I Moved My Cats 1,300 Miles Across the Country and This Diggs Pet Carrier Was a Godsend

• Appearance: 20/20
• Durability: 20/20
• Features: 19/20
• Fit: 16/20
• Value: 18/20

TOTAL: 93/100

Fact: Nothing is less fun than moving two cats 1,300 miles by car. Having made the trek from Muskegon, Michigan, to New Port Richey, Florida, this winter, I can confirm that the meowing, puking and yes, even misdirected peeing is not something that I (nor my two felines), wish to do again anytime soon. However, thanks to some careful planning and product preparation, I can also say it’s a fact that things could have been worse—much worse. In addition to lining the back of our rented Chevy Suburban with a mattress topper, blankets and pillows galore, we tossed our old, junky pet carrier in favor of a shiny new Diggs pet carrier (from $185), which eased a whole lot of stress.

The Diggs passenger travel pet carrier is a state-of-the-art, soft-shell carrier for dogs and cats up to 18 pounds. According to the company, it’s the first of its kind to be designed with pet accidents in mind. It also meets most airline requirements for carry-on pet travel, though Diggs recommends checking with your individual airline before your trip to ensure this point.

From the moment I took this little beauty out of the packaging, I was thoroughly impressed: This thing is luxe. So luxe, I’d say it’s nicer than half of my purse collection! Every detail has been designed with function in mind, from the padded shoulder strap that’s actually comfortable (all the better to carry your precious cargo) to the attached key clip (because in an emergency, there’s no time to worry about dropping them).

More importantly, it has your furry friend’s total comfort and safety in mind. The top zips open for a quick peekaboo and a pet if they’re feeling anxious. There’s also a custom seat belt and buckle straps attached, which earned the company the highest safety score available when tested by the Center for Pet Safety.

The inside of the carrier is no less fancy. In addition to the built-in padded bottom, which one of our cats actually sought out mid-ride, it’s also designed to perfectly fit the brand’s pee pads ($18) in case of an accident. I can’t fully speak to this aspect: I removed the included set prior to our departure, as cats don’t tend to use pee pads (or at least, ours don’t). I sorely regretted that decision right around the time our smaller nugget chose to use her cat bed as a bathroom to avoid getting too close to our other cat, who had parked himself near the litter box we had set up for them.

While I’m not convinced the pads would have actually worked the way they were intended had I kept them in the carrier (there’s not really enough space for an animal to comfortably do their business on them, particularly if the animal is on the larger side), I still think it’s a nice option to have as a backup in the case of a very scared, sick or elderly animal who might not be able to control themselves.

My favorite feature of the carrier, however, was simply the mesh material used for the openings at the top, front and sides. One of our cats hates being in a carrier so much, he repeatedly bangs his head against the metal doors of other models. While he still attempted to headbutt this one, he found a much softer landing against its mesh top. My boyfriend was worried that he might tear it, but the material remained steadfast and sturdy in the face of his wildest antics.

What’s more, had he busted through, Diggs was one step ahead: There's a collar tether clip for stationary use that would have kept him from running amok in the car before we were ready to have him do so.

The Diggs pet carrier is the ultimate in quiet pet luxury (eat your heart out, Shiv Roy). It looks great, it feels great on your shoulder (even with a 17-pound cat in tow) and it’s truly built with use—both for the owner and the pet—in mind. While I would change a few things, like the price and the size range, overall, it’s a solid recommendation that will blow your old plastic Petco carrier away.

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Nicole is PureWow's Commerce Director. With a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University and more than 15 years of experience writing and editing shopping content, she has made a career for herself covering her favorite topics: fashion, lifestyle, travel and rock 'n' roll. She lives in Florida with her boyfriend and two cats, and she can usually be found stalking hairless animals on the internet. Check out her blog at nicolebjean.com. (You can also follow her on Twitter or Instagram.)

PureWow is the best friend you never had when it comes to finding the best, most useful lifestyle products online. Founded in 2010, our company’s editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which ones are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series, which sees each and every item we test being ranked on a 100-point scale of awesomeness, to the painstakingly curated lists our fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family editors create as vertical experts, you can trust that our recommendations include some of the greatest items you’ll find on the internet. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.