How do I get the cat to sleep in the cat bed?

I bought Harry a bed yesterday. We got him unexpectedly so I initially put a blanket in a box for him. But he wouldn't sleep in it and, the first morning that I got up, he was sitting on one of the wooden dining room chairs. I think he liked it as it's enclosed. Consequently I put the blanket up on the chair as I wanted him to be comfortable!

I now want to get him out of the habit of sitting on the chairs and into the cat bed. I tried putting his blanket and toys into the bed and putting the bed under the table but no joy. I don't want to leave him overnight without any comfort on the chair but I want to encourage him into this bed eventually.

Has anyone any suggestions?

Cats are weird.

Seriously

My PHX would rather sleep in the weirdest places in the house, versus the comfortable ones. PHX doesn't just sleep in one spot, he sleeps whereever and whenever he wishes! I don't have any good suggestions for you. If your cat wants to lay there, he will. You did the right thing by putting some familiar belongings in there, and maybe after he gets used to it he'll start using the bed! Have you tried putting a little bit of cat nip in the bed? Just to get your cat interested. I would just give the cat some time, he'll come around!

Check out this link about cat sleep:
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...-a-Catnap.html

Good luck

I've bought SO many cat beds.

You can never MAKE a cat do ANYTHING, it will either decide to use it on its own or it won't.

What has been found to be effective for me is placing a folded fleece blanket in certain places in the house where the cats like to lie down.

And once you start to think that this is "their" spot, they will change their mind and abandon it for another, completely different location.

Also, please understand that cats will go where they please. They own you, not the other way around, so please give up the idea that you don't want your cat to sit on chairs. If chairs are good enough for you they are certainly good enough for your cat!

Well, he may well sleep in it .. sometime, but don't expect it to be forever, as cats like to change around every few days, wks, or months at most, and will not behave like dogs who pick a place and stay with it.

I don't mind him sleeping on the chairs except if I have people round for dinner he might feel a bit put out! Yes I'm aware cats never do what you want them to do; my mum bought her cats two lovely beds and they never slept in them. I've given him plenty of other comfy places to sleep but he still likes to lie under the tv.

It's all pretty cute anyway

Yep cat's just sleep where they want and you can't really control it at all.

I have a big pet pillow that Nikita ignored for months until suddenly she decided she loved it and now she curles up on it all the time. She also used to sleep in my comfy chair all the time but then she just stopped, I have no idea why.

If he doens't use the bed at all, I guess you could take it away or just leave it out and who knows he might decide he likes it after all.

I put my cat beds on top of things because they prefer to be up off the ground. A bed (or pad) on the top of a tall cat condo, with a little catnip sprinkled on it is heaven for them.

Get a medium or tall cat condo and place it in the room with the chair in question. My bet is that they will prefer the condo over the chair, as they get a better view of the world that way.

I bought this very cool igloo for my two. It was great looking, soft and cosie and everything I thought they would like...................wrong! They much prefer to sleep on my clean laundry or on my bed or on top of the fridge!
Go figure!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

Ok, now that I've caught my breath.... it's nearly impossible to "get a cat to use it's bed".... Currently, i'm in possession of a lambskin snuggle ball from Fosters and Smith (now a $35 floor pillow for me), a fuzzy cat donut type bed (used occasionally, but only after I'd had it for 6 months and only cuz the boyfriend tends to kick Oliver out of the bed in his sleep), a fleece mat type bed (only recently discovered by cat even though it's sat out for more than 2 years), a kitty condo and his soft sided crate....

I got in the habit of leaving his crate out and open with a (stolen, oops) airline blanket folded up inside - he started napping in there on his own.... then he decided that my lady bug bean bag chair was his - having no choice, I surrendered it. Neither of these two were bought with the purpose of being his bed, haha.... the only reason he's just started to KIND OF use the mat style bed is because I picked up a pouch of his favorite cat nip and put a little on it

Pretty much, cats will sleep wherever they feel like it, whether it's where you want them to or not (unfortunately)... not sure where you're located, but in the northeast US it's getting warmer, so your kitty may be too hot in a bed with blankies and toys - that may change in the winter months...

