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As a household without a car right now, we’ve often worried about how we’d get our cat from our home to the emergency veterinarian at night. It’s about a fifteen-minute drive and we weren’t sure what the pet policy was for local companies.
We wanted to find out does Uber allow cats in carriers and if they do, are there any guidelines or restrictions.
Does Uber Allow Cats in Carriers?
Uber’s pet policy used to be solely at the discretion of the individual driver. Whilst in many cities that’s still true, you may now be able to order a Pet Uber for your cat.
Uber Pet Policy for Cats
In the US, you can request a Pet Uber using UberX by pressing the ‘tap the customise’ option and then adding ‘pet friendly ride’.
This allows you to bring one small pet into the car such as a dog or cat. On the website, Uber says it hasn’t got a breed or size restriction but that it leaves that up to the discretion of the driver. Unless you have a super-massive Maine Coon in a large carrier, then we imagine most cat owners will be fine.
It will cost more for an Uber pet delivery ($3-$5). You will also be expected to pay a fee for any damage or excess shedding or mess made when the cat is in the vehicle.
If you’re not able to get an Uber Pet, you can still book a regular Uber but you’ll need to ask the driver if it’s okay to bring your cat. If they say no, you can always order another driver.
Uber recommends that pet owners use a carrier as well as covering the carrier over with a towel or blanket which not only reduces the chance of a mess being made (and you being charged), but it may also help prevent over-stimulation or motion sickness in your cat.
We’d recommend that you use a carrier rather than just a harness or leash just because there’s less risk of the cat causing any damage and shedding over the seats.
You might also find it helpful to bring a towel or blanket to put on the seat underneath the carrier. If your cat is prone to urinating in cars, then we’d recommend a carrier with a raised lip to stop over-spill or adding puppy training pads to the bottom.
A few people on Reddit and other forums have reported steep cleaning fees added to their bill after they got out of the vehicle. If you’re worried that you may be charged, take photographs before and after your ride and take a picture of any damage.
How do I request an uber pet friendly in the UK?
In the UK, Uber has been testing an option where riders can tell their driver that they have a pet; the driver can then either accept or refuse the fare.
Pet Uber is relatively new in the USA but has already been rolled out in other countries, so it’s likely that Uber will have a pet-friendly policy in the UK in the near future.
For the moment, it’s a case of ordering a ride and then hoping the driver will accept your cat as a passenger.
The Uber pet policy for cats isn’t universal. It will depend on which part of the world or the US you’re living in BUT cats are a huge part of people’s lives and in urban areas (where people are less likely to have a car), it’s important that people are still able to travel with their cats safely and easily.
Uber does recognize this so we’re hopeful that if there isn’t a pet-friendly option in your area right now, that there will be later.
