How to Choose the Right Bed for Your Cat

Cats sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day. Where they sleep matters more than most owners think — not just for comfort, but for warmth regulation, stress recovery, and the sense of security that makes cats feel genuinely settled in a home. The problem: cats are infuriatingly specific about sleeping surfaces, and what one cat loves another will ignore completely. This guide covers how to read what your cat is already doing to figure out what kind of bed will actually get used.

The Position Tells You Everything

Watch where your cat sleeps on its own — before you buy anything. This tells you more than any product description:

Curled up tight, often in enclosed spaces (inside a box, wedged behind a plant, under the bed): this cat runs cold or anxious, or both. They want enclosure and insulation. A deep-sided cave bed or a covered donut bed will suit them far better than a flat mat or open cushion.

Splayed out flat, often on cool surfaces (tile floors, uncovered cushions, your legs when you're too warm): this cat runs hot or feels secure enough to expose their belly. An open platform bed, a flat cooling mat, or a low-profile cushion works. Cave beds may stress them out — feeling trapped.

On the back of the sofa, a window ledge, or the highest bookshelf: this cat wants height and a view. A wall-mounted perch or a window hammock will get more use than any floor-level bed, regardless of how plush it is.

Switching between multiple spots throughout the day: this cat is doing temperature regulation — following warmth or coolth around the house. They benefit from having options in different locations rather than one perfect bed.

Enclosed Beds: When Insulation and Security Win

Enclosed beds — caves, igloos, semi-hooded designs — are typically favored by cats who:

• Were recently adopted or are still acclimating to a home
• Are on the smaller or younger side (more body surface area relative to mass means faster heat loss)
• Live in homes with dogs or young children and need a retreat
• Are naturally anxious or reactive

The Eggshell Cat Cave uses a semi-open design — enclosed enough to feel sheltered, open enough that cats who dislike feeling trapped will still use it. The felted wool-blend interior holds heat well and breathes in summer. It's a good middle-ground option if you're not sure which direction your cat leans.

The Donut Nest combines a donut-style rim bed with an attached tunnel, giving cats the choice between curling in the open donut or retreating fully into the tunnel. It works well for pairs of cats who like to interact — one in the donut, one in the tunnel.

Open Donut and Bolster Beds: The Versatile Middle Ground

Round beds with raised rims are popular for a reason: they replicate the feeling of a curled-up sleeping position, let cats regulate how exposed they feel, and work for a wide range of body types and preferences. Most cats who curl up to sleep will try these before beds with no defined edges.

Key things to check: is the interior deep enough that they can press against the sides? Shallow bowls with low rims don't give cats the sense of being held they're looking for. The filling also matters — polyester fiberfill compresses quickly. Look for memory foam or denser foam inserts that stay supportive over time.

Plush Flat Beds and Mats: For Confident, Warm-Weather Cats

Flat beds work best for cats who sleep sprawled or who feel secure enough not to need enclosure. They're also good supplementary options for surfaces cats already use — on top of a cat tree platform, inside a cat carrier to make it feel familiar, or layered on a favorite chair.

The Plush Hideaway is machine washable and sized for both cats and small dogs — useful for multi-pet households who want a single style of bed that works across species.

Elevated Perches and Window Beds

If your cat is consistently trying to get higher than floor level, no amount of ground-level beds will redirect that behavior. Working with the instinct is faster.

The Sunbeam Perch hangs over any standard windowsill on sturdy metal hooks — no suction cups, no drilling, no damage to the frame. It positions cats in the sun, which matters for indoor cats in winter who lose access to natural warmth. The plush platform surface and 25 lb weight rating make it suitable for most cat sizes.

What to Avoid

Beds that are difficult to wash are likely to be abandoned after they stop smelling familiar. Cats are scent-oriented, and a bed that smells like detergent or that has been stripped of all familiar odors gets rejected. Choose beds with removable, machine-washable covers. Wash them on a gentle cycle and skip the dryer sheet — the artificial fragrance confuses cats.

Novelty shapes (castle towers, food shapes, oversized versions of other objects) almost never perform better than simple, functional shapes. Buy for the cat's preference, not for what looks good in a photo.

The Real Reason Cats Reject New Beds

Cats are neophobic by design. A new bed in an unfamiliar location, smelling of packaging and manufacturing, competes with the old blanket on the couch that smells like you and has been there for two years. Give a new bed time — at least two weeks in a spot the cat already uses before concluding it's a failure. You can accelerate adoption by placing a worn piece of your clothing inside it or by spraying it with Feliway. Cats don't need to be trained into beds; they need the bed to smell like something worth sleeping near.