Why Won’t My Cat Sleep in a Cat Bed Anymore?

Most people can generally agree that cats can be fickle and hard to read at times. Of course, once you get to know your cat after a while, you will get to know what some of your cat’s communication cues are. But even then, there are still plenty of things you may not know about your cat, no matter how desperately your cat may want you to know. A good example of this would be when you purchase your cat a wonderful, plush new bed for it to seep in, and while your cat enjoyed it for a time, your cat seemingly does not want to sleep in it anymore. Surely, your cat must have a reason, but that reason may be harder to find than you might think.

With all of this being said, a cat’s reasoning is actually fairly straightforward, even if it can be relatively hard to understand at times. For instance, some common reasons why your cat won’t sleep in cat bed anymore include the scent of the bed being “wrong” to the cat, the location of the bed being “wrong,” or the material of the bed is not to your cat’s liking. It can be hard to determine which one of these reasons is why your cat is no longer using the bed you bought for it, but with some trial and error, you will be able to figure it out with ease.

A Cat’s Senses Are Delicate

One of the most common reasons why a cat will no longer use its cat bed is that your cat simply may not be comfortable with the way that it smells. Cats have incredibly sensitive noses, and if their place of sleep doesn’t smell just right, there’s a good chance that the cat is going to stay away from it until it smells the way your cat wants it to. A “wrong” smell can be anything from the packaging and the leftover smells of the manufacturing process, to being from another pet if the bed was preowned. If you have multiple cats, it could be because another cat has “taken over” the bed and your cat doesn’t want to compete for that bed. For other cats, this could be a case of the cat being used to sleeping on your clothes, bed, and other things that smell like you do. If your cat is used to sleeping on these items, with these smells, then having a fresh bed to sleep on is not going to bring that same amount of comfort.

Thankfully, this can be pretty easy to work with. If you believe that the problem is the smell of manufacturing or the smell of another pet, you may want to run the pet bed through the wash a few times to try and get that smell out. You may never get it out past the point where a cat can no longer detect that smell, but you can certainly dampen it. If the problem is that the cat bed doesn’t smell like the surfaces the cat usually sleeps on, then the logical solution would be to introduce those scents to the bed. Place the bed on your lap for a while, so it begins to take on your smell. You can leave dirty laundry on or around the bed, or you can rub a used pillowcase on the bed as well to have the same effect. This should help get your cat used to the bed in a quick and timely manner.

Cats Are Creatures of Routine

Just as cats have very delicate noses, they are also creatures of strict routine. They tend to shift their schedules to being awake and active at the same times that you are, and if you give them scheduled feedings, they will quickly adapt to when it is time for their food. The same can be said for where cats like to sleep. If your cat has a habit of sleeping in a certain room of your house, it is not going to be inclined to completely change its sleep location to suit where you think a cat bed would be best. Cats will prefer to continue sleeping in the areas that feel most comfortable for them, and this can differ between cats. Some cats appreciate being the center of movement in the house, laying down near the entrance of a heavily trafficked hallway. Other cats prefer to sleep in an elevated area, where it can keep watch over everyone in the house. You should have a good idea of what some of your cat’s habits are and where it enjoys sleeping.

Once you have a good idea of where your cat prefers to sleep, you should try placing the cat bed there. The best way to get a cat interested in a new cat bed is to make it as easy and as enticing as possible for the cat. Assuming that the cat bed’s scent isn’t an issue, if the cat sees a warm and plush place to lie down in their favorite resting area, then there’s a good chance that the cat will take that bed. You should begin by placing the bed in their favorite sleeping area, and as the cat becomes used to sleeping in it, you can begin moving the bed a few inches every day until the bed is in the location you want it to be.

On a similar note, some cats can be a little bit strange, and may develop a preference for particular surfaces to sleep on. One would think that most cats would appreciate soft clothes, sheets, and carpets to rest on, but this is not always the case. Some cats may prefer to sleep on the cold, hard counter, kitchen table, or other hard surfaces.

If your cat doesn’t seem to like the way that its cat bed feels, you may want to try and mimic the feeling of its usual places of sleep. For beds, you can place a pillowcase on top of the cat bed to recreate how sheets may feel on your cat’s fur. If your cat prefers to hide itself from the world around it, then you should invest in an igloo-type cat bed, where it can feel hidden. For cats that want to sleep on hard surfaces, you can invest in a raised woven bed. With all of these different cat beds to consider, you can feel confident knowing that you will surely be able to find the one that brings your cat the most comfort.