Comments on: Unitasker Wednesday: The pet stroller

By: jacqueline

jacqueline — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:59:46 +0000

hello i have 3 indoor cats the only way to take them outside is in the stroller otherwise the feel insecure and afraid ,for me is very necesary

By: Nunya

Nunya — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:18:44 +0000

Thanks everyone for reminding me why I bought mine in the first place (Allie mine is a kittywalk too, the big SUV version). It’s still in the box, but like many already mentioned, I got it primarily to transport 3 cats to the vet; so that they can all be on the same annual schedule, and also carrying a hardside carrier with all 3 of them in it is just too much.

Not only am I NOT going to sell this after all, I will most likely keep it, dig it out of the closet, and put it together this weekend, then start by taking them hiking in it. Now that I know we might be welcome at the mall too, I can finally take them to get their portrait made, another task I’ve been putting off.

By: Karla

Karla — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:25:50 +0000

Like cats, rabbits too are great candidates for pet strollers. My rabbits LOVE stroller walks: rabbits cannot be “walked” like dogs, but it still gives them exposure to outdoors stimuli, like different scents, sights, and sounds than they are exposed to indoors. Plus, I can get exercise while providing them this stimulation, ultimately saving time.

By: Erica

Erica — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:58:02 +0000

Yes, I have one - for my cats. I live in the city, and they are indoor cats. I can’t carry them all at the same time, and even one can be kind of hard to carry when you have a bum shoulder, as I do. Fortunately, our vet here is only 2 blocks away, but where we used to live, the vet was TWELVE blocks away, and my 14 pound cat, 16 pound cat and 6 pound cat proved to be more than I could handle. I actually have been thinking about trading mine in, so I appreciate the information about an alternative!

By: joanne

joanne — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:57:31 +0000

i have whiplash and suffered for a couple of days after carrying one pet rat to the vets. I now have three pet rats who need two seperate carriers. These can be put in one stroller and wheeled onto public transport including trams which ban pets. Also, the strolling along where there are trees and fresh air calms my pets down before and after a vets trip. As i have Aspergers and suffer from anxiety this helps me. This has improved my quality of life consiserably as well as my pets. One of my pets is blind. He is noticably happier than before when I didn’t have one.

By: Christina

Christina — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:59:35 +0000

I guess you need to see why these are used. Alot are older people who want their pet with them or injured animals who cannot walk. I have a dog with IVDD that cannot walk stairs. She is not paralizedat this point and I would rather use a stroller than spend 3,000+ in surgerys. Also a comment on the booties. Look at what they are for. Alot are also for injured dogs to stay surefooted and not slip. You never know if this is a paralized or old dog that can not do all that walking. Concrete is very hard on a animals paws in the first place. You wear shoes for that reason. Their pads are touch but they can step on something and slice the paw right open. I got alot of looks when we had to take our dog out to potty using a sling. And despite all the laughs no one ever thought to ask why. My dog spent 4 days without the use of her back legs and for 6 weeks had to be helped to walk with the use of it. The stroller has many reasons. Think of the rescued dog you might pick up from a shelter. Did you know alot of them have anxieties and hate to be left alone. Taking them with you in a stroller can bring them so much comfort, ease the anxiety and hopefully one day erase it. THink of the dog you see sitting in one. Take some time and ask. Is it the owners wish to have their pet close, is this pet injured or have a disease, is it elderly? Before poking fun at what may be a very expensive not so funny situation. Like the thousands of dollars in vet bills and surgeries. Because no mater what,yes its a dog, but its a family member. ANd most of us would stop at nothing to ensure a long happy healthy life for our pets.

By: PetMom

PetMom — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:23:52 +0000

People often forget that small, elderly and very young dogs tire on long walks that don’t faze their owners. With the popularity of toy dogs as “accessories,” a stroller might be a safer bet for a little dog than trying to trot mile after mile after it’s owner’s long legs!

It’s easy to poke fun and say something like this is not needed but what have you bought that you love and would never be without, that someone else thinks is a ridiculous waste of time and space? Now there’s a question for you!

By: Andamom

Andamom — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:58:48 +0000

Umm… I see these daily… Then again, people here in NYC love their pets — FWIW, I don’t think it is that horrible.

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:04:35 +0000

I’ve also heard of people using them in areas without sidewalks, because the dark macadam gets so hot. Some people put little booties on the dog instead, but I’m sure some dogs wouldn’t be cooperative.

