Cat Beds

Cats sleep between twelve and sixteen hours a day, so the bed you choose gets more use than almost anything else you buy them. The catch is that cats are particular, and a bed that looks lovely in the lounge room will be ignored for a cardboard box if it is in the wrong spot or the wrong shape.

Shapes, and what each one is for

Donut and bolster beds from around $46 have a raised rim, which suits a cat who sleeps curled with their chin on something. It is the safest default if you do not know your cat's preference yet.

Cave and hooded beds from around $53 enclose the cat completely. Nervous cats, cats in a busy household and cats who disappear under the doona all tend to take to these quickly.

Radiator and window hammocks from around $56 hang off a rail or a sill. They keep the cat off the floor, near warmth and looking outside, which is the combination most cats are hunting for when they refuse a perfectly good bed.

Heated nests from around $83 earn their place with older cats, thin coated breeds and cold rooms. Give the cat room to move off the heat, and check the cord each season.

Sizing and placement

Measure your cat curled up rather than stretched out, and add a little. A bed that is too large feels exposed, which is why cats so often choose the small box over the big cushion. Placement matters as much as the bed: somewhere warm, somewhere with a view of the room's entrance, and away from the litter tray and the food bowl. A bed in a thoroughfare will not get used.

Keeping them usable

Buy a bed with a removable cover, because you will wash it more than you expect. Wash on a cool cycle without fabric softener, which coats fibres and holds odour, and dry it fully before it goes back down. A new bed that smells of detergent is often rejected, so a familiar blanket on top for the first week helps.

Cats sharing a house need more beds than there are cats, in different spots. It heads off a surprising amount of low-level squabbling.