The Purrfect Low-Cost Scratch & Sleep Spots: Cardboard Cat Beds

I’m always talking about how, in order to train cats to stop scratching up human furniture, it’s important to have scratch-approved surfaces like cat trees, scratch posts, and cardboard scratchers in the rooms your cats frequent – you know, so they have something besides your favourite sofa to get their itch out on.

I’ve also spoken a bit about how it’s a good idea to move things around every once in a while if you’ve got an indoor cat who’s prone to feline boredom. Something as simple as taking a cat bed or cat cube and moving it to a new location for your kitty to explore and enjoy can create massive appeal for an already-familiar object – preventing you from feeling you constantly have to buy new things to keep your cat mentally stimulated.

Round Cardboard Scratcher Pad – Zooplus.co.uk / eBay

Small “nap spots” that can be moved from place to place also come in handy if you live in an apartment or a small house with an indoor cat and haven’t got a lot of floor space. If you want your cat to feel your place is bigger, the best thing to do is create as many little nooks and crannies as you can. A cat bed or cube in a previously unnoticed corner, the bottom floor of a closet, up onto your office desk – even on the top of a bookshelf – teeny additions like these truly make small homes feel exceptionally bigger and more interesting to felines – and may even do the trick stimulating them better than quite large houses. A spot here, a spot there to discover – lots of little nooks and crannies – do wonders for cats that large, but empty spaces can’t.

Cardboard cat beds are ridiculously good at fulfilling all these needs, and luckily for us, they’re also incredibly cheap and lightweight, meaning they’re affordable to have in spades and so easy to pick up and move about. Win, win, win.

When I grabbed Avery his first cardboard cat bed, a cute lil’ round one I added to cart on a whim, I never expected he’d get as much use out of it as he already has. Avery’s a Velcro kitty for the most part who dreads being left in a room by himself. I never for a minute thought a product might or even could entertain him enough to not whine for us to come back in a room if he was left for a moment by himself. Luckily, I was wrong. Between a couple inexpensive, tall cat trees we bought and his cardboard cat bed, he’s finally okay if we leave the house for an hour or two to spend some time in the garden.

The amount of love he has for this bed makes me want to grab a few more varieties to have around the house; especially in spots like the bedroom where we currently spend substantial time in. I bought a number of small cat trees for him, and already have two in the bedroom, but while he uses them to scratch on, he doesn’t quite sleep or hang out in them like he does with the taller trees. My best guess for the reason behind why is that the larger trees all have one perch – his favourite by far – that fully surrounds him when he’s napping in them. A feature many cardboard cat beds also have.

I often wonder if that’s the only appeal of his particular cardboard cat bed. But I do have an inkling there’s more to it than that. Yes, being surrounded almost certainly makes Avery feel more comfortable, cozy, secure, and probably helps keep him warm as well (what cat doesn’t love heat?), still, I think there’s something nice to felines about the feel of corrugated cardboard texture, as many cats will flop onto their scratch pads for a snooze. I want to try a few other types to see if they’ll also strike his fancy, especially ones that are rectangular, and if I get him a sibling, one of the bigger ones that can fit two cats to see if he’d snuggle up with the second cat. Not too sure which types to try next, but if you have any suggestions or theories on which would be most appealing to cats, please leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Now onto the many cardboard cat bed varieties.

Cardboard Cat Beds: Irresistible, Easy-to-Move Scratch & Sleep Spaces

1. Necoichi Regular Birch Cat-Headed Scratcher Bed

I still can’t get over how cute this simple cat scratcher bed is. I mentioned it in my article about cardboard cat scratchers in general, and I’ve come back to it a number of times since to coo over it. Most cat beds are standard round like this one essentially is, but those added cat ears that make a cat look like it’s sleeping in a cat head – so hard to not fall in love with. I can’t even wrap my head around how cute the photo op would be with thing around. And cats look sooo happy to be snuggled up inside it – definitely the kind of item a multi-cat household would have to grab more than one of because every kitty in the house is gonna love it.

Alternative circle scratcher bowl style cat beds include:

2. Petstages Easy Life Saucer Cat Scratcher and Hammock Cat Scratcher Scratch

Apparently many cats are already using this thing as though it’s a transferable sofa? I usually like to go by reviews when trying to figure out whether Avery would like something, and boy does this cardboard scratcher cat bed have a lot of positive ones! Many reviews refer to this style of scratcher beds as “saucers,” which I think is so fitting. One reviewer, I had to point out, adorably titled his 5 star review: “What ‘saucery’ is this????”. Seems the general consensus is that this product is so good it’s practically witchcraft! 😉 That may throw my entire prediction that high-walled cat beds that surround kitties who sleep in them are better/make a product more desirable for a cat. Let me just show you again how happy cats seem to be resting on this thing.

3. The Original Scratch Lounge

Ever thought about a purchase you wanted to make so much you got sick of hearing yourself go on about it in your head and wanted to just buy it now already. I feel this way about The Original Scratch Lounge. It looks sooo good, which I mentioned way back in my article about cat toy boxes. I cannot imagine for a second my cat would hesitate to obsess over this thing like mad! I definitely want to try this box shaped cat bed out, as well as PetRageous’s Dots Print Rectangular Box Corrugated Cat Scratcher. I think two of them would be so well loved by Avery, and I’d love to see whether he prefers circular shapes over ones with straight edges. Theories?

