How to Choose a Cat Bed Your Cat Will Actually Use

Knowing how to choose a cat bed starts with one observation: how your cat already sleeps. Match the bed’s shape to that habit, put it somewhere quiet and warm away from the litter box and food bowls, and give it time to smell like home.

Short answer: choose by how your cat already sleeps

• Hiders sleep in boxes, closets or under the covers. They usually want an enclosed cave or sack bed.
• Curlers sleep in a tight ball, often with a chin on the sofa arm. They usually want a round cuddler bed with a raised rim.
• Sprawlers stretch out on the floor or on cool tile. They usually want a flat mat, and a cooling mat on hot days.

Many cats change style with the seasons, so two beds of different shapes often work better than one. You can compare shapes in our beds and comfort collection.

How to choose a cat bed: watch your cat for a week

Before buying, spend a week noting where and how your cat naps.

1. Note the spots: a cardboard box, the back of a closet, the sofa arm, a sunny patch of floor.
2. Note the position: a tight ball, a tucked-in loaf, or stretched out on one side.
3. Note the edges: does your cat press against a wall, a cushion or your leg, or sleep in the open?
4. Note the temperature: warm spots or cool floors show whether your cat runs cold or warm.
5. Copy the pattern: choose the matching shape and place it near the most popular spot.

Cat caves for hiders: the GOOPAWS 4-in-1 as a cave, a mat or a sack

Do cats like cat caves? Many do, especially cats that vanish when visitors arrive or burrow under blankets. An enclosed bed gives cover on several sides and keeps warmth close.

The GOOPAWS 4-in-1 Self-Warming Cat Cave Bed lets you test whether your cat is a hider. It works as an open bed, a flat mat, a cave or a sack to crawl into, so if one shape is ignored you can try another. It has a faux rabbit fur top over soft cotton filling, is listed at 21 × 17 × 3 inches, and comes in Cream, Green, Grey and Pink.

Cat cave vs donut bed

A cave hides your cat and holds in warmth. A donut or cuddler bed keeps your cat in view of the room, with a rim to lean on and more airflow. If you cannot tell, start with the GOOPAWS: try it open first, then as a cave.

Cuddler beds for cats who curl up and lean on a rim

Cats that sleep in a ball often press their back or chin against something. A cuddler bed’s raised bolster lets them curl up, rest their head on the edge and still watch the room.

The Armarkat Ultra-Plush Cuddler Bed has a thick plush cover that holds warmth, a raised bolster rim, and a water-resistant, skid-free base that helps keep the bed where you put it. It comes in Small (22 × 22 × 8 inches) and Medium; choose the size on the product page after measuring your cat curled up.

Self-warming vs heated cat beds

A self-warming bed has no cord; insulating materials and its shape hold in your cat’s own body heat. A heated bed uses an electric element: steady warmth, but a cord to manage and the maker’s safety instructions to follow.

For many indoor cats, a self-warming bed in a draft-free spot is enough. If you choose an electric bed, make sure your cat can move off the warm area and keep the cord away from chewers. Nilosi Pets does not sell electric heated beds; the GOOPAWS cave is our self-warming option.

Older or thin cats can find it harder to stay warm. If your cat seems to seek heat constantly, ask your veterinarian before adding extra heat.

A summer option: a pressure-activated cooling mat

On hot days many cats leave their bed for tile, wood floors or the bathtub. The Green Pet Shop Chillz Cooling Gel Mat gives them a cool surface in a spot you choose. Its pressure-activated gel cools when your cat lies on it and recharges on its own after a few minutes unused, with no water, freezing or electricity.

Offer the mat rather than placing your cat on it: lay it where your cat already goes to cool off and let them investigate. The maker describes the gel as non-toxic, but it is not meant to be chewed or eaten. Supervise cats that chew or dig at bedding, and remove the mat if the surface is torn or punctured.

A cooling mat adds a cool spot but does not replace a cool, well-ventilated room. Keep fresh water and shade available, and ask your veterinarian if you are concerned about how your cat copes with heat.

Where to put a cat bed: quiet, warm, away from the litter box

Where to put a cat bed matters as much as which bed you buy.

• Quiet: away from doorways, the washing machine and busy hallways.
• Warm and draft-free in cooler months, such as a sunny room or sheltered corner.
• Protected from behind: a corner or sofa end where your cat can see the room.
• Away from the litter box and food bowls: cats generally keep sleeping, eating and toilet areas apart.
• Close to a favorite napping place, or right in it.
• Enough to go around: in multi-cat homes, offer more than one sleeping spot.

A blanket or T-shirt that smells of you or your cat makes a new bed feel familiar. If your cat enjoys brushing, a short session beside the bed links it with something pleasant; see our guide to choosing a slicker brush or deshedding tool for your cat. Keep lick mats and other food-based enrichment by the bowls rather than the bed; for ideas, see what to put on a lick mat for dogs and cats.

Put a scratcher near the bed

Many cats stretch and scratch as soon as they wake. If the nearest surface is the sofa, that is where the claws go, so put a better option a step or two away.

The Cat Scratcher Guy Wooden Cat Scratcher measures about 19.5 × 5.5 × 2 inches. A handmade wooden frame holds a cardboard insert you can flip, then replace when worn (replacement inserts are not included). Felt pads underneath help protect the floor, and catnip is included: sprinkle a little on the insert to introduce it.

Size and care: measure your cat curled up

A bed that is too large loses its snug feel, and one that is too small gets abandoned. Measure while your cat sleeps in its usual position.

1. For a curler, measure across the widest point of the curled-up cat and add a few inches.
2. For a sprawler, measure nose to base of tail while stretched out.
3. Compare with the dimensions shown on each listing. If a size has none listed, email info@iglomart.com before you buy.

Then follow each product’s care instructions. The Armarkat cuddler is machine washable on a gentle cycle, though hand washing is recommended to keep the plush soft. The Chillz mat wipes clean with a damp cloth. Measuring first can also save a return, since change-of-mind returns carry return postage and a restocking fee under our returns policy.

Which pick suits which cat

• GOOPAWS 4-in-1 Self-Warming Cat Cave Bed: hiders, warmth-seekers and, laid flat, sprawlers in cooler months.
• Armarkat Ultra-Plush Cuddler Bed: curlers who like a rim to lean on.
• Chillz Cooling Gel Mat: sprawlers on hot days.
• Cat Scratcher Guy Wooden Cat Scratcher: any cat that scratches on waking.

For scratchers, litter mats and other everyday supplies, browse cat essentials. Standard shipping is free to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC; see our shipping details.

Questions about cat beds

Do cats prefer enclosed or open beds?

It depends on the cat. Cats that hide in boxes often choose enclosed caves, while cats that like to watch the room pick open beds with a rim.

How do self-warming cat beds work?

Insulating materials and an enclosing shape hold in the heat your cat’s body gives off. There is no cord or electricity.

Why won’t my cat use the new bed I bought?

Usually it smells unfamiliar, sits in a busy or drafty spot, is too close to the litter box or food, or does not match how your cat sleeps. Move it to a favorite napping place, add something familiar, and wait rather than putting your cat in it. If your cat’s sleeping habits change suddenly, mention it to your veterinarian.

Where is a good place for a cat bed?

Choose a quiet, warm, draft-free spot near where your cat already naps, away from the litter box and food bowls.

Will my cat use a cooling mat in summer?

Some cats take to one right away and others ignore it. Place it where your cat already lies on hot days and let them choose.