I bought this carrier because my cats have gotten to be too large for the dog carriers available in the stores. My one cat had seizures, and the vet said he would do best in the fabric carriers with the mesh on all sides rather than the hard plastic ones. But the largest Sherpa(-like) ones in the stores barely fit my largest cats. So I ordered this carrier. I read the other reviews saying that the carriers ran large, so I ordered a Medium, which carried 30 pounds, because the largest Sherpa said it carried something in the high 20s. This carrier is SO much bigger than the Sherpa. Really, the issue is it is so much TALLER than the other fabric carriers. There is nothing comparable to it in pet stores. It is exactly what I wanted; I just need it to be about half that height and maybe a little shorter in length. I will probably need to order new ones that are of a smaller size. :( But it is built sturdy and meets everything else I wanted; there is mesh all around, and it will keep my cats happy. :)