How to Make a Cat Bed More Comfortable: 8 Simple Upgrades That Actually Work

How do you make a cat bed more comfortable?

Making a cat bed more comfortable comes down to four things: warmth, enclosure, familiar scent, and the right placement. Most beds fail on one of these — not all four. Adding a fleece liner, a worn piece of your clothing, a catnip refresh, or simply moving the bed to a sunnier spot can turn an ignored bed into a daily napping destination within a week or two.

You don't always need to buy a new bed. You need to make the existing one compete with the laundry pile, the sunny patch on the floor, or the cardboard box it arrived in. The upgrades below are arranged from fastest to implement to most involved — start at the top, and stop when your cat starts using it.

8 ways to make a cat bed more comfortable

1. Add a fleece or wool liner

The material your cat actually rests against matters far more than the outer shell of the bed. Many beds use firm, easy-clean fabrics on the sleeping surface — practical for owners, but not the warmest or softest option for a cat who runs a naturally high body temperature of around 38–39°C.

Fleece, for example, insulates well and mimics the feel of fur, which is why many cats gravitate toward it quickly. Cotton stays cool and breathable — better for warm weather or cats who tend to overheat. Wool, a natural fibre from sheep, has slight texture that many cats love for kneading because it mimics the resistance they'd feel against natural surfaces.

What to do: Fold a fleece or wool blanket to fit inside the sleeping area, or cut a piece to size. Lay it on top of the existing surface rather than under any fixed padding — you want your cat resting directly on it, and it needs to be removable for washing without stripping the scent from the whole bed at once.

2. Add something that smells like you

When your cat sleeps on your dirty laundry pile, your laptop, or that tote bag you carry everywhere, they're choosing those spots specifically because they smell like you. A new bed has none of that yet, which is exactly why it loses the comparison.

The fix costs nothing.

What to do: Tuck an unwashed t-shirt, worn pillowcase, or used hand towel into the bed and leave it there for the first two to three weeks. Don't wash it — the whole point is the scent. Once your cat is using the bed consistently, the item can be removed or replaced as needed.

3. Give it a catnip refresh

Catnip can entice your cat to use their bed, or you can feed your cat treats by hand when you catch them using it — either way, both scenarios make the bed much more appealing.

Catnip works by triggering a short period of active rolling, rubbing, and pawing — exactly the kind of scent-transfer behaviour that starts making a bed feel claimed and familiar. The nap that often follows after a catnip session means your cat's first real sleep in the bed happens almost by accident, in the best possible way.

What to do: Sprinkle a small amount of catnip directly onto the liner or sleeping surface during the first introduction and again every few days during the first two weeks. Don't overdo it — a light dusting is more effective than a heavy layer, which can put some cats off. If your cat doesn't respond to catnip (roughly 30% don't, and it's genetic), use a treat placed inside the bed instead.

4. Move it somewhere warmer

Heat rises, so a cat will stay warmer if their bed is elevated off the floor. A sunny spot in the home lets cats take advantage of natural warmth throughout the day.

A bed in a cool, shaded corner is competing against every warm patch of sunlight and every heat vent in the house. Warmth is one of the primary reasons cats seek out laundry piles and laptops — so giving the bed a thermal edge is one of the simplest upgrades you can make.

What to do: Identify where the warmest natural light falls in the room during the hours your cat usually naps. Move the bed there — even a metre closer to a sunny window makes a measurable difference. In Indian summer months when warmth becomes a deterrent rather than a draw, shift it to a cool tiled area or a shaded corner with airflow instead.

5. Make it feel more enclosed

Snug, small spaces check the instinctive requirements for a safe sleeping spot perfectly — no one can sneak up while your cat dozes, which makes them feel safe and secure. Even better, enclosed spaces warm up quickly, making them cosy in no time.

If your cat's current bed is a flat, open cushion, this single change can make a bigger difference than any material upgrade. An enclosed or tunnel-style bed gives a cat walls — something to feel on three or four sides — which satisfies the den instinct that boxes and baskets satisfy so easily.

What to do: If upgrading the bed itself, consider a hooded, cave, or tunnel-style design rather than a flat mat. If you want to improve an existing flat bed, drape a light blanket over one end or tuck the bed into a corner so two sides are already protected. Our cat tunnel bed is built specifically around this principle — enclosed enough to feel like a den, breathable enough for warm weather, and shaped to encourage the tight-curl napping position most cats default to when they feel genuinely settled.

6. Wash it the right way — and less often at first

Cats are sensitive to smell and texture, so a bed that feels dirty (even if it looks fine to you) may quickly be abandoned. As a general rule, aim to wash your cat's bed about once a week — this helps control fur, dander, and odours while keeping the bed fresh and inviting.

That said, timing matters as much as frequency. Washing a new bed before your cat has fully claimed it strips away the scent they've just started building — which is why a bed that smelled fine to you suddenly gets ignored again after a wash.

What to do: For a bed your cat is still getting used to, hold off on the first wash until they're using it daily and consistently. Once it's an established favourite, wash the cover (not the whole bed if possible) on a gentle, fragrance-free cycle. Avoid fabric softeners and heavily scented detergents — cats often reject a bed that smells of chemicals more than it smells of them.

7. Add elevation for cats who prefer a vantage point

Some cats aren't avoiding the bed because it's not comfortable enough — they're avoiding it because it's not high enough. High places give cats a sense of safety and control. From an elevated spot, they can survey their surroundings — it's a built-in instinct that a bed on the floor simply doesn't satisfy for some cats.

What to do: Place the bed on a stable, elevated surface — a low shelf, a cat tree platform, or a sturdy side table near a window. Make sure it can't slide or wobble, since a single bad experience with an unstable bed can be enough to put a confident cat off it entirely. For senior cats or those with limited mobility, the reverse applies: keep the bed low and accessible, with a small step nearby if needed.

8. Create a dedicated, undisturbed zone around the bed

A comfortable bed in an uncomfortable zone is still an uncomfortable bed. Cats rest most deeply when they're not interrupted — cats value security, warmth, and undisturbed rest above almost everything else when it comes to their sleeping arrangements.

What to do: Position the bed away from high-traffic areas, loud appliances (washing machines, televisions left on), and anywhere children or other pets move through constantly. If you have multiple pets, this matters even more — a second bed in a separate zone isn't a luxury, it's a resource requirement. Once your cat has a spot that feels reliably quiet and safe, they'll return to it without any further prompting.

Which upgrade should you try first?