Why Your Cat Never Sleeps on The Beds You Buy Them

We've all seen the memes; you buy something big and fancy for your cat, but rather than perch on the cat tree or sleep on the plush bed you've brought home, they settle in the cardboard box, or on the couch, or in your lap instead. I've even seen pictures of a cat happily settled and sleeping on the floor directly next to the bed!

It's not just a meme, either. Cats are notorious for being fickle about what they'll use, and cat beds are top among the items they're pickiest about.

But why, though? Why do cats seem to never want to sleep in the beds we buy them, and prefer just about anywhere else? And what can you do if you want them to use that bed instead of sleeping on your face while you're trying to sleep, or otherwise being disruptive to you?

Common Reasons Why Your Cat Never Sleeps on the Cat Bed You Bought

First, let's go through some of the common reasons why your cat might not sleep on a bed you bought for them.

They don't like the smell.

Cats are very sensitive to smell.

Have you ever noticed that when you buy something new, it often has an odor to it? It might smell like the factory or warehouse it was stored in, for example. With things like pet beds, which are often made with some kind of foam, they frequently smell like the chemicals off-gassed by that foam. You can experience the same thing for yourself if you buy a memory foam pillow and try to sleep on it the day you unpack it.

So, your cat might have looked at the bed, but to them, it smells very strongly of an unpleasant chemical odor. That alone is enough to drive them away.

It's in a bad position.

Possibly one of the biggest reasons a cat won't like their cat bed is that it's in a bad position. Cats usually like to sleep somewhere they can feel safe, secure, and warm. Sometimes, some of those needs fall by the wayside, especially if your cat has been safe and secure all their life, but cats you adopted from stray or feral colonies can be much more hesitant.

So, think about where you've put the cat bed.

• Is it in an area that gets a lot of foot traffic that can disturb their kitty sleep?

• Is it in a drafty or cool place that could be unpleasantly chill for them?

• Is it in the open where they feel like they'll be unsafe to sleep there?

Often, cats will seek out somewhere warm, enclosed, and safe to nap, so if the bed you buy them is the opposite of those things, they aren't going to use it, no matter how plush and inviting it is.

They don't care for the texture or feeling of the bed.

We all know that cats can be picky little divas when it comes to the strangest things. Some cats turn their noses up at food if it isn't presented just right, some of them get finicky about being pet the wrong number of times, and some want spaces all to themselves.

Some cats may also be averse to certain textures. If the bed you got for them is too plush or too hard, if it has too low a pile fabric or too fuzzy a fabric, and heck, maybe even if it's the wrong color, your cat might turn away.

There's no real way to predict whether or not your cat is going to love a bed based just on the materials, since there are other reasons why they might avoid it initially. But take a look around your house and think about what your cat normally sleeps on, and get a bed that mimics that as closely as you can.

They rotate through sleeping spaces and the bed is on the out.

One thing most people don't realize is that cats rotate where they sleep. Sleeping in the same place too often is a recipe for disaster out in the wild, and it's a kind of behavior many cats have ingrained in their fuzzy little brains.

So, it's possible that they'll be interested in the cat bed eventually, but they're currently more invested in a different space, and don't want to go back to sleep where you've put the bed just yet.

It's too far away from you.

This is a big one for a lot of our fur babies; they love us! They want to spend time with us, sleep with us, and feel comfortable near us.

So when you buy a bed and put it across the room or in another room, and then you expect them to sleep there instead of somewhere they can cuddle up with you? Why, that's just never going to work!

How to Get a Cat to Sleep on a Bed You Bought for Them

So, what can you do to get your cat to sleep on the bed you bought?

I'll say it right off: you might not be able to. Sometimes, your cat just really isn't going to like the bed, no matter what you do. Most of the time, though, you have options available and can get them to take over the bed as their own; you just need to figure out which method will work for your feline friend.

Infuse the bed with your scent.

One of the big reasons a cat might not want to sleep in a bed you bought for them is that it smells like a factory or like harsh chemicals, and they don't like it. Moreover, though, they will very much prefer sleeping somewhere that smells like you, because they've bonded with you, and they love you, and they want to be with you. Or, you know, with your roommate who feeds them. Whoever.

This can be a fairly easy problem to solve. Start by laundering the bed if you can, such as running a removable cover through the wash. Don't worry if it's not launderable, though, because that part is just to clean off manufacturing residue.

