5 Things to Consider When Choosing the Perfect Cat Bed

Hello, and Happy Tuesday! Today we're very happy to have a guest post from our friends at CatVills.com. You know, a lot of thought needs to go into finding just the purrfect bed for your cat. CatVills tells us about 5 humans should consider when they're choosing the perfect bed for their purrfect feline friend. Does your cat have a favorite bed? Tell us in the comments! 

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Finding a great cat bed isn’t hard. With thousands of options out there, it’s actually quite simple to find something that fits your budget and your cat’s needs. However, finding the perfect cat bed- a bed that your cat instantly loves and uses long-term- is a lot trickier!

Raise your hand if you can relate to this: you buy your cat a fabulously expensive new bed, get it all set up, then turn around and find him fast asleep in the box. Days go by, and just when you’re ready to return that bed, he decides it’s his favorite spot to sleep in the whole world. Then, the return window closes and he’s back to snubbing it!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought cat beds, thinking “oh, Alex will LOVE this!” only to have him completely ignore it. Over my many years of cat parenting, I think I’ve finally figured out the formula for choosing the perfect cat bed, though. Read on to learn what to look for and what to consider!

5 Things to Consider When Choosing the Perfect Cat Bed

1. How much can you afford to spend?

Cat beds run the gamut from “less than a pound of good coffee” to “more than my monthly rent,” so it’s important to set a budget before you start shopping. I kid you not, I once saw a cat bed going for over $1,500! Granted, it was totally handmade and probably as big as my dining room table, but still!

If you don’t decide how much you’re willing to spend up front, it’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of extra bells and whistles.

  

2. How old is your cat?

Your cat’s age actually plays a pretty significant role in choosing the perfect bed. While kittens and healthy young adult cats don’t really need fancy cat beds made of memory foam, your senior kitties will definitely appreciate the extra comfort. 

I recently lost my senior cat.  She was born when I was 21 and passed away when she was 21, so as of the day I lost her, I had her exactly half of my life. I watched her cat bed preferences evolve significantly over the years.

As a kitten, she was content to sleep on boxes, chairs, my bed, the floor…pretty much wherever she found herself at nap time. Towards the end, she couldn’t seem to get comfortable on anything except the best orthopedic memory foam bed that I could find. So age definitely plays a role!

 3. Does it offer a sense of security?

Cats love to find new hiding spots. In our home, we play a fun little game called “Where is Alex?” It goes a little like this: “Where is Alex? Did he get out? Did anyone see Alex???” He has a penchant for escaping out the back door without anyone actually seeing him zoom by. Nine times out of 10, he’s just hiding in an increasingly strange new spot.

I have a new trick, though! I give my cats a new covered bed every couple of months. Alex immediately claims it as his, and for at least a couple of weeks I always know where to find him. Well, almost always. A covered or cave-shaped cat bed offers kitties that extra sense of security that they crave. Of course, not all cats will like that, which brings us to #4.

4. Does it fit your cat’s personality?

I currently have three cats, each with his or her own totally unique personality. Alex the Fuzz was feral-born. He was the only feral to ever walk right in my front door and say (or meow), “I live here now.” Whether a result of his short time outside or of losing his mama so early (she was killed by a fox), he seems to crave the extra sense of security that cat caves provide.

Zoe is a very social “look at me!” cat. She likes to be in the center of all the action, always ready and waiting in case you want to give her a treat or play the flashlight game with her. She likes open cat beds that allow her to see the world around her.

Willow, my oldest girl, wants nothing to do with the other cats. She won’t even eat in the same room with them. She’s also too dignified for something as mundane as a cat bed, choosing to sleep smack in the middle of my own bed. I don’t even try to find the perfect cat bed for her, because even that aforementioned $1,5000 wouldn’t cut it!

So, you see, your cat’s personality plays a very strong role in choosing the right bed!

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5. Would you sleep on it?

No, I don’t expect you to curl up into a little ball and try out every cat bed but ask yourself if it’s something that you’d sleep on if it came in human size. I’m a fan of buying cat beds in person because I like to see how they feel. Is the material soft, yet easy to clean? Does it make a funny crinkling sound that will drive both me and my cat bonkers? Does it have a weird smell? (Some materials do until you wash them.)

If you prefer to shop online, read through all of the reviews and questions that other potential customers ask. I like to look on Amazon, even if I ultimately buy the bed elsewhere because there are usually answered questions and detailed reviews.

Lexy on her favorite bed

One last bit of advice: make sure you buy from a store that accepts returns because even if you spend hours choosing the perfect cat bed, there is still a chance your cat will totally reject it! Cats are finicky. It’s one of the things we love about them, but also one of the most frustrating parts of pet parenting.

Using these tips has really helped me save both time and money when buying cat beds for my kitties! I hope they help you, too!

About the Author: Nicole is a writer and editor at CatVills.com, a site dedicated to helping both new and seasoned cat parents lead the very best lives possible with their kitty companions. She’s currently a pet parent to three cats and two dogs.