Our pet cats sleep a lot. In fact, most adult cats sleep on average 15 hours a day. Senior cats and kittens may even sleep more than that. As devoted owners, we want to provide a safe and cosy spot for our feline companions to curl up. For some, this may be on our laps and sharing our own beds. But for those who like a little distance, or who need an alternative when they are home alone, a cat bed is an ideal option. However, it can be frustrating to buy your pet its own bed and have them completely ignore it. So where is the best place to put it to encourage your cat to want to use it?
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Location, Location, Location
The best thing to provide your cat with is choice. Although your cat will sleep a lot, you will likely notice that they change their sleeping spot across the day. While available options may be restricted by the layout of your home, often, learning your cat’s personal preferences can help give ideas on where to try. There will likely be some rooms or parts of rooms that they prefer to spend more time in. In addition to this, there are some general rules to consider.
Cats like to be exceptionally clean. Next to sleeping, they spend a lot of time on self-care and grooming. They won’t choose to sleep near their food and toilet spots if they don’t have to. Creating space between these resources is important so beds are best placed in a separate part of a room, or in a separate part of the house. In a multi-cat household, each cat needs the opportunity to choose its own bed, away from the other cats if desired. Even bonded cats who choose to cuddle up together should have the opportunity to sleep apart in an equally considered space.
Penthouse Suite vs Ground-Floor Pad
Cats need to feel safe while they sleep. Although cats are themselves predators, they are also small enough to feel threatened by other animals or feel disturbed by the comings and goings of a busy household. For many cats, this means they will seek out a high place to have their nap. Height provides a vantage point for them to survey their kingdom in between dozing, as well as providing some distance from those things that could be a threat or disturbance to them.
Height can be provided through the use of cat trees and towers, or even appropriately-placed shelving or bookcases. If using furniture or wall fixtures, it is important to be confident that the weight of your cat can be supported, and that it is wide enough to allow your cat to curl up and spread out.
An important consideration in providing height is the age and fitness of your cat. Kittens can’t jump as well and may be more uncoordinated. Gaps, height differences and ‘stepping stones’ between structures may need to be adjusted to account for shorter legs and strides. At the opposite end of the age spectrum, senior cats are commonly affected by arthritis or may have low muscle mass due to health conditions such as kidney disease. It may be physically uncomfortable or difficult for them to jump up onto or climb up structures. A ramp may allow some cats to get up onto a bed, otherwise a floor-level bed can be hidden inside a box or built-into a bedside table or coffee table.
Creating a Cosy, Quiet Escape
Getting the temperature right for your cat’s bed can matter more to some cats than others. Coat type and age influence how well your cat copes with a hot day or heat source. Although there are beds available that are designed to hook over heaters, some cats can find these too hot. At the opposite extreme, draughts can be off-putting. As different rooms might heat up and cool differently as the sun moves across your property, temperature shifts across the day is another reason to provide your cat the choice of multiple bed locations.
Noise can also be a deterrent to using a provided bed. If there is a constant disturbance, your cat may become hypervigilant. Instead of resting and sleeping, in this state it can become stressed. Alternatively, it may seek out a different spot and ignore the bed in a particular location. Some cats choose to use our bed as their bed during the day as the bedroom is often a quiet part of the house at this time. For busy households, this can be a good choice to place a cat bed.
Conclusion
Whether you buy a bed or create a bed space for your feline companion, the best spot for your cat should consider its individual preferences. Additionally, the height should take into account your cat’s physical fitness. Creating a comfortable, cosy, and quiet area for them to sleep will give the greatest likelihood that your feline companion will actively use the bed that you provide for them.
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