I have been using a soft carrier for my 2 year old, Salem. But, she has grown way bigger than I could have ever predicted. Plus she is overweight (working on that). The carrier that we have is only rated for 12 lbs and Salem is now 18 lbs. She is not just overweight either. Salem is really long and tall. So, the bottom bends and Salem can't turn around or even stand up in it anymore. I know a hard carrier would be best, but I walk with a crutch on one side. So I only have one free hand and need to bare Salem's weight on my shoulder. I think it is not just the shoulder strap that helps, but the fact that the soft carrier is flexible and fits to my hip as I walk. I have tried a hard carrier when she was still a kitten and I could not manage it on my own. Poor Salem got tossed around pretty badly. We also used to have a pet stroller, but it fell apart and I really need something that I can put directly into the car without having to take Salem out anyways. I have been looking at soft carriers online and there are just SO many options that I figured it couldn't hurt to see if anyone here has a favorite. I don't have a huge budget, but if it is a decent carrier, I can save up for it. Any suggestions in either a new carrier or other ways to make carrying a huge cat one handed any easier would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!