Tuesday, June 16, 2015

A Cat-carrier From Before There Were Cat-carriers



The rescue-group to which I belong, the Lethbridge PAW Society, held its annual garage sale last week. I volunteered for a few hours, which gives me the opportunity to scrutinise the items for sale. I noticed this article and decided to buy it.


It’s a cat-carrier, and was, according to the explanation of the woman who donated it, hand-made, home-made, by her father, before cat-carriers were common. It is made of wood, varnished, and is not much heavier than the plastic carriers available these days. I think the fellow should have gone into making large numbers of them; he probably would have become rich.


The front has a door with a heavy metal grid, something repeated on the window at the rear. The door may be locked by turning the little latch.



The only disadvantage to it is that the door is a little too small through which to pull a reluctant cat at the veterinary hospital. I suspect anyone reading this has had to perform that operation. But for transporting a cat to and from places at which he feels comfortable, or for stowing a cat out of harm’s way for a while, it is excellent.


As well, I thought a well-crafted item such as this deserved to be preserved, and by a cat-fancier.

15 comments:

  1. that is a very nice carrier; and well constructed. he could have made a small fortune; add a customization with the pet's name....small rug or blanket along the base....and yes the door is somewhat small, though maybe cats; like people....were "smaller' back then !! ☺

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  2. That's a pretty neat find! Will you use it for a cat cave or will you repurpose it? I wonder if someone will suggest something creative that could be done with it, not necessarily cat-related. :-)

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  3. Some cats wouldn't fit through the door calm or upset!
    I'm not incriminating Quinn. Honestly. She's listening.
    Carol

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  4. What a wonderful cat carrier! Indeed I think it would be amazing if he could have taught people how to make this. Good that you are preserving it.

    Thank you for the supportive comment about my Panther going to the Rainbow Bridge.

    Debby
    homelesscatcare.blogspot.com

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  5. That is incredible! It's wonderful that you've purchased to ensure it is kept safe and appreciated.

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  6. My vet is expert at removing a reluctant cat. Just tip the carrier and they slide out.

    julie

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  7. I would have bought the carrier too. I love how the top is perfectly curved. Is the top wood? It would look lovely fireside.

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    1. All of it is wood except for the metal gratings. It's quite a piece of workmanship.

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  8. That is a very rare find! What an ingenious woodworker!

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  9. What a beautiful cat carrier. It is like a piece of sculpture. The craftsman must have loved cats. My Jessie's carrier has a zipper that goes all the way around so the vet only has to completely unzip it and poor Jessie is exposed! From Eileen and Jessica

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    1. I should get one of those for Cammie; I usually take her in a carrier of which the top can be removed, but it is fixed with screws. Then again, Cammie has become so much better at handling tough situations, it wasn't bad at all the last time.

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  10. That is a nice carrier- good find :)

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  11. That is quite a find. But I have to agree, it might be hard to get a reluctant cat out of it and many of mine are reluctant. Bet the cats would love to hang out in it with the door open.

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  12. I have a small collection now of old cat carriers.. and that one is absolutely lovely

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  13. cute :)
    http://shilpachandrasekheran.blogspot.ae/

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