Cat Beds - How to Choose the Very Best Bed for Your Cat.

Most Common Beds

The most common of today's cat beds is what some refer to as a “nesting” bed. These beds are usually made of a firm foam bottom and have walls that extend up the sides. They provide a nice snuggly place for your cat to rest. The sides of these beds usually go up only a few inches leaving kitty plenty of room to look about and be aware of his surroundings.

Some kinds, which I call the “cave” type, are covered all the way around, creating a cave-like environment, including a roof.

Sometimes an insecure cat will find much comfort in having the cave type of bed. It is also a good bed when one is concerned about kitty getting drafts.

Another type of cat bed is the mat. Mat beds are flat and less bulky. They allow your cat to stretch out more when he sleeps. Mats may be placed on your furniture or even on the cradle of his cat tree.

Specialty Cat Beds

Then, there is the window perch. These beds are basically shelves covered in foam and then carpet that attach to the windowsill and give your cat a roomy place to sleep or just watch the world outside. Cats who like to sleep in the sun will also appreciate this type of cat bed.

Explore other kinds of cat furniture here

There are warming pet beds which are especially nice if your cat is old or has joint pain. Please note that electric cat beds must be used with extreme caution since the cords might be chewed on.

If your cat is a chewer or you don’t know for sure, you may want to try one of the new self-warming cat beds that keep your cat warm by using its own body heat and no electricity. It’s very surprising how warm these feel just because they effectively reflect your cat’s own body heat back up to the cat. Until you know what your cat likes, you probably shouldn’t spend a lot of money on bedding for your cat. You can start him off with a cardboard box bed. Get a clean cardboard box with sides high enough to keep drafts away and make kitty feel secure.

Cut an opening for your cat to enter. Line the bottom of the bed with an old pillow or blanket. You can even use an old shirt or other piece of your clothing, so your cat will be comforted by your scent when he’s resting in his new bed.

Have other covers ready as back up. Cats are very clean critters so make sure you keep his covers nice and clean, too. Be sure to put his bed in a quiet, draft-free corner away from the main traffic in your house. If you have other pets, like dogs, try to put the cat’s bed where the dog can’t get to it easily.

Of course, cats are notoriously ornery, and it’s entirely likely that as soon as you buy or make him a new bed, he will decide to take up residence on your own bed, couch or in my case, office chair. Such is the nature of cats.

Being good human servants, we still need to provide the essentials for our friends, and keep them available for whenever our felines decide to use them. Just be sure you cat has a quiet place to call his own, and respect his right to privacy when he needs it. These things have a way of working themselves out.

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