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The Mother Earth News website (see Resources) offers instructions for building a collapsible cat carrier out of cardboard. The design seems simple, but construction will require some facility and patience. The instructions call for a large cardboard box, 10 brass paper fasteners (1-1/4 inches long), a utility knife, a pencil, a ruler, a drafter's triangle, a carpenter's square, an awl, glue and a blunt-pointed tool. (You could use a flat-head screwdriver).
Download the illustrations from Mother Earth News and draw the outline on the cardboard. Solid lines indicate a cut, and dotted lines indicate a fold, so cut and fold as indicated. You'll end up with a carrier that can be folded flat for easy storage. - For a carrier that doesn't require any skill at drawing or following designs, you can modify an old duffel bag. Simply cut out sections in the sides and maybe the ends of the bag so the cat can breathe and sew on some mesh material to cover the holes you created. If you require some discretion, you can leave the cut-out sides attached at the bottom and attach Velcro and fold the sides and ends up and down as necessary.
- Why carry when you can push? Transform an old baby stroller into a purrambulator by rigging some mosquito netting (or similar material) over the front. Connect the netting to the top of the stroller and roll it up. When it's time to take the cat out, put him inside, roll down the netting, pull it taut and connect it to the bottom of the stroller.
- Older, inactive, overweight or otherwise docile cats might not need an enclosed carrier. If your cat is not a flight risk, a laundry basket with some cushioning in the bottom should work just fine.
