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Best Cat Beds: Comfort for Your Kitties

Danielle Mcleod

You aren’t the only one in your household who deserves a comfortable bed to sleep and lounge upon. Many people offer comfortable sleeping areas for their household pets, only to have them choose various boxes, piles of newspaper, or other odd places to sleep.

Cats in particular have a tendency to be finicky about where they sleep, and can be incredibly frustrating to their owners- especially when a new bed is ignored. However, there are many tried and true designs that are preferred by cats, and the best cat beds we could find are highlighted below.

RankProductHighlights
#1Best Friends by Sheri OrthoComfort Deep Dish Cuddler

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  • Type: Nest style
  • Size: 20 x 15 x 12 inches
  • Material: Fleece and polyfill
  • Features: Stable, plush walls, joint cushioning filling
#2MEOWFIA Premium Cat Bed Cave

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  • Type: Pod Style
  • Size: 19 x 12 x 8 inches
  • Material: Felted wool
  • Features: Enclosed cave like feel, upwards facing entrance, stable, but flexible sides
#3K&H Pet Products Kitty Sill

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  • Type: Loft style
  • Size: 12 x 24 inches
  • Material: orthopedic foam and fleece
  • Features: heated options, orthopedic comfort, easy to remove cover
#4AmazonBasics Cat Scratching Post / Lounging Combo

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  • Type: Raised Loft Style
  • Size: 19 x 19 x 25 inches
  • Material: Lofty polyfill and polyfleece
  • Features: Juste scratching post, raised height
#5Furhaven Pet Bed Mat

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  • Type: Self-warming mat
  • Size: 17 x 22 x .25 inches
  • Material: Fleece, polyfill
  • Features: warming mat, plush sleep surface

Why Offer Your Cat a Bed?

If you are thinking it is futile to offer your cat a bed because they already prefer to lay on your own bed, arm of a couch, or center of the living room rug- you might want to reconsider. There are many benefits to finding a good match for your cat, despite their tendency to be picky about, well, everything in general.

First off, an accepted pet bed can be more easily cleaned of cat hair and washed when needed compared to other options in the home. They also offer good support for your pet, especially if they are beginning to age, and can be part of how you manage arthritis. Many pet beds are smaller, and can help regulate body temperature through the changing seasons, or at least provide an alternative for either cooling or warming their body. They also allow them to have their own place, undisturbed by others in the household.

Popular Types of Cat Beds

There is an incredible array of cat bed types you can consider, but it is important to think about what cats prefer before purchasing what you want instead. Everything from window beds, to pod beds, or even beds made of cardboard exist, and your observation of your cat can help steer you in the right direction pertaining to what purchase might be best.

There are a few materials and styles many cats lean towards, including pod-like styles, basket shapes, heated options, and those that set above the ground.

Best Cat Beds to Consider

The following cat beds aren’t guaranteed to make your cat love it, but they are popular with both cats and their loving owners’ alike. The styles are popular, affordable, and comfortable choices to consider.

1. Best Friends by Sheri OrthoComfort Deep Dish Cuddler

Specs:

  • Type: Nest style
  • Size: 20 x 15 x 12 inches
  • Material: Fleece and polyfill
  • Features: Stable, plush walls, joint cushioning filling

Best Plush Cat Bed

The soft high walls of these beds are exactly what your small pets needs to feel secure. The larger back bolster allos your cat to stretch out in any position they are comfortable in, and the waterproof lined bottom protects against accidents. It also is easy to wash and is filled with lofty fibers to keep it feeling plush wash after wash. Available in multiple colors, it is designed specifically for joint support.

ProsCons
  • Long lasting and durable
  • Soft and plush
  • Cats seem to enjoy the security of it
  • Scent may not be to cat’s liking at first and need to be washed and used by the owner to make it smell more like home

Best For:

This bed is best for dats that prefer a nest like bedding and protective walls for privacy. The soft fleece cover and thick, plush filling is also excellent for older animals for joint protection.

