The 5 Best Cat Strollers of 2023, Tested In Our Lab

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We tested 20 pet strollers

The Spruce Pets / Tamara Staples

Not all cats are comfortable outside. While some cats may allow you to attach a leash or harness, others aren't likely to ever respond well. If you'd like to explore the neighborhood with your cat, or take your cat along on a walk, then a dedicated pet stroller can provide a solution that more agoraphobic cats may be able to tolerate, or even come to enjoy. Most cat strollers are larger and more comfortable than the carrier you may use to take your cat to the vet, for example. A cat stroller is also a great option for elderly cats or those with limited mobility.

“I know plenty of people who use strollers for cats that are physically challenged, cats who are paralyzed, cats who don't get the same outside stimulation,” Cat Wellness and Behavior Expert Jackson Galaxy told The Spruce Pets. “If you think your cat's going to love it, by all means.”

To find the best stroller for most cats, we researched more than 30 of the top brands and bestselling models, then selected 20 for evaluation in our New York testing lab. We assembled and disassembled; measured interior and storage spaces; and ran each stroller through an obstacle course of cones and curbs.

After hours of combined testing, our favorite pet stroller for cats is the Pet Gear Happy Trails Lite No-Zip Pet Stroller, which offers a smooth ride and easy to open canopy. It’s durable, easy to fold, and doesn’t use zippers, which makes it much easier to open or close the canopy.

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Latch makes raising and lowering hte canopy a cinch

Lightweight and portable

Viewing window on top to observe your cat

Ample storage underneath

Cupholders!

Only holds up to 25 pounds

Some color options are more expensive

We tested out the Pet Gear No-Zip Happy Trails Lite Pet Stroller with a Pomeranian, rather than a cat, but her size was similar enough that we think this the right pick for most cat owners too. This stroller has a number of convenient features, including an easy-to-use attachment point for your cat's collar to keep them secure while they ride. But its best feature is its no-zip canopy, which pops up or down easily, and uses a latch instead of having a long zipper to deal with. Our testers were also appreciative the mesh storage compartment underneath, which is open on top and easy to access.

While the Happy Trails Lite isn't the best off-roading stroller we tested, its four front wheels make for a smooth ride and a sharp turning radius—it handled both curbs and turf with ease. We also loved the viewing window on top of the canopy, which makes it easy to observe your cat while walking.

Pet Gear also offers a lighter, more portable model—the Pet Gear Travel Lite Plus Stroller—but our testers weren't happy about its lack of storage or an attachment point to clip to your cat's leash or collar.

The Happy Trails Lite Pet Stroller is available in multiple colors, though some cost more than others. It also comes with a removable padded liner. Did we mention it has cupholders too?

Price at time of publish: $90

Dimensions: 28 x 12.5 x 22.5 inches | Weight: 13 pounds | Materials: Nylon | Colors: Animal Print, Raspberry, Juniper, Jaguar

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Comes mostly assembled

Foldable

Mesh provides visibility

Not as sturdy as more expensive models

While it entails some compromises, it's hard to find a useful pet stroller that's more affordable than the BestPet 3 Wheel Stroller—if you're not sure whether or not your cat would enjoy a stroller ride, this is the best way to find out without spending a lot of money.

The 3-wheel design of the BestPet stroller makes for excellent maneuverability, though we found it to be a rough ride for pets when going over curbs or bumpy surfaces. Our testers also found that the front wheel had a tendency to jack-knife if you turn too sharply. Still, the BestPet handles admirably enough on sidewalks and normal, paved conditions.

It's also got a lot of the features we like from our favorite Pet Gear stroller, including the cupholders and the underside storage—though we found it more awkward to access. It's got a liner, breaks on the rear tires, and an safety tether inside for attaching your cat's collar.

Zipping up the mesh canopy on the front of the stroller is a little bit of a pain, but the lightweight material makes for a stroller that's under 13 pounds. It's not the most durable fabric we tested—"everything feels a little too thin" one tester said—but it is effectively water resistant, and is easy to fold up and store in a car trunk.

Assembly out of the box is incredibly simple, all you have to do is strap wheels to the bottom and you are ready to go. The BestPet 3 Wheel Stroller is available in five different colors.

Price at time of publish: $27

Dimensions: 29.53 x 17.72 x 38.19 inches | Weight: 12.98 pounds | Materials: Alloy steel and nylon | Colors: Black, pink, blue, purple, red

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Great for cats and dogs

Durable

Quick lock brakes

Heavy, around 27 pounds

The Pet Gear No-Zip Jogger Pet Stroller is a seriously beefed up version of our overall favorite. The main difference (aside from its price) are the three 11-inch "Air Ride" tires, which leapt over curbs without disturbing our pet riders in the least. It's also got a cushioned handle for easy grip while jogging.

The Jogger also has all of the features we appreciated in other Pet Gear strollers, including the view-through window that lets you observe your pet in transit, the cupholders, and the no-zip canopy that makes opening and closing the main compartment of the stroller incredibly easy.

The only real downside is the additional bulkiness, which makes the Jogger easier to transport by minivan then in a compact car trunk.

Price at time of publish: $280

Dimensions: 22.5 x 32 x 42 inches | Weight: 27 pounds | Materials: Mesh | Colors: Summit Gray

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Can take the basket off of the wheels

Lightweight

Easy to assemble

The wheels are a bit small

Can be shaky to push

The stainless steel chassis will keep your pet safe inside the linen basket with a mesh window. It does come with four wheels, though they are a bit small and can lead to a bumpy ride. If things get rolling a bit too fast, there’s a one-foot brake for easy stoppage. And to keep your cat from breaking out, there’s a one-point rope buckle. When you plan on going to puppy or kitty play dates, you can just take the main basket off the wheels to turn it into a carrier. Altogether, it weighs around 44 pounds, which is a bit on the heavier side, but adds an extra level of needed safety.

Price at time of publish: $40

Dimensions: ‎31.5 x 17.9 x 41.3 inches | Materials: Stainless Steel, Linen | Colors: Grey, Purple, Black

Our best overall choice is the Pet Gear Happy Trails Lite No-Zip Pet Stroller, which offers versatility and durability. With an easy-to-open latch that doesn’t need a zipper and a sturdy frame, it has everything you need to keep a cat safe. For running, or even light off-roading, we prefer Pet Gear's Jogger model, which has "Air Ride" rubber tires and a more maneuverable three-wheel design.

The Spruce / Tamara Staples

Our pet stroller test included 20 bestselling and well-reviewed models, which we narrowed down from a larger list of possible products. Our volunteer testers loaded up each stroller with everything they might need for a day out, including treats, a water bottle, and a collapsible bowl. We then put each stroller through a battery of tests, beginning with any leash attachments. Our pet volunteers helped us quickly determine which strollers were easiest for a cat to exit or enter.

Once our volunteer pets (or stuffed animal equivalents we also used) were secured, we tried out the strollers on a variety of surfaces, including pivoting through cones, pulling u-turns on concrete, and pushing strollers over astroturf. We also tried out bigger bumps, including concrete pavers and pipes approximately as high as your standard street curb.

Finally, we had testers collapse and store the strollers, then unpack them for re-use. After going through the battery of tests, our volunteers filled out a form, providing both detailed notes and a numerical score in four categories: ease of use, maneuverability, quality, and value.

The Spruce Pets/tamara staples

Most importantly, a cat closure needs to be able to keep your cat inside without them being able to escape. According to Galaxy, cats need to feel that they aren’t trapped and that they need to make sure “that there's an escape route for anything they find themselves in.” Having a mesh canopy allows them to see outside and feel less trapped.

Your cat should also be placed in a harness that you can lock into the stroller to keep them from being able to escape.

Not all cats will enjoy being placed inside a stroller and it might be more stressful than enjoyable. Galaxy believes that it’s important not to force your cat into a situation that they may not want to be in and “just because you think something would be fun for your cat doesn't mean your cat would agree, “

But if you want to take the risk outside and your cat seems a bit jittery, it’s smart to acclimate them to the carrier. If you manage to get them in the carrier, try to take them around the house and give them the chance to get used to it. Once they are outside, there will be quite a bit more stimuli that may become overwhelming if they aren’t used to their enclosure.

How can I get my cat to like the stroller?

First, train them using a harness and then place them in the stroller in your house. But remember you can’t force them to like it. According to Galaxy, “some cats just take to it like a fish to water, but some cats, there's that feeling of being at the mercy of something else they don’t like.”

How do I clean cat pee out of a stroller?

If it has a fabric interior, you can use any traditional pet urine remover to clean it out.

This article was written by Steven Asarch, a freelance writer and product expert for The Spruce Pets. A devout cat dad of two, he has expert experience figuring out which products are perfect for them. Steven has previously analyzed testing data, tried out products at home, and provided recommendations for other categories of cat products, including catnip toys, wand toys, litter disposal systems, and also wrote an exhaustive list of the essentials you should have before welcoming a new kitten into your home.

To get the best understanding of what makes a good cat stroller, he spoke to Jackson Galaxy, a cat expert who hosted the Animal Planet show My Cat From Hell for 11 seasons. He prioritized strollers with ample room, good durability, and the ability to open and close at ease.

Read Next: The 12 Best Cat Carriers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Read the original article on The Spruce Pets.