What Size Cat Bed Do I Need? How to Measure Your Cat

What size cat bed do you need? Measure your cat asleep in their usual position, then add a few inches. For a curled sleeper, measure across the curl from head to hip and add 3 to 4 inches; that is the inside diameter to look for in a round or oval bed. For a stretched sleeper, measure nose to base of tail and add 4 to 6 inches for a flat mat or open bed. Compare against the product's inside dimensions, not the outer size, because plush walls take up space. Between sizes, go up for open beds and stay snug for enclosed ones.

Ai curls into a tight ball and fits a small round nest with room to spare. Dudu sprawls on his side with his legs straight out and looks ridiculous in anything round, so he has a flat bed. Same house, two very different sizes. Measuring both of them took five minutes and saved us from buying a third bed that nobody used.

How do you measure a cat for a bed?

You need two numbers, and a soft tape measure or a piece of string and a ruler.

1. Wait until the cat is asleep in their normal position. A standing cat gives you the wrong shape.
2. Curled measurement. Measure across the widest part of the curl, usually from the top of the head to the far edge of the hip or tail.
3. Stretched measurement. Another day, catch them sprawled. Measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, not the tip of the tail.
4. Add the margin. Curled plus 3 to 4 inches for a round nest. Stretched plus 4 to 6 inches for a flat mat or an open rectangular bed.
5. Check the product's inside dimensions. Beds with thick bolsters or walls can lose several inches between the outer size and the actual sleeping space. If only the outer size is listed, assume the inside is smaller.

If you can't measure, use the stretched number and choose an open style. It's the more forgiving mistake.

Curled or stretched: which measurement matters more?

Go by how your cat sleeps most of the time, not how they look cutest.

• Curl sleepers want a bed that touches them on all sides. A round or oval nest with raised walls, like the thickened oval two tone plush pet nest, sized just a few inches bigger than the curl, feels secure. Too big and they'll wedge into one corner of it anyway.
• Side and stretch sleepers need length more than walls. A soft plush pet bed or a flat mat sized to the stretched length lets them sprawl without hanging off the edge.
• Cats who do both, which is most of them, are happiest with an open bed that has a low bolster on one or two sides: room to stretch, something to lean on when curled. The question mark shaped plush pet bed is this shape, with a curved wall around part of it and an open, flat section for the legs.

Enclosed bed or open bed: does size work differently?

Yes, and this is where most people go wrong.

• Enclosed and dome beds should be snug. The whole point is a small, warm, hidden space. Size to the curled measurement plus a couple of inches. A cave bed that's too big feels drafty and exposed, and cats skip it.
• Open beds and mats can be generous. A cat can always curl up smaller in a big open bed, but can't stretch out in a small one. Size to the stretched measurement.
• Woven and rattan nests like the round woven rattan pet nest have rigid walls, so the inside dimension is exactly what you get, with no give. Measure carefully and account for the cushion thickness if you plan to put one inside.

If your cat likes to hide, our post on covered cat beds and why cats like enclosed spaces explains what to look for beyond size.

What size bed does a big cat need?

Large and long-bodied cats are the ones most often crammed into beds that are too small. Don't assume "cat bed" on the label means it will fit.

• Measure; don't guess by weight. A heavy, compact cat and a lean, long cat can weigh the same and need completely different beds.
• Check the wall height on enclosed beds. A big cat needs a wider opening and taller walls, not just a wider floor.
• Do the overflow test. If any part of the cat rests on the floor or hangs over the rim when they're settled, the bed is too small.

What size bed does a kitten need?

Kittens grow fast, so plan on a small nest now and a bigger bed later.

• Small and enclosed for the first weeks. A tiny kitten wants a snug, warm nest, and a bed built for an adult cat feels like an empty room. A small plush nest or a folded blanket in a box works.
• Move to an adult-sized open bed once the kitten is bigger, and keep the small nest around; many use it for years as a hideout.
• Washability matters more than size at this stage. Accidents happen. Choose a bed with a removable cover or one that fits in the machine.

How do you know if the bed is the wrong size?

Your cat will tell you, just not in words.

• Too small: the cat sleeps beside the bed, or on top of the bolster, or with legs hanging out.
• Too big: the cat sleeps in one corner pressed against the wall, or ignores an enclosed bed completely. Try tucking a rolled towel inside to shrink the space and see if use goes up.
• Just right: the cat fills the bed in their normal position, touching the sides when curled, or lying flat with a little room on all sides when stretched.

Give a new bed two or three weeks before judging, and put a worn t-shirt or their old blanket in it to speed things up.

FAQ

Is it better for a cat bed to be too big or too small?

Too big, for open beds; a cat can always curl up smaller. For enclosed or dome beds, err on the snug side, since a cave that's too large loses the cozy, hidden feeling that makes cats want it. If you're unsure which style your cat prefers, buy an open bed one size up.

Can two cats share one bed?

Some pairs do, especially cats raised together, but only if the bed is big enough for both to lie down fully. Measure both cats stretched, add the numbers together, and add a margin. Even bonded cats need the option of sleeping apart, so keep at least one bed per cat in the house.

Do I need different beds for summer and winter?

Often, yes. In warm weather many cats abandon plush, enclosed beds for a flat mat, a woven nest, or the bare floor, then return to the nest when nights cool down. If you only want one bed, a plush open bed that isn't fully enclosed works in more weather than a dome does.

Once you have the measurements, our guide to choosing the right bed for your cat walks through shapes, fills and where to put it.

Quick recap

To find the right cat bed size, measure your cat asleep, curled (head to hip) and stretched (nose to tail base), add 3 to 4 inches for round nests and 4 to 6 inches for open beds and mats, and compare against the inside dimensions of the product. Keep enclosed beds snug and open beds generous, size big cats by measurement rather than weight, and buy kittens a small nest now and an adult bed later. Browse plush nests, mats, woven beds, and more in our home and bedding collection. Orders over $75 ship free.