New (first) cat - what sort of bed?

[HelloCheekyCat]

I read somewhere it is better to buy a plastic bed with a cushion & cover which can be washed, rather than trying to wash a whole bed, but how often does the bed need washing?
If we went that route I've found a bed which seems a good size but I can't find a cushion which fits.

Honestly don't bother buying a bed. There's a good chance they will never go near it. They sleep anywhere they decide to and in particular they love a cardboard box.
Mine will actively avoid comfortable, snuggly blankets or beds.

Yours.

Followed swiftly by your favourite jumper (white if the cat is black, black if the cat is a cat - as even black cats produce grey/white/red in their undercoat), the pair of trousers that you put down for a second to get your socks on, the ironing pile if you do that sort of thing, your spot on the sofa - and then maybe a cushion, paper bag, cardboard box or in front of the TV.

Yours!

Joking aside cats may or may not go for a bed that's been bought for them, but most find their preferred sleeping place around the house. Mine like their igloo bed and their doughnut bed but they also like lying on my bed, the "human" bed in their room, the sofa, the back of the sofa, the windowsill, the upstairs hall floor, the mat in the bathroom...

Regarding washing beds, remember cats beds are much smaller than dogs beds and they prefer ones that only just fit as opposed to ones with plenty of space. The igloo that's my current cats favourite I reckon could go in the washing machine OK but tbh cats are pretty clean animals so I've only taken out the cushion in the bottom & washed that a couple of times. The doughnut bed has a removeable cover, I've washed that once in a year but only because one cat was sick on it with a hairball.

Cats don't leave their beds smelling the way dogs do either!

Crikey, they don't want their own bed! 😹
They want your bed, jumper, expensive throw, cardboard box, shopping bag, flower pot full or pretty plants.....

My cat has 2 beds…. She never uses them!

My DPuss loves her bed. Can't say it gets washed much. She does have a few other favourite spots too

Oh and your basket full of clean washing

Yours.

Mine has a very expensive felted wool cat cave. She has flattened it and sleeps on top of it.

Buy whichever bed you like. Your cat will choose somewhere else no matter how luxurious the bed you buy them.

hey @HelloCheekyCat I agree with the first poster ! My cat never ever wants to go to her own bed specially bought for her , the more I put her into her bed , the more she hates it . They like to sleep anywhere but their own bed honestly . My cat loves cardboard boxes too with blanket inside , I think they like the high walls ! So I have her bed all nice and cosy but she will manage to find a random empty box instead , so strange haha , but so cute !

The only way to get a cat to sleep in a cat bed is to pretend it’s yours, so you will have to sleep in it too.

If i asked my cat where his bed is he would describe what i think of as MY bed😅

Cardboard box

This.

But to answer your question about washable vs non washable, the less easy it is to wash, the more likely they're likely to throw up on it (or pee on it if very young or very old/ill).

Plus the more expensive the bed, the less likely they are to go anywhere near it.

the comfiest bit of your sofa, where you like(d) to sit

Cat beds:
One of your favourite jumpers (cashmere is good)
Your nicest woolly sofa throw
Any shelf with clothes on it - extra cat points for the nice warm airing cupboard
Your lap
Your bed/pillow/under the duvet
A cardboard box, preferably 2 sizes too small
Anywhere you can't easily spot cat or wouldn't think to look

To be fair, TempCat likes his self heating fleecy pad for the windowsill in winter.

Mine have 2 beds that they use. Never occurred to me to wash them! They wouldn't smell right after and that would upset the cats.

But as well as the beds they have our bed, my wardrobe, my jumpers, any towel left on the floor...

Seriously don't buy a cat bed.

Unfortunately Amazon are not doing many cardboard boxes now

By whichever bed you fancy @HelloCheekyCat . If the cat bothers to sleep in it, it will only be for a week or two.

Fold your nicest jumper and leave it on your bed or the sofa, and the cat will gravitate towards it.

x-posted.

Mine sleep on my bed and on the sofa. They have this which they used to evict each other to sleep in when it was new but don't anymore.

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/scratching_posts/small/small_cat_trees_height_60_cm/284674?activeVariant=284674.0

Mine adores her fluffy cat donut, placed between the pillows at the top of my bed!

A random cardboard box with your best most expensive jumper in it just might meet feline standards! 😻

None of my cats have ever liked a bed just everywhere else

Dcats sleep on dd's pillow. During the day have an igloo bed on top of the drier and various beds on the cat tree set up in the utility room.. Away from the 4 ddogs...

I’ve had numerous cats and if you buy them a bed, they’ll probably never go in it. They choose where they sleep!! The only time my cat ever slept in a pet bed was when she slept in our dog’s huge bed!! Sure she did that just to annoy him, even though he was a 30kg dog, he was too scared to go in and just sat there looking sadly at his bed! Cats are always the boss! 😃

My 2 love sleeping on a suitcase I store under my bed......& years ago we had a cat whose favourite sleeping spot was a wooden fruit bowl on the sideboard! Cats will find their own favourite places to sleep 🐈 🐈‍⬛️