hates to be in a
When it came time to select a new cat carrier, I drew from my decade of experience as a professional dog trainer. To desensitize Osito to the space he historically abhorred, I planned to leave it accessible in the family room so that he could explore on his own. Treats and catnip were on hand to help him form positive associations with the carrier.
Since I was looking for the carrier in which Osito would feel most comfortable, instead of giving him just one option, I offered him half a dozen options that companies sent us to test and rotated them from spot to spot so that he didn't make a choice based on location alone.
Over the next several days, Osito investigated the carriers. Inside them, he ate their treats, curled up for midday naps, and hid from the vacuum-monster. But soon I began to notice that Osito did not treat each carrier equally. Time and time again, he chose one over all the others: the Mr. Peanut's Platinum Series Double Expandable Airline-Approved Tote. When, for some inexplicable reason, he chose to sleep on top of it one night, I knew we had found our match.
The funny thing was, the carrier Osito had selected as his favorite? It was mine, too.
Design and what's it's like to use
I was looking for two things in Osito's new cat carrier: versatility and comfort. While I most often use a carrier for taking my 11-year-old black fluff to the vet, we occasionally have a reason to travel on longer car rides and I worry whether he's got enough space to stretch out.
Mr. Peanut's Platinum Series Double Expandable Tote initially caught my attention because it almost triples in size when the mesh atriums on either side of the carrier are unzipped, from 18 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 11 inches high to 18 inches wide, 25 inches wide, and 11 inches high. A removable layer of soft faux fleece mats fold out, too, extending the cozy bolster in the main section — a nice touch which is, unfortunately, hand-wash only.
When not in use, the expandable mesh pouches fold up flat and their fleece mats lift up to form the carrier's interior walls. In its compacted form, the Platinum Series fits airline dimensions for under-seat storage, and there's no risk that those zippers will be undone to release the expandable sections. Once zipped, they are automatically "locked" from the inside (i.e., neither sharp teeth or claws will be able to release them). Zippered mesh panels covering the top and front of the carrier can be opened for loading or unloading your pet, and a third mesh window provides ventilation at the back of the carrier.
The exterior of the carrier has a handful of features to make travel with your pet more convenient. A wide band on one side of the carrier fits over the handle of a rolling suitcase, while on the other side, two straps clip together for easy attachment to a car seat belt. A shoulder strap hooks to the carrier with heavy-duty metal clips and hand-carry handles velcro together with a padded grip. There is also a zipper pocket at the back for holding dog essentials. Once you're back at home, if you don't plan to keep your carrier out after use, Mr. Peanut's Platinum Series — like all Mr. Peanut's carriers — folds down flat for easy storage inside a black nylon drawstring bag.
Maybe the best thing about the Platinum Series Expandable Tote, though, is that it actually looks polished and stylish. The hand-sewn durable composite nylon carrier comes in two shades of heathered grey (snowflake or twilight) and is accented with sophisticated faux leather piping. A removable faux leather luggage tag velcros to the handle. In case you disagree, each carrier comes with a satisfaction guarantee and two-year warranty.
What makes it stand out
In addition to producing versatile, comfortable, well-crafted pet carriers, as a company, Mr. Peanut's goes above and beyond. A small, family-owned business in Henderson, Nevada, Mr. Peanut's carefully sources only cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, and ethically produced materials for their products. For their efforts, they've been rewarded with PETA certification as a cruelty-free brand.
Just as important is Mr. Peanut's Pay a Shelter Pet Forward Program through which the company donates a percentage of their profits and products to animal welfare organizations, animal shelters, and rescues. While Osito has most likely forgotten what it's like to be in an animal shelter, I love knowing that the products I buy my pampered cat will do some good for those
The bottom line
By choosing the Mr. Peanut's Platinum Series Double Expandable Tote out of a half-dozen pet carriers, my cat Osito confirmed that this handsome, versatile product was comfortable, too. With nearly triple the space of a regular carrier when fully expanded, the Platinum Series also zips up into airline-approved dimensions and folds down flat for storage. This carrier is durable, hard-working and cruelty-free.
Pros: Versatile and comfortable pet carrier that holds up to car and airline travel while looking polished, expands to nearly three times the size of a regular carrier, cruelty-free brand, comes with a two-year warranty, donates profits to animal rescue organizations
Cons: Interior mats and exterior nylon case are hand-wash only