Insulating/weatherproofing pet carriers

[sillyrabbit]

I just wondered if anyone has any good ideas for like weather proofing a pet carrier. Or can recommend anything they have had success using as a cover.

My poor little bunny is on weekly vet visits at the moment and I’m ok with keeping him warm inside his pet carrier too and from the vet, it’s lined with a double layer of vetbed, he has a snuggle safe, fleece blanket, I have the car running to heat it up before I take him from the house to the car, and my vet has a safe space to leave him so I can do the same and run the car to heat it up before I bring him out of the building to the car when we are done.

My concern is getting from the door to the car at each end. It’s impossible at my vets to pull up right outside, I do park as close as I can. Last week it was -45°c on the day of his appointment, like I do need to figure this out as its looking like we will be doing this for the rest of the winter. But something I can remove in the car so he has adequate airflow. I resorted to wrapping the carrier in a big warm fluffy blanket on that day, but honestly it was really difficult to carry him like that and make my way through the snow as the handles weren’t accessible. He’s not a small bunny and he doesn’t have a small carrier :lol: Today I used two less bulky blankets doubled up, and it was easier to hold onto him, but it was still really hard to carry him and navigate the ice.

I already googled covers for my pet carrier, they don’t seem to exist!

 

[Omi]

I just wondered if anyone has any good ideas for like weather proofing a pet carrier. Or can recommend anything they have had success using as a cover.

My poor little bunny is on weekly vet visits at the moment and I’m ok with keeping him warm inside his pet carrier too and from the vet, it’s lined with a double layer of vetbed, he has a snuggle safe, fleece blanket, I have the car running to heat it up before I take him from the house to the car, and my vet has a safe space to leave him so I can do the same and run the car to heat it up before I bring him out of the building to the car when we are done.

My concern is getting from the door to the car at each end. It’s impossible at my vets to pull up right outside, I do park as close as I can. Last week it was -45°c on the day of his appointment, like I do need to figure this out as its looking like we will be doing this for the rest of the winter. But something I can remove in the car so he has adequate airflow. I resorted to wrapping the carrier in a big warm fluffy blanket on that day, but honestly it was really difficult to carry him like that and make my way through the snow as the handles weren’t accessible. He’s not a small bunny and he doesn’t have a small carrier :lol: Today I used two less bulky blankets doubled up, and it was easier to hold onto him, but it was still really hard to carry him and navigate the ice.

I already googled covers for my pet carrier, they don’t seem to exist!

How have you arranged the vetbed and fleece blanket inside the carrier? I've never been faced with this, but I think I would concentrate on providing wrapping inside the carrier. I would be concerned about using anything externally, if it's limiting control of the carrier, especially in the snow. I would be inclined to provide lots of blankets inside, which would seal off any entry of air from outside and then immediately remove them when possible.

 

[Shimmer]

Snugglesafe heat pads inside with fleece blankets or hay / straw.
Bubble wrap the outside? Wrap in 2 or 3 layers. Cut gaps for handles and leave a flap at the door. Easy to duct tape together, OK in the wet. Could be designed to be removed.

 

[Graciee]

Can you sew? I'm thinking thermal wrap between two pieces of fleece type material, in like a long x shape that can be wrapped around the carrier, secured with no catch velcro and have a cut out for handle, wouldn't be very complicated to make tbh

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[bunny momma]

Sending vibes for your Churro
Perhaps cover carrier with quilt batting with a hole cut for handles.

 

[Preitler]

Right, most simple, convinient would be a Towel or such over the carrier with a slot cut in the middle for the carry handle, to give a good grip and keep it from sliding off. Even just a closed jacket or pullover with the handle sticking out on the top would do.

Before I owned a pet carrier I used cardboard boxes with some air holes. You could put the whole carrier in a box (with air holes), although it would be way more awkward to carry.

After my Herr Hase ripped his box to shreds in the waiting room, much to the joy of the children present, I got a pet carrier.

 

[MimzMum]

Another vote here for Preitler's method. We drove 30 miles each way to our vets with the bunnies and cats while living in Alaska and there was more than a few of those days the mercury was in -40F territory. We used either the towel cut for the handle or a piece of fleece fabric, but the buns were always just in a bed of hay with a litter box for extra stability inside the carrier. Granted the parking lots weren't huge so it wasn't a long slog to the door. But you really had to watch for ice, it was very dangerous to walk even a few feet.

Poor Churro. I hope he will be okay. Thinking of you both and sending be safe vibes for your journeys. xxxxx

 

[sillyrabbit]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the replies!

I don't think I could keep him warm by only putting blankets inside, to completely block the cold I think I would need to stuff the carrier so much with bulky blankets it would feel like a suffocation risk. It's not just the cold, the wind really gets you. The other day we had a weather warning of frostbite risk after three minutes. And his carrier has mesh panels on three sides. I was wondering if I should just rethink my carrier choice, but then I couldn't find any specifically designed for cold weather anyways, and I do really like the ones I use.

