Types of cat beds: how to choose the right one

Watch how your cat sleeps before you buy anything. A cat who curls up in a ball, one who stretches out full length and one who burrows under the throws need different types of cat beds — and that criterion, which you can observe in three days, explains most snubbed beds. Material and price come later.

Four sleeping positions, and the type of cat bed for each

Watch your cat for a few days and note how they settle. They'll have one dominant position, often the same one they've always had.

Curled up, nose under the tail

This is the heat-saving position. It calls for a round, high-sided bed they can nestle into. A flat bed won't give them the support they need. It's the most common profile, and the one for which a woven cotton rope bed or a rattan bed with a cushion works best.

Stretched out full length

A cat who sleeps with their legs fully extended needs surface, not sides. A 40 cm round bed will leave them spilling over the edge. They need a size up, or a flat bed: a raised camp-style bed or a sleeping bag unfolded flat.

Burrowed under a blanket or in a box

This one is looking for an enclosed space where nothing can come up on them from behind. They need a covered bed: a capsule bed for a standard-sized cat, a villa cat house if they're large or like to be able to turn around inside.

Up high, looking down

A cat who always sleeps on top of a wardrobe or along the back of the sofa isn't looking for a bed on the floor: they want a view. A raised or semi-covered bed works better — a tunnel bed on legs combines height and shelter.

Size: the one criterion people really get wrong

It's the second most common reason a bed gets ignored, and a tape measure sorts it out.

Measure your cat lying at rest, from nose to the base of the tail — not to the tip of the tail. Then add a margin:

• For a round bed, aim for a diameter of about 1.2 times that length. They need to be able to nestle in without spilling over.
• For a covered bed, they must be able to turn around on the spot. If they have to back out, it's too small.
• For a flat bed, take your cat's full length when stretched out, not at rest.

If in doubt, size up: a cat will happily settle in a bed that's a bit big, never in one that's too small. Large breeds — Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Ragdoll, Siberian — almost always need one size up from what their weight would suggest.

Material: what matters day to day

What decides things in the long run isn't comfort — almost anything suits a cat — but care. A bed that can't be washed or that fills up with hair ends up in a cupboard. Look for a removable cover, or a material that holds on to nothing. More on this in cat hair and bed care.

A cat doesn't have one bed, they have three

It's the point buying guides always forget, and it changes how you spend your money.

A cat doesn't sleep in the same place all day. They follow the light, the warmth, the comings and goings. They typically have a morning bed near a window, an afternoon bed somewhere quiet, and a night-time bed near you. Buying a single “perfect” bed and hoping they'll spend their sixteen hours in it is a mistake from the start. For the morning bed, a hammock fixed to the glass gives them 55 × 35 cm of fabric against the window, with no drilling.

You're better off with two or three different beds, spread around your home and in varied shapes, than with a single very expensive one. It's also the best way to discover what they really prefer: the one they choose tells you more than any buying guide.

And if you have several cats, the rule is the same as for food bowls: one bed per cat, plus one.

Open or covered?

It's the question that comes up most often, and the answer depends on temperament more than on the season.

A confident cat, who sleeps in plain sight in the middle of the living room, generally prefers open: they want to see. A nervous cat, or one living in a hectic household — children, other animals, people coming and going — will go for covered, which protects their back.

The question is covered in detail, mixed cases included, in covered or open cat bed.

How long a bed lasts, and when to replace it

Nobody asks this when buying, yet it's what determines the real cost.

A bed made entirely of fabric, washed regularly, lasts two to three years before the padding sags and the fibres mat. A frame in rattan, wood or woven rope lasts much longer — it's the soft part that wears out, not the furniture.

Hence the criterion that changes everything: can the part that wears out be replaced separately? Over five years, a bed where only the cover needs changing costs noticeably less than a bed you have to replace entirely twice.

Signs it's time: the padding no longer springs back after your cat has been on it, a smell lingers after washing, or your cat starts sleeping beside the bed rather than in it. That last sign often comes before the other two.

A frame that lasts, a cover that washes
Woven rattan holds its shape for years and lets air through the sides, while the reversible velvet cover comes off completely and goes in the washing machine. Discover the rattan basket bed →

Kittens

One mistake comes up again and again: buying a bed sized for a kitten. It'll fit for three months, then be too small at the exact moment your cat reaches adult size — and a bed that's become too tight is an abandoned bed.

Go straight for an adult size, based on the breed or expected build. A kitten will happily sleep in a bed that's too big, tucked into a corner of it. The reverse is never true.

A covered bed also tends to go down very well at this age: the enclosed space recalls the feeling of being with their littermates. It's also the time when a habit is easy to establish, since nothing is set yet.

Mistakes that leave a bed empty

Putting it where it suits you. It's the number one cause, far ahead of shape and material. A bed goes where your cat already sleeps. The details are in where to put your cat's bed.

Washing it too often, or with a scented product. A bed carries your cat's scent, and that's what makes it theirs. A wash with scented detergent wipes it out.

Carrying them to it by force. Putting your cat in their bed always has the opposite effect.

Moving it once they've taken to it. If you have to move it, do it in small steps.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a good cat bed cost?

It varies widely with material and design. A decent fabric bed sits at the affordable end of the range, while a bed in a natural material or a wooden piece of furniture costs more. What decides how long it lasts is whether you can wash or replace the part that wears out.

Does my cat need a heated bed?

It's rarely necessary for a healthy adult cat in a heated home. For an older cat, a cat with arthritis or a very thin cat, a gentle heat source can help — but a covered bed, which holds in body heat, is often enough.

My cat prefers a cardboard box. Should I keep trying?

No, and it isn't a failure. A box gets several things right: high sides, an enclosed space, a neutral smell, insulation from the floor. Keep it, and offer a bed with those same qualities — a covered design rather than a flat cushion.

Can two cats share the same bed?

If they get on well, yes, provided it's generously sized. But always provide individual beds as well: affinities change, and a cat shut out of the only bed sleeps badly.

How often should I wash it?

Every two to four weeks for fabric, with no fabric softener or scented detergent. Too often, and you wipe out your cat's scent; not often enough, and hair and dander build up.