How to Choose the Best Cat Bike Carrier?

Taking your cat for a nice bike ride sounds exciting, but unfortunately, many cat owners don’t realize they can go biking with their cat.

There’s a lot of equipment/baskets that are designed for keeping your cat safe while biking.

Don’t strap your cat up just yet, let’s take a look at the entire ordeal of biking with your cat from beginning to end before we do that.

We’re going to introduce you to the different types of equipment you can use for your cat on the bike, but first, let’s go over some things.

Are You Comfortable Riding a Bike?

Before you take your feline on that bike ride, make sure you’re comfortable riding a bike.

Now, if you’re still using training wheels and struggle getting your balance or feel nervous while on a bike, it probably isn’t a good idea to take your cat with you.

Cats tend to pick up on nervousness, so if you feel nervous, they, in turn, will feel just as nervous.

Would Your Cat Like Traveling on a Bike?

Before riding a bike with your cat in tow, by all means, make sure you harness train the cat and get him/her ready for being on a leash.

Your cat needs to have a harness with a leash on, just in case he/she tries to run away. Not all cats like traveling in cars or bikes.

It is important that you make sure your feline friend is comfortable with being outside and exploring with you, because riding a bike with you for the first time is going to be different for them.

You should take in mind that not all cats love riding a bike with their human companion.

There are some cats that love the feeling of the wind as it glides through their whiskers, while others may freak out over that feeling.

Therefore, you should always start with a small ride and take breaks to check on your cat to make sure they’re enjoying the adventure.

Consider the Law in Your Area

You want to stay above the l aw, so it would be a good idea to check with the law in your area in regards to animals on bikes. Being aware of the law can save you from getting fined.

How to Take Your Cat on a Bike?

There are a couple of ways you can take your cat on a bicycle:

Cat Backpack – You can use a cat backpack that is either attached to the front of your bike, on a rack, or worn on your back.

Specialty Made Carrier – There are specialty-made carriers that can be attached to the front of your bicycle.

We also notice the option for dog trailers for bikes, but this isn’t popular with cats as it’s hard to communicate with our feline friends when they’re in trailers, so this isn’t an option we’d recommend.

Taking Your Cat in a Cat Backpack

Before you gear up and carry your cat in a backpack on your bike, you should do a little trainer first.

A good idea would be to start out by taking the cat for a walk in the backpack and then once you feel like they have the hang of the backpack, you can take them for a short ride around the block. The key is to get your feline friend used to riding in a backpack before you take them on a ride.

Using the Popular Front-Facing Bike Carrier for your Kitty

There are various types of front-facing carriers that you can use for your cat. Typically, these carriers are attached on the bike’s handlebars and the carrier is on top of the front wheel.

When Choosing a Bike Carrier Here’s What You Should Think About:

Your Bike

First things first, you need to think about your bike. Bikes vary in size, so before you purchase a carrier that straps on the bike, you need to make sure it’s going to fit on the handlebars of your bike.

This will help you determine if the carrier is going to slide around on your handlebars.

Putting your cat in a sliding carrier isn’t going to be comfortable for them and it could actually cause motion sickness.

Steering

Most people buy carriers that are placed on the front of their bike, which adds additional weight. When you add additional weight to the front of your bike, this could make it harder for you to steer, especially when the cat is in the carrier.

The Materials

As with any other pet carrier on the market, carriers that are designed for bikes are made out of different types of materials.

Ones that are made out of lightweight materials can be good for steering, but they tend to sag when a cat is placed in the carrier. Other carriers that are made from materials such as steel or wood may be heavy, but they’re not going to sag over the front of your wheel.

It’s also important that you take a look at the material that’s inside of the carrier as this will have an impact on the comfort level of your feline friend. A material that is soft is going to be comfortable, but it may not be waterproof and may get dirty.

The Size of Your Cat

Most of the time, when a carrier is advertised, the weight it is rated for will also be listed. It is important that you check and make sure the cat is going to physically fit in the carrier as well, because some bike carriers may be too small for them.

The Design

Some cat carriers are similar to baskets – meaning they’re open at the top. If you feel like your cat is going to jump out of the top of the carrier while you’re on your adventure or if you’re riding the bike where there’s a lot of cars, then you should consider using a carrier that can be covered.

For the safety of your cat, you may want to choose a carrier that has a tether that you can attach to the harness of the cat.

Types of Cat Carriers

Now it’s time to look at the different types of cat carriers you can use.

Front Bike Baskets

A front bike basket is an attachment that you can use on the front of your bike for the cat to sit in. Most front bike baskets have vents on all sides so the cat will stay cooler and feel the breeze as you’re riding with them.

These baskets are also available in a lot of different colors, so you can easily find a color that is suitable for you.

Either way, front bike baskets are the most popular choice amongst cat lovers looking to take their feline on a bike ride.

Safety Concerns

With these baskets, you may say “what if the cat gets away?”

The front bike baskets usually come with a leash attachment that you can attach to the cats harness, so they won’t be able to get away while you’re riding the bike. If they didn’t have these attachments, it wouldn’t be safe for your cat.

Cat Backpack

If you don’t want to worry about putting an attachment on your bike, then you could choose a cat backpack. You can use a cat backpack even if you’re not riding a bike.

There are so many different types of cat backpacks that you can choose from as well as a lot of colors – one that has vents on the side, so your feline can stay cool while you ride is a great idea.

Final Word

When you choose between a front bike basket with a tether or a cat backpack, you can rest with the satisfaction of knowing you chose a good cat bike carrier, just make sure you do your research beforehand.

You want to choose something that is not only suitable for you, but for your cat as well.