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2. MEOWFIA Premium Cat Bed Cave

Specs:

  • Type: Pod Style
  • Size: 19 x 12 x 8 inches
  • Material: Felted wool
  • Features: Enclosed cave like feel, upwards facing entrance, stable, but flexible sides

Best Pod Style Cat Bed

Cats are notorious for getting into bags, boxes, and other tight spaces, but they often struggle to get comfortable due to a lack of space to spread out. These pod style beds provide plenty of room, and are made from a felted wool that provides a thin, warm, and flexible design that is supportive to provide privacy and a feeling of safety.

ProsCons
  • Surprisingly roomy
  • Naturally alluring to cats
  • Very nice looking to blend into decor
  • It might not hold shape well but can be stiffened with fabric stiffener

Best For:

These beds are best for cats that love to crawl into enclosed spaces to sleep and play. The design of these beds provide an upward facing opening  preferred by many cats.

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3. K&H Pet Products Kitty Sill

Specs:

  • Type: Loft style
  • Size: 12 x 24 inches
  • Material: orthopedic foam and fleece
  • Features: heated options, orthopedic comfort, easy to remove cover

Best Loft Style Cat Bed

This loft style cat bed is designed to be mounted either under a window with at least a 2 inch sill to provide a raised platform for your cat to lounge upon. Let your kitty watch out the window or lay in the sun without sacrificing comfort or style. Available in both heated and unheated versions, both have an orthopedic foam pad with a faux lamb fleece cover that can be removed for laundering.

ProsCons
  • Heating pad option is not too hot and warms quickly
  • Bed is easy to secure and supports up to 40 lbs
  • Well loved by many cats
  • Velcro may not be strong enough on the sill and require screws (provided)

Best For:

This bed is best for cats that prefer to sit near or in windows, on raised surfaces, or love to find patches of sun to lay in.

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4. AmazonBasics Cat Scratching Post / Lounging Combo

Specs:

  • Type: Raised Loft Style
  • Size: 19 x 19 x 25 inches
  • Material: Lofty polyfill and polyfleece
  • Features: Juste scratching post, raised height

Best Multi-Purpose Raised Cat Bed

Cats that love to seek out heights will love this scratching post and lounging bed combination cat tower. Made from durable, long lasting jute for the post, and plush fiber fill and polyfleece, the bed provides plenty of room and comfort for your cat to curl up in. The bed can be removed with elastic for laundering, but is designed to be secured to avoid slippage.

ProsCons
  • Easy to put together, this is very sturdy
  • Bed secures easily to the post, and stays put
  • Easy to clean
  • May be too small for large cats

Best For:

This bed is best for cats that love to perch and/or prefer to scratch. It is easy to place just about anywhere and helps draw a cat’s attention to the product, rather than your furniture.

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5. Furhaven Pet Bed Mat

Specs:

  • Type: Self-warming mat
  • Size: 17 x 22 x .25 inches
  • Material: Fleece, polyfill
  • Features: warming mat, plush sleep surface

Best self-Warming Cat Mat

Cats are drawn to heat and this self-warming cat mat is the perfect addition to your home to provide warming comfort and support. Available in many colors and various patterns, this plush mat is lightweight, portable, and thick enough to provide joint comfort all while radiating a safe, comfortable warmth created by their own body heat that is absorbed by a thermal sheet and reflected back to them.  Perfect for cats up to 20 lbs, you can set this pad on an existing bed, floor, windowsill, or any other place your cat prefers to lay.

ProsCons
  • Heating technology provides the perfect amount of warmth
  • Surprisingly warm and easy to care for
  • Great, spacious size
  • Has a slight crackling sound
  • Cannot launder the whole thing

Best For:

This mat is best for cats that are drawn to warmed surfaces and prefer a simple, no frills sleep surface.

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Conclusion

Hopefully one of these popular cat bed options is suitable for both cat and owner’s taste. Remember, before choosing a pet bed, consider the preferences your pet has already shown you concerning the types of materials, shapes, and location of where they prefer to sleep. These options are rated highly due to how well they are accepted by many cats, but that doesn’t guarantee your pet will fall in love with it as well.

We’d love to hear what your cats prefer and if any of these beds worked out well for them!

Photo credit: Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock