A cat that can’t sleep. Does that sound like a ridiculous notion? Sure, our feline friends are world-class champions when it comes to taking a nap, and it often seems like they can sleep anywhere. You might wonder, therefore, what you need to invest in a cat bed for.
One of the many answers to that question is that it’s pivotal to your cat’s health. Just as many of us are willing to break the bank to buy high-quality beds because we want to avoid developing spine problems as we grow older, such is also the case with cats.
The difference is, a cat bed DIY is good enough for your cat, as long as it’s well-made.
Treat your cat like she is your most treasured possession, and you’ll begin to reap the benefits of an exceptional friendship.
A cat bed DIY-style will provide your fur baby with a cheap but effective bed that communicates to your furry friend that you want her to be comfortable and secure.
Even though your feline friend might be happy sleeping in a basket or on the floor, as humans, we know better. Don’t let your feline friend suffer back pains as she grows older.
We’re going to look at the different ways you can provide your kitty cat with a comfy bed DIY-style that will have her purring with contentment.
First, we will explain some other reasons why you really should provide your cat with her own bed, in case we haven’t managed to convince you. Next, we have 4 DIY cat bed projects for you to try.
The Reason Why Your Cat Needs Her Own Bed
Bringing home a new feline companion is no doubt an exciting thing for you, but from the kitten’s perspective, that may not be so. The kitten will have just been taken away from her mother. That companionship will have to be replaced by you. It will mean lots of cuddles and introducing her to a soft, warm bed. So why can’t she just sleep with you in your bed? There are several reasons for that:
- Probably the biggest advantage that comes from providing your pussycat with her own bed is that it can help keep cat hair and dander off your furniture and your clothes. Your cat’s bed cover is far easier to wash than the entirety of your furniture.
- If your furry friend is allowed to come and go as she pleases, you’ll notice that she will choose a favorite chair consistently. Cats tend to get attached to a special spot. Wouldn’t it be better if that special spot is specially designed to be comfortable, soft, warm, and safe for cats?
- It’s one way to teach her discipline. Sooner or later, you will need to teach her some basic house rules. She’ll need to learn that she can’t have it her way all the time. She will discover the extent of her territory—where she’s allowed and where she is not allowed. Basic training for cats involves keeping her off your bed and in her cat bed.
- By supplying your pet with a DIY bed, you’re letting her know that no mass-produced bed is good enough for her. You want to present her with something that has just as much a personality as she.
4 DIY Cat Bed Varieties
Yes, it is possible to buy a wide assortment of manufactured cat beds from wicker baskets to plastic boxes to soft material-type pouches to even plain bean bags. There are so many styles of cat beds available, but they can be quite expensive.
If you want something cheap, easy, hand-made with love, and effective, an old cardboard box with one side partially cut away may be adequate. Simply line the box with some newspaper and then place a nice warm blanket on top of the paper. On the other hand, cats are very hygienic, and you will need to bear in mind that a cardboard box can’t be properly cleaned.
A cardboard box shouldn’t be a permanent sleeping fixture for your pet in its rough form, but there are ways to make cat beds that are more permanent and beautiful. Let’s take a look at some great ideas for a DIY cat bed that your kitty will love. Even you will be stumped by your own craftsmanship.
DIY Cat Bed #1: Crafty Cardboard Boxes
This is a more permanent version of the DIY cardboard cat bed that we mentioned above. Choose a sturdy cardboard box that is large enough for your kitten or adult cat. Though not at all absolutely necessary, to make the job easier, you should prepare these:
- Some eye-catching, self-sticking contact paper
- Some masking tape
- A pair of sturdy scissors or a box cutter
As a word of warning, if you do use tape, make sure it is flush against the cardboard, so your cat doesn’t chew on it. So here’s how you do it:
- Making use of scissors or preferably a box cutter, cut different styles of holes and peek-out slots for your cat. If you’re feeling very creative, you can add a level or two, but most people just want a comfy, single-level box for their cat.
- Create an opening on one side of the box.
- Decorate the sides with colorful adhesive paper. Put a newspaper and a soft, cuddly blanket on the base of the box for your furry friend to snuggle into.
Simple-to-make DIY cat beds such as this are good enough to allow you to provide your four-legged family member with a comfy, safe space that she will recognize as her very own. If you want to take it one step further and make sure everything about her cat bed from top to bottom is handmade, you can even make a quick and easy conventional quilt for your fur baby without even needing to haul out a sewing machine.
This box will also come in handy if you’ve allowed your cat to mate and have kittens, at least ten days before she gives birth, you should provide her with a comfy ‘nesting’ box where she can stretch out nicely. Place the birthing cardboard box in a warm, dry secluded area. Line it with soft towels or something that you can discard afterward.
About 12 – 24 hours before delivery, she’ll exhibit nesting behavior, and you’ll see her ‘arranging’ her bedding. Make sure that she is in a confined room with her temporary nesting bed where she can have peace and privacy and easy access to food and water as well as her litter box.
DIY Cat Bed #2: No-Sew DIY Cat Bed
Now, we’re going to give you another super rainy-day task for making a quick fleecy bed for your kitty cat. Here’s what you need to prepare beforehand:
- A pair of scissors
- Two pieces of fleecy fabric exactly the same size, roughly 18 inches long
- A ruler
- Some masking tape
- A bag of pillow stuffing
This cat bed is more permanent than the cardboard one; it’s washable. Here’s how you make it:
- Line up the fleece. Now put a line of masking tape 4 inches from the bottom of each side, leaving you with a square in each corner. You need to cut out the square.
- Let your creative juices start flowing now and cut inch-wide strips from the edge to the line of the masking tape. The reason for this is that it makes for a fringe around the fleece.
- Now tie the top fringed pieces to the bottom fringed pieces. Once you’ve tied up three sides, place the stuffing from the pillow evenly inside the bed.
- Finish up the bed by tying the last fringes together.
Your furry friend will leap into such a soft, comfy bed. The way she looks at you with contentment epitomized will be all the thanks you need.
DIY Cat Bed #3: DIY Cat Tent Bed
This DIY cat tent is really easy to make, and all you essentially need are:
- An old T-shirt of yours you no longer care for
- Some wire hangers
- Some masking tape
- Some pins
- A piece of cardboard that roughly measures 15 x 15 inch
If your t-shirt is too small, as a guide choose one that is a medium-sized to give your kitty cat just that much more room to move around in. You’ll also need something to cut the wire hangers with. Here’s how you make a DIY cat tent that doubles as a bed:
- Take the wire hangers and lop off the hook.
- Shape each of the hangers into a nice curve, much like you would for an umbrella. What is planned for these pieces of wire is that they’re going to go from corner to corner in your piece of cardboard.
- Poke a hole in each corner of the cardboard. Make sure the holes are about a half inch away from the edge.
- Take the curved hangers and tape the middle part where they meet to keep them together. They should look like those food covers that fit over plates to keep flies away.
- Push the ends through the holes you made in the corners of the cardboard. Bend the wire sticking through the holes, so they lie flat against the cardboard and tape the ends down nice and flat.
- Pull the t-shirt over the tent frame and make it so that the neck part is in the front middle. The bottom of the shirt should be behind the tent frame.
- Now flip the contraption up so that the bottom is facing you and the hole is facing upwards. Fold up the T-shirt-excess and tighten everything, so the neck hole where the cat will go in and out is taut.
- Make use of large safety pins to pin the excess T-shirt in place. Also, pull the sleeves tight and safety-pin them into place as well. Use as many large pins as needed to tighten everything up. Yes, some people wonder why you don’t just cut the t-shirt, but leaving it whole makes it easy to remove and wash.
- Turn the tent the right way up again, place newspaper at the bottom, with a soft blanket on top, and watch the reaction of your fur-child.
We guess that your kitty cat is going to be popping in and out of her new tent-bed all the time. You can check out plenty of other ideas on DIY cat tents in this link.
DIY Cat Bed #4: Old Sweater Cat Bed
Are you good at sewing? If you are, you should find this one easy-peasy to make. You’re going to need:
- A ball of yarn
- A heavy-duty needle
- An old sweater you no longer use. Try to choose one that is 100% wool, because your furry friend will appreciate the warmth and comfort it provides on a cool night.
Here’s how you put everything together:
- Sew up the neckline of the sweater. Sew a line from armpit to armpit. You’ll be sewing both sides of the sweater together, across this line, using your heavy-duty needle. The idea is to create a tube that runs from one wrist opening to the other.
- Now fill this tube up with stuffing such as old scraps of material. After sewing the line from armpit to armpit, take the stuffing and insert it into one wrist and continue adding stuffing through the wrist-opening until you have a soft tube running from wrist to wrist.
- Form a circle with the wrists which ultimately form the edge of the cat bed. Sew the sleeves together, forming a loop. Tuck one sleeve inside the other. Take your needle and yarn again and sew around in a circle.
- Attach the bottom. The body of the sweater is what forms the bottom of the cat bed.
Wrap Up
Cats are captivating creatures. Having one in your home and providing well for her will result in a wonderful companion that creeps into and holds a treasured place in your heart. However, a pet-human relationship is one that you shouldn’t enter lightly.
A cat needs food, grooming tools, a litter box, veterinary care, and a warm, dry, soft bed. The last one is especially important because the cat is going to be with you for 10, 15, or 20 years, and if she keeps sleeping in odd places, she could develop back pains as she grows older.
There are so many nifty ideas for making a DIY bed for your fur babies. Some people use old suitcases, old drawers, wine crates, and even trendy bed-side tables or night tables. They open the latch and allow their pet to climb in and settle right beside them for the night. After taking all the options into consideration, we’ve made sure the DIY cat bed ideas we’ve included in this article are easy to make and easy to maintain.
Don’t stress if your kitten doesn’t take to her new sleep area immediately. It may take several days for a kitten to adapt to new smells, new sights, new sounds, and new sleeping arrangements.
Where does your cat usually sleep? Does she have a cat bed of her own? Did you make it yourself or did you purchase a commercial one? Please share any experience you have with cat beds in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your opinion! Oh, and if you prefer cat hammocks to cat beds, you can make one at home too.
