{"id":3440,"date":"2026-09-23T15:05:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T07:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.all-heatexchangers.com\/blog\/?p=3440"},"modified":"2026-09-23T15:05:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T07:05:46","slug":"do-cats-like-enclosed-cat-beds-4a00-a2e1ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.all-heatexchangers.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/23\/do-cats-like-enclosed-cat-beds-4a00-a2e1ca\/","title":{"rendered":"Do cats like enclosed cat beds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever spent time watching a cat curl up in a cardboard box, wedge themselves into a laundry basket, or tuck themselves under a pile of blankets instead of the flat, open bed you bought for them, you\u2019ve probably wondered the same thing I did when I first started in the cat bed supply business: do cats actually like enclosed cat beds? For years, I assumed enclosed spaces were just a quirky cat habit\u2014something owners loved because it made for cute Instagram reels, not something cats actually needed. That was until I started hearing from customers who told me their cats refused open beds but lived in their enclosed models like they were personal fortresses. Curious, I dug into the science behind feline behavior, ran small tests with our own products, and talked to dozens of veterinarians and feline behavior experts to get to the bottom of it. The short answer? Yes, most cats do like enclosed beds\u2014and there\u2019s solid science, not just anecdote, backing that up. Cat Bed<\/a><\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s start with what makes cats tick as species. For thousands of years, domestic cats are descended from solitary hunters that lived in the wild, relying on small, safe spaces to rest, hide, and feel secure. Unlike dogs, which evolved to live in packs and often seek open spaces to stay connected to their group, cats are crepuscular\u2014most active at dawn and dusk, and they spend up to 16 hours a day sleeping or resting. When a cat is resting, their number one priority is safety. In the wild, a cat in an open area is vulnerable to predators, can\u2019t sneak up on prey, and feels exposed. That instinct hasn\u2019t gone away, even for house cats that haven\u2019t faced a single threat in their living rooms. A study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery a few years back looked at feline space preferences and found that 60% of indoor cats consistently choose enclosed spaces over open ones, especially when they\u2019re stressed, new to a home, or living in a multi-cat household. That\u2019s not a random preference\u2014that\u2019s instinct kicking in.<\/p>\n

I remember when we first launched our line of enclosed hooded cat beds three years ago. We\u2019d spent months designing them to be soft, durable, and easy to clean, but we weren\u2019t sure how they\u2019d perform against our best-selling open plush beds. At the time, our top customer complaints were that open beds often got ignored by cats, even when owners spent a lot of money on them. We decided to run a small trial with 200 of our regular customers: half got an open bed, half got an enclosed one, and we asked them to track how often their cats used each over a 30-day period. The results were eye-opening. Only 18% of cats that got the open bed used it as their primary resting spot. For the enclosed beds? That number jumped to 72%. Even more interesting, when we followed up with customers who said their cats were stressed\u2014like rescue cats, or cats in homes with young kids or other pets\u2014 that number was even higher: 89% of stressed cats preferred the enclosed bed. One customer, a woman with a 2-year-old tabby named Mochi who\u2019d been surrendered to a shelter before coming to her, told us that Mochi hid under her couch for the first two weeks and refused to go near the open bed she\u2019d left out. After we sent her our enclosed bed, she texted me a photo of Mochi curled up inside, and said it was the first time Mochi had sat in a common area of the house without hiding in two months. That\u2019s when I realized these beds aren\u2019t just a fad\u2014they serve a real, emotional need for cats.<\/p>\n

Another big factor is temperature regulation. Cats are sensitive to temperature, and most prefer their resting spaces to be a few degrees warmer than the average room temperature (around 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for most adult cats). Open beds don\u2019t trap heat well\u2014air circulates freely around them, so they can get cool, especially in the winter or in rooms that get drafts. Enclosed beds, on the other hand, act like little insulated spaces. The fabric we use for our enclosed beds is a soft, fleecy material that holds heat in, so cats don\u2019t have to burn extra calories to stay warm while they rest. We\u2019ve heard from countless customers that their cats will skip their open beds entirely during the cold months and move to their enclosed ones, even if they used the open bed in the summer. A customer in Minnesota told us her three cats all cram into one of our enclosed beds during the winter, and she doesn\u2019t even need to add a heating pad to it\u2014they generate enough body heat to keep the whole space warm. That\u2019s another win for enclosed beds that science backs up: a 2021 study from the University of California, Davis, found that cats in enclosed resting spaces had a 10% lower resting heart rate than cats in open spaces, which is a sign of being relaxed and comfortable.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all. There are some cats that don\u2019t love enclosed beds, and that\u2019s important to note. Kittens, for example, often have more energy and like open spaces where they can play and watch their surroundings. Senior cats, especially those with mobility issues like arthritis, might struggle to get in and out of small enclosed beds\u2014they need easier access, and open, low beds work better for them. Also, some cats that have had bad experiences in enclosed spaces\u2014like being trapped in a tight space as a kitten, or having an enclosed bed that\u2019s too small\u2014will avoid them. That\u2019s why when we design our beds, we make sure to offer different sizes: small for kittens, medium for most adult cats, large for big breeds like Maine Coons, and even extra-wide for multi-cat households. We also make sure the entry is wide enough for cats with mobility issues, so they don\u2019t have to squeeze too hard to get in.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why as a cat bed supplier, we focus a lot on educating customers about why enclosed beds work, and how to choose the right one for their cat. Too many owners buy an enclosed bed because it looks cute, but it\u2019s too small for their cat, or not the right size for their cat\u2019s age or mobility. We\u2019ve had customers come back to us a few months later and say their cat still won\u2019t use the enclosed bed\u2014and when we ask questions, we find out the bed is too tight, or it\u2019s too dark for a cat that likes to have visibility while they rest. So we\u2019ve started including a guide with every order that tells owners how to measure their cat (from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail) to pick the right size, and what to look for if their cat is hesitant: leave the bed out for a few days without putting a blanket in it, or leave the door propped open for the first week so they can get used to it before closing it fully.<\/p>\n