By: Augie at Just Pet Strollers

Augie at Just Pet Strollers — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:33:01 +0000

My wife and I run a site that sells pet strollers, and we hear a ton of reasons why people purchase them. Some of your commenters already noted the most common reasons, primarily older or injured dogs.

Pet strollers are also good for travel.

They’re perfect for older people to get animals to the vet and other places easily. (And we’ve received comments from several older adults who comment that the stroller gives them something to hold on to as they walk, so it helps them as much as their pets.)

Cats should not be allowed to roam free, so a pet stroller is a great way to allow cats (who usually don’t take to harnesses and leashes well) to get fresh air.

Some people in cities get pet strollers to use on their balcony–it’s a safe way of taking an animal outside without worrying they’ll get loose and get curious about what’s over the edge. Some city dwellers also don’t feel safe walking their pets on busy sidewalks around traffic and other people’s aggressive animals, so a pet stroller makes a great way to get a pet safely to a park (where they can then run free.)

Finally, a lot of folks wish to spend quality time with their pets and take them places they might not otherwise be welcome. We’ve heard some malls are permitting pets in strollers, and some customers take their pets with them to work in strollers.

There are lots of good reasons for a pet stroller! They aren’t for everyone, but they are becoming much more common.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:06:03 +0000

Gotta say that yes, this is a unitasker, but yes, it’s a necessary one for all those folks with smaller pets that either won’t or can’t go for a walk on their own.

Just because one doesn’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary, stupid or over-the-top.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:34:54 +0000

I first considered this a weird excessive for pets. However, I travel frequently and also go to flea markets. Since I bring my two small dogs most places, it is extremely convenient to pop them into the stroller when perusing the aisles of flea markets and such. They don’t bother anyone, they are in my company, and they are safe.

By: AZLily

AZLily — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:54:02 +0000

I’d have to agree about this item having it’s important uses.
My dog usually walks but rides in a stroller (albeit a baby stroller) if we’re going somewhere she might be in danger (of being stepped on, she’s only 4 lbs) if she were on the ground but I know that I will either have my hands full doing something else or we’ll be out long enough that if she were in a bag my shoulder would be tired and she’d get too tired if she were made to walk (she refuses to move after she decides she’s tired, about 1/2 mile depending on the weather).
I know some people would argue to just not take the dog, but it’s good for her to be out and about and to experience things and bad for her to be stuck at the house all day when there are events just down the street. We do get some weird looks though.

By: Allie Orange

Allie Orange — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:33:36 +0000

As an addicted reader of unclutterer, I can’t believe my first post will be in defense of a unitasker item, but we own a similar product (www.kittywalk.com) and use it all of the time! We have an indoor-only cat who wants to be outside with us when we breakfast on our porch and this has worked great for us. We also use it to take him to the vet. Since I have carpal tunel, I find it much easier to use the stroller than to carry him in a carrier. In fact, once we got the stroller, we considered our old carrier clutter and gave it to our vet.

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:33:38 +0000

I could see this being useful for a disabled animal. Or a cat you’re trying to transport.

But for most dogs—-no. I suppose this is one reason diet dog food sells so well!

(In France, they love their dogs. You might see some pooches being carried down the Champs Elysees. Not your teacup pups, either, some were the size of stroller-buddy there.)

By: Jon King

Jon King — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:25:34 +0000

My comment is “no comment”. Which makes about as much sence as a dog stroller.

By: Kit

Kit — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:19:21 +0000

Definitely great for cats when you don’t have a car. The swaying motion of the carrier tends to freak them out over long distances. Also, if you have to sneak them onto pet-unfriendly public transit it’s a lot easier to get a stroller past the gate than a pet carrier, even if it’s one of the soft sorts.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:36:11 +0000

Exactly re: cats. If you have indoor cats and you want to take them outside for a walk a carrier is too heavy to carry for long, and although there are exceptions most cats don’t take well to leashes (and can slip out of it and zip away in a heartbeat if something frightens them).

This being said, yes, using a dog for the advertising is full of dumb, although I bet in less dog-friendly areas you can get away with taking a strollered dog places you couldn’t take one on a leash.

By: John in Indiana

John in Indiana — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:14:46 +0000

I see this all the time at the weekend flea markets. At least it doesn’t strike me as bizarre as people carrying their little yappy dogs in baby slings.

By: Jacque

Jacque — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:12:39 +0000

Another actual use for this kind of thing: cats living in an urban area.
http://www.doublebassblog.org/.....oller.html