Where Should My Cat Sleep at Night?

Where should your cat sleep at night? Anywhere your cat feels safe, warm, and undisturbed, which for most cats means a spot that is slightly elevated, out of drafts and foot traffic, and close to the people they trust. Sleeping in your bed is fine if you both sleep well and nobody has allergies. If your cat wakes you at night, give them their own enclosed or bolstered bed in your bedroom or a quiet room nearby, placed where they already like to nap. Kittens and new cats do best confined to one safe room at first, with a bed, litter box, and water.

Ai sleeps at the foot of our bed and has since the week she arrived. Dudu tried that for about a month, decided our feet moved too much, and now sleeps in a dome nest on the dresser where he can see the door. Two cats, two answers. Here is how to find what works for your cat and for your sleep.

Should your cat sleep in your bed?

There is no rule against it. It works when:

• You sleep through it. A cat who settles and stays settled is fine. A cat who paces, kneads your face at 4 a.m., or attacks your toes is a different story.
• Nobody in the bed has allergies or asthma. Cat dander on the pillow all night makes symptoms worse. Ask your doctor if you're unsure.
• The cat is healthy and litter trained. Kittens still learning, or seniors with accidents, are better on a washable bed nearby.
• You are OK with hair on the sheets. A washable throw over the foot of the bed helps.

If you'd rather keep the bed to yourself, that's fine too. Pick one approach and stick to it; cats adapt to consistency.

What makes a good spot for a cat bed at night?

Cats choose sleeping spots by instinct: warm, protected, with a view of what's coming. Copy that.

• Warm. Away from windows, exterior doors, and air conditioning vents. A bed with plush walls or a dome shape holds body heat.
• Elevated. Even a foot or two off the floor makes a cat feel safer. The wooden triangle cat hammock gives a cat a raised perch of their own; it's Dudu's afternoon spot before he moves to his dome for the night.
• Quiet and low traffic. Not next to the washing machine, the front door, or the dog's bed.
• Near you, or near where you spend evenings. Most cats want to be close, not isolated.
• Where they already sleep. If your cat naps on a particular chair, put the bed on or beside that chair. Don't fight the cat's choice; furnish it.

Which type of bed works best for overnight?

For long overnight stretches, most cats want something enclosed or bolstered.

• Enclosed nests like the rope dome pet nest block light and drafts and give a cat a single opening to watch. Good for nervous cats and cats who like to fully hide.
• Bolstered plush beds such as the cozy bear shaped plush pet nest have raised sides to lean against and an open top, so a cat can curl up but still see out. This is Ai's favorite type.
• Flat mats like the cat striped pet mat bed are for cats who prefer to stretch out, and for warm nights when a plush nest is too hot.

Many cats want both: an enclosed bed for cool nights and a flat mat for warm ones. Even in Hawaii, Ai moves from her nest to the cool tile in August. If your cat rejects a new bed outright, our guide to how to introduce a new bed to a cat covers the patient approach that actually works.

Where should a kitten sleep at night?

In one safe room, with the door closed, for at least the first couple of weeks.

1. Choose a small room like a bathroom, laundry room, or spare bedroom.
2. Set it up with a bed, a litter box on the far side of the room from the bed, water, and a couple of safe toys.
3. Put the bed somewhere enclosed and warm. Kittens lose heat fast. A dome nest or a plush nest with high sides works better than a flat mat.
4. Visit before bed for play and a small meal. A kitten who has run around and eaten sleeps longer.
5. Expect some crying the first few nights. It's normal. Don't go in every time or the crying becomes the way to open the door. Do go in if it sounds like distress rather than complaint.

Once the kitten is reliably using the litter box, open the door and let them choose. Many end up in your bed anyway.

What about multiple cats?

Give each cat their own bed, plus one extra, in different spots and at different heights. Cats who get along may pile together, but they should never have to. Ai and Dudu share a sofa during the day and sleep separately at night, which is common. If one cat blocks the other from a favorite spot, add another bed or perch rather than trying to referee.

Why does my cat wake me up at night, and what helps?

Cats are most active at dawn and dusk. Night waking is usually boredom, hunger, or habit, not spite.

• Play hard before bed. Fifteen minutes with a wand toy, then a meal.
• Feed the last meal right before you go to bed, or use a timed feeder for an early portion so you're not the alarm clock.
• Ignore the 4 a.m. wake-ups completely. Any response, even shooing, is a reward. This takes a week or two of consistency.
• Give them a spot that isn't your pillow. A bed on the dresser or a perch by the window keeps many cats occupied.
• Rule out a health issue. A senior cat who starts yowling at night, or any cat whose sleep habits change suddenly, should see the vet.

FAQ

Should I shut my cat out of the bedroom at night?

You can, if you're consistent and the cat has a good alternative: a warm bed nearby, water, a litter box, and something to watch. Expect scratching at the door for a week or so, and don't open it in response, or you teach the cat that scratching works. Most cats settle within a couple of weeks.

Is it OK for a cat to sleep on the floor?

Yes, if the cat chooses it. Floors are cool and open, and some cats prefer that, especially on warm nights. Just make sure the spot is away from drafts and foot traffic, and offer a raised, enclosed option too, since most cats want somewhere warmer and more protected in the small hours.

Do cats need a bed at all?

Not strictly, since a cat will sleep on a chair, a box, or your laundry pile. A bed gives them a spot that's warm, contained, and theirs, and gives you a way to steer where they sleep. It also keeps hair in one washable place instead of on every cushion in the house.

Quick recap

Your cat should sleep wherever they feel safe, warm, and close to you without wrecking your rest: in your bed if that works for you both, or in their own enclosed or bolstered bed somewhere elevated, quiet, and draft-free in or near your bedroom. Confine kittens to one safe room at first, give multi-cat homes a bed per cat plus one, and treat night waking with evening play, a late meal, and consistency. Find dome nests, plush beds, mats, and hammocks in our home and bedding collection. Orders over $75 ship free.