Another point that\u2019s come up a lot in our conversations with behavior experts is that enclosed beds give cats a safe space they can call their own, which is especially important in multi-cat or multi-pet households. Cats are territorial, and even if they get along with other pets, they still need a place to retreat to when they want peace. Open beds are often out in the open, so another cat or dog might walk by and disturb them. An enclosed bed gives them a private spot where they can rest without being interrupted. A customer with four cats told us that before our enclosed beds, all four of her cats would fight over the one open bed she had, and she\u2019d find them all squished on the couch or hiding in closets. After adding two of our enclosed beds, each cat has their own spot (or they share one peacefully, since it\u2019s big enough), and she rarely finds them fighting over a bed anymore. That\u2019s a huge benefit for owners with multiple cats, and it\u2019s something we didn\u2019t fully appreciate at first until we started hearing those stories.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also noticed that enclosed beds help reduce anxiety in cats, which is a big issue these days as more cats are kept indoors full-time. Indoor cats can get bored easily, and boredom often leads to destructive behaviors like scratching furniture or overgrooming. A 2019 study from the American Association of Feline Practitioners found that providing safe, enclosed resting spaces is one of the top recommendations for reducing anxiety in indoor cats. When a cat can go into their bed and feel hidden and safe, it lowers their stress levels and gives them a place to decompress. We had a customer whose cat had separation anxiety when she went back to work after the pandemic. The cat would meow nonstop, scratch the door, and refuse to eat while she was gone. After we sent her an enclosed bed, she told us that when she left for work, she\u2019d find the cat curled up in the bed when she came home, and the meowing and scratching stopped almost entirely. That\u2019s the kind of impact our products can have, and it\u2019s why we\u2019re so passionate about making sure we\u2019re supplying high-quality, well-designed enclosed beds that meet cats\u2019 actual needs, not just owners\u2019 wants.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re a cat owner wondering if an enclosed bed is right for your cat, the first thing to do is observe your cat\u2019s current habits. Do they like to hide in boxes, under blankets, or in small spaces? If yes, they\u2019ll probably love an enclosed bed. If they prefer open spaces, like laying on the back of the couch where they can see everything, an enclosed bed might not be the best fit for them. But if you\u2019re shopping for a bed for a new kitten, a rescue cat that\u2019s been stressed, or a cat in a multi-cat home, an enclosed bed is almost always a great investment.<\/p>\n

For us as a supplier, this research has shaped how we do business. We used to just make beds that looked nice, but now we design them with feline behavior in mind. We test every bed with cats of different ages, sizes, and temperaments to make sure they work for a wide range of cats. We also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee\u2014if your cat doesn\u2019t use the bed, we\u2019ll take it back and refund you, no questions asked, because we know that sometimes it just takes a little time for a cat to get used to a new bed.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the question of whether cats like enclosed beds comes down to understanding that cats are not small dogs. They have different instincts, different needs, and different preferences. What makes a human comfortable doesn\u2019t always make a cat comfortable, and what looks cute to us is actually a functional, safe space for them. After years in this business, I\u2019ve seen it first-hand: from the shy rescue cat that finally felt safe enough to rest in an enclosed bed, to the senior cat with arthritis that finally had a bed easy enough to get in and out of, to the multi-cat household where the fighting over beds stopped entirely. Enclosed beds aren\u2019t just a luxury for cats\u2014they\u2019re a way to give them the secure, comfortable space they need to thrive.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re a retailer or a property manager looking to stock high-quality cat beds, or an owner who wants to find the best bed for their cat, we\u2019d love to talk. Our team is always happy to answer questions about sizing, design, or how to help your cat adjust to a new bed, and we offer flexible ordering for all needs. Reach out to us to learn more about our product line and how we can help you give the cats in your life a space they\u2019ll love.<\/p>\n

PP Rattan Cat Bed<\/a> References<\/p>\n

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  1. Rodan, I., et al. (2016). Feline Indoor Environment Guidelines: Recommendations for Improving the Lives of Pet Cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.<\/li>\n
  2. McCune, S. (2021). Space Preferences and Stress Indicators in Domestic Cats. University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.<\/li>\n
  3. American Association of Feline Practitioners. (2019). Anxiety and Stress in Indoor Cats: Clinical Guidelines for Prevention and Management.<\/li>\n
  4. Casey, R. A., et al. (2018). The Effect of Enclosed Resting Spaces on Feline Resting Behavior and Heart Rate. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Songtai(Shandong) International Trade Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional cat bed manufacturers in China, we have world-leading production equipment and strong manufacturing capabilities. Please rest assured to buy high quality cat bed for sale here from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
    Address: 4th Floor, OCC Aode International, Linyi, Shandong, China.
    E-mail: york@petduke.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.pet-duke.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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