Sturdi Products

If you’re planning any length of travel or relocation with your cats or small dogs, this is a great store to browse first. Sure wish we’d known about it before moving our cats into a hotel with us during our home renovations. It would have greatly decreased the stress and hassle for all of us if they’d had their own mini-​homes during housekeeping, for example.
Sturdiproducts are, in a nutshell, kitty confinement systems. They sell carriers; pop-​up shelters (that’s what we have — bought it so the kitties can be with me outside when I am, with ample room to stretch out); accessories like portable litter boxes, food and water bowls, liners, and liner covers; modular travel units that enable each kitty to have their own space while on the road, and really cool pop-​up tents so kitties can be corralled if necessary (we use ours when we have construction people coming in and out and can’t risk the kitties getting loose through a door inadvertently left open. I know, we could just put them all in one room and close the door, but our fur-​kids like to be able to see who is in their house and help supervise.)
Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s a great site to browse. We were very happy with their customer service. The item we wanted wasn’t available in red, to go with our kitty stroller, so that was kind of a bummer. But they let me know quickly and offered me a choice of other colors instead of making that decision for us – very important when you’re spending $ 100.
The major drawbacks are: (1) the prices, and (2) the lack of rigidity on the bottom of the carriers and shelters. Unless there’s a sale, the prices are prohibitive. You have to take your kitty transport really seriously to spring for this stuff, and it helps to be a bit of a show-​off. The items look really cool and attract attention, unless you get the really neutral colors, and even then folks will comment on your cats living like royalty (um…they ARE royalty… who, by sheer force of cuteness, are indulged consistently, incessantly, and obsessively).
The shelters could use much more sturdy bottoms. That’s where we are turned off. When you pick it up with cats in it, the bottoms sag, like they’re being carried in a bag. We would have to spend more money to reinforce the bottom, and for such an expensive product, we expect that to be done for us. The manufacturer really misses the mark here. It’s one thing if the cats are going to be in one place for a while, but if you have to carry them into the vet, or your new home, or around the room, that becomes a problem. I don’t think it’s flimsy stitching, like the cats will fall out, but not having a rigid bottom makes it impossible for me to carry if it has more than one cat in it. All their weight goes to the middle, instead of the even distribution of a plastic or cardboard carrier (these are nylon).
So, a great store, but keep its limitations in mind. Unless, you are really handy with reinforcing the bottoms of nylon carriers — if so, could you come over and do ours? ;)