Long story short - every kitty has it's own personality and likes different sleeping places. When it comes to Oliver, if I'm in bed, he's in there with me... for his afternoon naps, there are a plethera of places he'll go - but usually not in any of the beds I've spent half my savings on....


good luck - try a little cat nip and put any hair you brush off him into the bed, otherwise, let him make his own decisions

I've never bothered buying cat beds - one of mine prefers either the top of the sofa or a pile of laundry, and the other sleeps in our bed. Not a lot you can do about it!

Try some catnip in the bed. We have several different kinds/shapes. Charlie likes a more enclosed one, but sleeps in either.

First, sprinkle catnip & alternate a "surprise" treat or toy in the bed...wait a week while cat totally ignores it, or eats treat and ignores bed...

Repeat...
Maybe, repeat a few more days...

Then think to yourself, "Maybe I should donate this to a shelter..." and then it'll become "popular"!

I swear this is the pattern around here! Everytime I think, "Oh well, we'll just give it away, even if it's new", suddenly, someone will make themselves quite cozy in it! (Works with the old beds, too, that have "fallen out of favor" !)

So I think we're all in agreement that cats are completely stubborn and independent! This morning my partner let Harry up to the bedroom to sleep with me for an hour and he spent the whole time jumping on my feet and hands; bang goes my lie-in! Of course he's ready to snooze now that I'm up

Originally Posted by Catnip

I bought Harry a bed yesterday. We got him unexpectedly so I initially put a blanket in a box for him. But he wouldn't sleep in it and, the first morning that I got up, he was sitting on one of the wooden dining room chairs. I think he liked it as it's enclosed. Consequently I put the blanket up on the chair as I wanted him to be comfortable!

I now want to get him out of the habit of sitting on the chairs and into the cat bed. I tried putting his blanket and toys into the bed and putting the bed under the table but no joy. I don't want to leave him overnight without any comfort on the chair but I want to encourage him into this bed eventually.

Has anyone any suggestions?

Click to expand...

I have posted this picture before; it is one of my favorites.

I bought Persi this really nice bed that fit him perfectly and closed up like a clam. According to all the book, the nicest bed I could possibly get for him. And look where the little rascal chose to sleep! I mean, is this spite, or what? He is sound asleep directly over that nice cat bed. Why in the world would he prefer this drawer? So I posted this picture to hopefully make you feel a little better and maybe even give you a chuckle. I still chuckle when I see it and I have no idea why I still have it because after ten months, Persi has never went near it. Alley comes in and once in a while bats the pink ball around but if she can find a box or drawer left open that is where you will find her!

That is so adorable!! And typical . My new strategy is to discourage him from using the cat bed because he might actually get into it then!!

Originally Posted by Catnip

That is so adorable!! And typical

. My new strategy is to discourage him from using the cat bed because he might actually get into it then!!

Click to expand...

Ahhhh, yes. Reverse psychology.

Let us know how it works out!

I think the whole cat bed situation is just one big reality check from all of our cats.... and that reality check is:

THEY'VE GOT US TRAINED!


hahahahhaa, we will spend money on and hang on to things they never use and they like to remind us of this frequently... and they will continue to win because they're so cute and they know it!

Mine likes warm cat beds. Extra soft fleece small blankets are a plus.

Yeah, it really does depend on the cat's preference. I had bought a cat bed and returned it, because the cat wasn't interested. It turned out what he did like was a Purr Padd, which is a flat square of a Brillo-looking (though softer) material. Bed shapes aren't his thing.

I agree with the poster who said to put it up high. He still may not use it, but there's a greater chance that he will. Our old cat Penni slept in a cat bed on our dresser for years. Now Lily likes to sleep in a cat bed in the same exact place. Eliza has never taken to sleeping in a bed though. She alternates between sleeping on us or just some random place in the house. We also have cat beds in the guest room for the bengals, and if we lock them in there (because they are driving us nuts at 3 a.m.) they'll go right into them and go to sleep. However, they up are up on top of the bed, so a ways above the floor. I've never known a cat to use a bed that was directly on the floor.