4. Omega Paw Ripple Board Scratch’n Massage Bed

When you start sniffing around the reviews of a product and one of the first ones you spot is called, “Feral kitty discovered it and now won’t leave the house!” – you know you’re onto a good thing. I think there are very few cardboard cat beds multiple cats would be this happy to sit and sleep in together, though if you’re looking for another cardboard bed that will happily fit at least two, you may want to check out Necoichi’s Large 2-Cat Cat-Headed Scratcher Bed. I definitely want to try this one out when Avery finally has a sibling – very soon hopefully!

5. YOUTHINK Collapsible Cat Scratcher Lounge Bed

You know, I really did not understand how a cat could be comfortable sitting in one of these things, but check it out – they really do! I guess it’s just one of those spots where you look at a cat and wonder how the heck that could possibly be comfortable, all the while both confused and incredibly entertained by the fact that cats look so incredibly ridiculous in those weird as hell spots. Visually, when I look at a cat sitting in one of these things, I feel like it’s their equivalent of a Lazy Boy recliner? I mean tell me this cat doesn’t somehow manage to look like he’s the most comfortable cat in the world.

In case you’d like to try out this kind of cat bed, but want some alternatives to look through beforehand: check out the BobbyPet Collapsible Cat Scratcher Lounge Bed, & the Pawaboo Collapsible Recycled Corrugated Cat Bed. I think I’m going to do my best to get one of these for the living room.

6. Vivaglory Oval Cat Scratcher Bed Scratching Pad

If you know your cat loves the circle cardboard scratcher beds that have quite high walls to surround them, but want some extra shapes, this oval scratcher is my idea of a sure bet. This review picture shows off a bit of the length and width in case you’d like to get a closer look on just how oval the Vivaglory Cardboard Cat Bed is.

Looking for more interesting shapes with high walls to try out? Here are a few:

7. PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge

I feel like scratcher lounges are cat beds in some regards because, more than your typical cat scratchers, they really are frequently used by cats as nap spots. This one is ridiculously gorgeous, modern, and sleek, which is why I had to share it, but if you’re looking for something a little more affordable along the same lines, you may want to try the Paws & Pals Cat Scratcher Lounge instead. Not quite the same look, but very close for a lower price.

8. Necoichi Cozy Cat Scratcher Bowl

If your cat ends up using scratcher beds for vigorous scratching, unlike my Avery who just freshens up his nails once or twice before flopping down for a nap, you may want to try a cardboard cat bed that’s got cheap, refillable pads to go inside a more long-life exterior like this one by Necoichi.

Don’t be deceived into thinking this particular bed is too small for a large cat. Because its interior is quite high, and the walls don’t actually jut out along the sides to surround your cat in any way, it’s more like a saucer design than a standard cardboard bed. Check out this happy cat, who’s quite big (she looks quite tall to me as well – are Ragdolls typically so tall?), even to the point where she and her gorgeous fluff sometimes spill out a little – still happy as can be.

9. You&Me Couch Cardboard Cat Scratcher

The thought of a cat sitting in a literal couch made of cardboard makes me die of happiness. I would so get my hands on one of these couch-looking cat beds if I could find one for an affordable price here. They look hilarious and to die for levels of cute wrapped into one. I mean look at this craziness. I need one of these in my life.

A word of note for those who do have large or tall cats – these ones may not fit your cat as perfectly since they have sides on them. Take care to look at proportions before you add to cart. That being said it does seem even large cats who probably shouldn’t fit onto these often still try to, which is pretty hilarious in and of itself. A few options you may prefer: the MicroMall Sofa Design Cat Scratching Corrugated Board, & the LAMBAW Cardboard Cat Scratcher.

10. K&H Manufacturing K&H Pet Products EZ Mount Cat Scratcher Kitty Sill Cradle

I don’t think I ever would’ve thought this type of product exists? A window mounted cardboard cat scratcher bed. I mean if this isn’t trying to tackle every single last thing a cat loves – including the view – I don’t know what is. Crazy idea, and I think K&H just may have pulled it off. I cannot believe how good it actually looks as well – it doesn’t look all that pretty in the product photos (not to me at least), but even close up photos of it by reviewers make it look pretty darn good by comparison. It supposedly also very sturdy? Though I’d probably hesitate to grab it if I had a cat who was super aggressive when jumping just in case… or at least put it low to the ground at first to test out.

11. Petstages Cat Scratcher Cat Hammock Cat Scratching Post

Because regular loungers had to be included, this cardboard scratcher hammock style bed also had to be. I imagine this would be the type of product no cat could resist, and it’s yet another cardboard cat bed even large cats can enjoy. High up on my list of scratcher beds to test out with Avery – especially since he’s very tall himself.

Your Thoughts on Cardboard Cat Beds?

Have you ever bought a cardboard cat bed for your feline? Which type did you try and how did your cat like the bed?

Do you like the idea of buying cardboard-based products for your cat since they seem to really adore the texture, or do you prefer buying more long-lasting durable products instead? Or a mix of durable and short-living?

Which types of cat beds do you think cats would overall like best?

Looking forward to hearing your theories! 🙂

The Purrfect Low-Cost Scratch & Sleep Spots: Cardboard Cat Beds

Cardboard Cat Beds: Irresistible, Easy-to-Move Scratch & Sleep Spaces

1. Necoichi Regular Birch Cat-Headed Scratcher Bed