Then, find something of yours that is infused with your scent. A shirt you wore all day, a blanket you've been using, a pillowcase; something that your cat is going to associate with you. Then, just drape that item over the bed. Once you do that, the bed will smell a lot more like you, and your cat will be more likely to nap on it.

Don't remove the item right away. Leave it for a few days or longer. You want your scent to infuse the bed, and you want your cat to get used to the bed being infused with your scent, so if you remove the item too soon, it'll go back to emptiness, both of scent and of cat.

Reposition the bed somewhere they'll enjoy.

Positioning can be very important for some cats, but less so for others. Generally, there are a couple of attributes for a location that stand out to cats, and it depends on the cat which ones get priority.

Here are a few options to consider:

• Find somewhere higher up for them to sleep. If your cat tends to like sleeping on the back of the couch, the top of the bookshelves, or at the top of their cat tree, positioning the bed somewhere higher up will give them that sense of security. Just make sure it's not likely to fall off its perch while they're asleep!

• Find somewhere warmer for them to sleep. Some cats don't care as much for security, but they are very focused on warmth. Putting the cat bed somewhere sun-warmed or near a source of warmth (like an appliance or heating vent) can help make it a lot more attractive to your fur baby. Just don't put it directly on something that could overheat them while they sleep.

• Find somewhere more enclosed for them to sleep. A lot of commercial cat beds are enclosed cat caves instead, because cats often prefer having somewhere enclosed so they can feel safe to sleep. This works best for cats that tend to sleep in dark, narrow places; the ones that like the space under your bed, in your dresser, or behind the furniture.

Sometimes, the bed you bought doesn't suit their preferred sleeping position. A bed that's too large won't fit higher up where they want to be, or a bed that's open doesn't give them shelter. You can find ways to adjust some of these attributes, like buying a cat "roof" to put over an open bed, but sometimes you might just have the wrong bed.

Play and tucker out your cat before bedtime.

Sometimes, the reason your cat doesn't seem to use the bed is because you're not there to see it when they do. Cats live on different time cycles than we do. They're often more active at night, which is why it can be frustrating to want to sleep while they want to play with your hair or your toes.

It's even possible that your cat is happily using the cat bed, but you never see it, because they settle in an hour after you fall asleep and get up an hour before you do, so they can beg for breakfast, or they use it to doze while you're at work during the day!

You can sometimes try to get them to sleep in their bed in the evening by playing with them and tiring them out before bedtime, sort of the same way you would with a dog or a toddler. It won't always work, of course, but it might be the kick-off you need to get them to enjoy their bed.

Discourage the use of napping spots you don't want them in.

This last tip is the "meaner" option, but it doesn't have to be mean. If you want your cat to use a bed you got for them, you might need to discourage them from sleeping where they currently sleep.

I don't generally recommend this unless you really don't want your cat getting into whatever it is they're finding to sleep. Limit this to places that are unsafe, could trap them, or could otherwise be dangerous, or if they tend to destroy their sleeping spaces, and you want to keep them from clawing everything up.

Discouraging them from sleeping where they currently sleep will involve making it less pleasant for them. A spritz of vinegar or citrus on the area, some foil that crinkles and bothers them, or even just blocking access to the space can all be ways to discourage use. Be careful that you don't go overboard, though!

A Few Questions About Cat Beds

Finally, let's round things out with a few questions that didn't fit elsewhere in the post above.

Does your cat really even need a bed?

Truth be told, no, not really. A cat bed is something you get for your cat to give them a more comfortable (in your view) place to sleep. But they're already sleeping somewhere, and they found a place that suits their needs to do it.

If your cat is limited in where they can go and you're afraid they don't have anywhere comfortable to sleep, a cat bed can work wonders. If they already have plenty of places to sleep and you're just trying to redirect them, it's probably not necessary.

How big of a bed should you get for your cat?

That really depends! Some cats like to sleep curled up into as tight a ball as they can manage. Others sprawl out to, somehow, three times their normal size (which seems to be the case when they want to sleep with you, and end up shoving you out of bed!) Observe them and see how big of a "footprint" they have when they sleep, and get a bet that matches that size for them.

One possible exception is for a senior cat, especially if that cat has mobility or joint issues. Giving them somewhere more comfortable to sleep can be much nicer on their remaining health.

Do you have any other questions? Feel free to let me know in the comments!