Cats may spend up to three-quarters of the day asleep, so it is important to provide them with somewhere suitable for this purpose. You can now choose from a wide range of beds for your cat. There are basket beds, bean bags and even hammock-style beds which can be attached to a radiator and help to keep your pet warm in the winter.

In the case of a bean bag, be sure that it has a detachable outer cover, which can be washed easily. This will be particularly important of your cat has fleas at any stage. It should also be made of fire-retardant materials. In the case of beds, plastic rather than wicker will be easier to clean and is less likely to harbour fleas.

Position the bed in a quiet corner of the room, well away from any fire, particularly a coal fire which could spit hot embers on to the bed. More nervous cats may feel more secure with an enclosed bed.
Line it with a suitable cushion, avoiding wool blankets which could encourage your pet to start sucking wool. This is a particular problem in some pure-bred cats, particularly Siamese. Alternatively, you can buy a proprietary lining.




Giving your cat its own bed should mean that it is less likely to sleep on a settee or chairs. Since cats tend to dig into the materials with their claws before they settle down to sleep, keeping them off your furniture will protect the chair covers from being damaged. It is also not a good idea to allow cats to sleep on your bed. You could easily end up being bitten by the occasional flea as a result !