Cat Bed - Comfort for Cats

People have been keeping cats as pets and companions for almost as long as there have been, well, people! A natural product of this is the creation of comfort items for our feline friends. One of these creations is the cat bed. After hundreds of years of development, cat beds have evolved from simple piles of soft material, haphazardly placed on a dirt floor, to sometimes extravigant pieces of cat lounging perfection. With litteraly thousands of sizes, shapes, colors, and styles to choose from, it can be hard picking the right cat bed for your whiskered friend. Not to worry, as choosing the correct cat bed is just like choosing a bed for yourself!

What is a Cat Bed?

A cat bed is exactly what it sounds like, a bed for a cat. When most people imagine cat beds, they picture a single, tasseled cushion where atop sits a fuzzy white feline, gazing at it's posh surroundings with an unerring sense of superiority. While this oft romanticized style of cat bed is still available today (you could simply throw a large pillow on the floor), there are many other choices available.

Choosing a Cat Bed

Choosing a cat bed for your pet cat can be a stressful ordeal, especially if you have a picky cat! The cat will always be the determining factor on weather or not a cat bed is going to work in your home. A cat bed isn't doing it's job if the cat wont sleep in it! Unfortunately short of buying the bed and bringing it home, it's almost impossible to test if your cat will like the bed or not. Here are some tips to help you make the best possible educated guess:

• Always check how much room you have for your new cat bed. It's pretty obvious you can't keep a huge cat bed in a tiny apartment, unless you plan on sleeping in it too. Take the time and measure the available space with a tape measure or ruler, then do the same with the cat beds in the store or online. This small step will save you a lot of headaches later.
• Choose a material that suits your cat. Cat beds come in a wide variety of different materials ranging from rough wool to some quite fluffy synthetics. Choosing the correct cat bed material is important to your cat's comfort because certain materials retain and shed heat better or worse than others. This results in either a comfortable or miserable feline!
• Match your new cat bed to your home's decor. A hot pink cat bed on a rich brown hard wood floor could look a little silly. Be sure to consider where the cat bed will be going when choosing one for the first time.

Cat Bed Care

After picking out your brand new cat bed, it's time to learn how to keep it looking and smelling like new. like any piece of furniture, over time it will get worn from repeated use. This goes double for pets like cats, as their sharp claws can rip up many fabrics. Fortunately most quality cat beds are designed with these things in mind. Here are a couple cat bed cares tips:

• Check your cat bed periodically for ripping seams or small tears. While not an immediate emergency (and what is when it comes to cat beds?), small rips and tears can quickly grow larger if not taken care of. A simple sew job is all that's needed to mend these minor emergencies. Just makes sure clip all the extra thread when your done. Don't want the cat ruining your new patch job would you?
• Keep the cat bed away from the litter box. Even if you have the laziest of kitties, it would be a good idea to listen to this bit of advice. A cat bed kept too near the litter box will soon be filled with cat litter, which is no fun for anybody. Consider keeping the cat bed on the other side of the room, or a different room if at all possible.
• NEVER place a cat bed near a heater, fire place, or stove! While it may seem like a nice treat for your cat to be near these heat sources, the risk of fire is too great. Many cat beds are made of materials such as cotton and polyester which can be flammable if exposed to high temperatures for too long.
• Consider killing two or more birds with one stone by buying a cat bed that incorporates a cat toy or two, or perhaps one that sits atop a scratching post type pedestal. Combining cat beds, toys, and scratching posts in one piece of furniture can really help to save space and money.