Gracie I love how your like should be easy to make :lol: Actually the reason I thought of asking on here was because I remember years and years ago there was a person recommended on here who made custom thermal hutch covers, I thought if there's anyone doing something similar for pet carriers if anyones gonna know it will be people on here! I probably could if I really tried, but I don't have time tbh. Its year end and month end, I was working until 10pm last night, and I have a toddler and a sick pet. I cba to even think about it. I also don't have a sewing machine anymore.

Bubble wrap is a good idea, but plastic is difficult when it's this cold, I dunno if it would work. The plastic rain cover for my kids buggy completely freezes solid as soon as you go outside and you can't use it at all. I do like the quilt batting idea, or the jacket. Honestly I don't know if a towel would so much, I feel like the wind would go right through a towel. The wind coming off the mountains is really strong and so, so cold. I feel like I wouldn't run from the door to the car without a full on winter coat. I'm gonna look at batting or a warm blanket I can cut holes in, I don't know why that didn't just occur to me to begin with :lol:

Preitler you are brave chancing a cardboard box!

Also thank you for the vibes I am sure he will be ok, we have an amazing vet and of course I will do absolutely anything for him. He is coping amazingly well and despite everything is completely his usual self x

 

[Graciee]

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate the replies!

I don't think I could keep him warm by only putting blankets inside, to completely block the cold I think I would need to stuff the carrier so much with bulky blankets it would feel like a suffocation risk. It's not just the cold, the wind really gets you. The other day we had a weather warning of frostbite risk after three minutes. And his carrier has mesh panels on three sides. I was wondering if I should just rethink my carrier choice, but then I couldn't find any specifically designed for cold weather anyways, and I do really like the ones I use.

Gracie I love how your like should be easy to make [emoji38] Actually the reason I thought of asking on here was because I remember years and years ago there was a person recommended on here who made custom thermal hutch covers, I thought if there's anyone doing something similar for pet carriers if anyones gonna know it will be people on here! I probably could if I really tried, but I don't have time tbh. Its year end and month end, I was working until 10pm last night, and I have a toddler and a sick pet. I cba to even think about it. I also don't have a sewing machine anymore.

Bubble wrap is a good idea, but plastic is difficult when it's this cold, I dunno if it would work. The plastic rain cover for my kids buggy completely freezes solid as soon as you go outside and you can't use it at all. I do like the quilt batting idea, or the jacket. Honestly I don't know if a towel would so much, I feel like the wind would go right through a towel. The wind coming off the mountains is really strong and so, so cold. I feel like I wouldn't run from the door to the car without a full on winter coat. I'm gonna look at batting or a warm blanket I can cut holes in, I don't know why that didn't just occur to me to begin with [emoji38]

Preitler you are brave chancing a cardboard box!

Also thank you for the vibes I am sure he will be ok, we have an amazing vet and of course I will do absolutely anything for him. He is coping amazingly well and despite everything is completely his usual self x

[emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

I'm always knocking up stuff like that quickly so I think maybe I don't see it as a big project [emoji38]

I made a fleece insert for my carrier out of polar fleece which I put in for my piggies to keep them snug and they feel safer, as well as the hay. Also always making hides and huts and teepees for them.. And waterproof liners! [emoji38]

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[sillyrabbit]

I dropped our ice skates into an outdoor store for sharpening this morning and noticed camping blankets while I was leaving, they have little loops on each corner. They didn't have anything that's as warm as I want, but googled as soon as I got home and I have just ordered an insulated blanket that is supposedly as warm as a down blanket, and it has the little loops on it, is windproof, rain and snow resistant. I reckon I should be able to secure it at the top or something with the loops and one of my stroller clips or something. I will update on how it goes haha!

[emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

I'm always knocking up stuff like that quickly so I think maybe I don't see it as a big project [emoji38]

I made a fleece insert for my carrier out of polar fleece which I put in for my piggies to keep them snug and they feel safer, as well as the hay. Also always making hides and huts and teepees for them.. And waterproof liners! [emoji38]

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Awww that's adorable. I used to always make hammocks and tunnels when I had rats. It's not so much that it would be a big project to actually make it, it's more just getting everything, I'd have to drive into the city for sure to buy a sewing machine and fabric, its snowing heavily and visibility is bad so it would be a very slow drive there and back, and then I'd have to find the time to figure out a new machine and actually make it. I'm working super long hours at the moment. Also the last time I sewed anything was 5 years ago, so I probably would be a bit slower too. His next appointment is first thing Wednesday and I don't realistically think I would get anything finished by then if I started DIYing it.

 

[sillyrabbit]

The camping blanket and stroller hook plan has worked really well. Just wanted to update in case anyone else dealing with similar temperatures ever searches for ideas in the future. It’s so easy to wrap it up and still use the handles, and also to unclip the blanket easily to strap the carrier in with the car seat etc. I did test the blanket outside last night myself and it’s definitely wind proof which is good to know. It also has a reflective strip round ten outside which is good for us as it is still dark when we are arriving at the vets atm, and like I said we are walking across a parking lot to get to the building.





I’m actually gonna get my son the exact same blanket for the car!