When I wrote up my article about waterproof bed covers for pets a little over a month ago, I was making a list I thought would come in handy for pet owners who wanted their pets to sleep on their beds at night, but whose pets struggled with issues from incontinence to vomiting frequently, or even every so often. At that point, Bjorn, the new addition to our furries, was doing quite well in this respect, though he’d had accidents before where he would pee in odd places and vomit when his stomach was too empty.
These problems were pretty much completely sorted out by the time Avery – our first cat – was comfortable enough to have him roaming the house and sleeping in our bedroom at night without picking fights.
There was only one problem that didn’t go away easily, and that was the vomiting on an empty stomach issue, but this was very easily resolved when we bit the bullet and purchased a timed feeder known for keeping out even some very persistent pets who try to get more food out of their feeder toys – the Petsafe Simply Feed. It worked – setting it to go off every four hours except at nighttime when we were asleep. Bjorn’s vomiting stopped completely for around a month. But then this past week he coughed up his first hairballs.
Zeller Shark Felt Cat Basket Pet Bed – Amazon
Not pretty, not fun. The only thing saving our mattress from a watery death was the fact that I’m a light sleeper, always hear Bjorn start coughing if he’s in the bedroom, then run with him to the tiled bathroom not far off where he’s managed to hold on to the vomit until he’s set down. It made me glad I did up an article on waterproof bed covers – because boy am I going to use it now to search for something ideal to protect my mattress just in case. Besides my own bed mattress, we don’t have a lot of soft furnishings, opting for leather or pleather options, like with our couches and chairs, just in case there were spillage issues when we bought the furniture for our new house. There’s really only one place besides that I really strongly wanted more protect from vomit and incontinence issues, and that’s all the pet beds we’d placed around for Bjorn and Avery to enjoy.
Bjorn’s thrown up on his scratch mat before. Luckily, it’s a very small, easy to clean one and not a cat tree. But this made me think the poor thing probably doesn’t move at all when the compulsion to vomit begins. Maybe if he’s high up he’ll jump down, maybe not, but in any case, he seems to hurl on whatever he happens to be sitting on because of this. No problem with me, but I would prefer to make whatever he likes sitting on either waterproof or easy to wash, so I don’t have to take it away for to long or, worse yet, replace it as may need to be the case with some cat beds – those not possible to clean and not waterproof in any way because they’re made of materials that aren’t meant to be wet at all.
The temporary resolution has been to keep all of the cat trees he spends the most time in hidden away behind closed doors unless I’m monitoring him by being in the same room. The Amazon Basics cat tree he absolutely adores stays in my office, and my office door gets closed unless I’m in it for instance. Honestly, I think this has the upside of keeping his interest in the cat tree, since he doesn’t always have access to it he nearly always uses it when he has the chance – daily and for many hours at a time.
Bjorn typically doesn’t use any of the self warming cat beds Avery does, so those are safe from needing to be repeatedly washed. I have temporary solutions up, cardboard boxes strewn about left right and center, but I’d love to have a more permanent solution, which is where the desire for a small variety of different waterproof pet beds came.
When I started digging, I learned there were a lot more options available in this sort of department than I thought available. I also had a lot of ideas when it come to – not buying ready made waterproof beds for cats and dogs – but making them out of other commonly found and cheap objects, even for waterproofing beds you already have at home with pads and covers. It makes me happy I looked because even if it takes me a while to get Bjorn’s new vomiting issues figured out, or if his issues resurface later – even if we get a new pet who starts off with accidents or continues to have some through life – I feel my pets can still rest comfortably and have plenty of options for relaxing in the meantime.
I tried to be as thorough as I possibly could in terms of ideas you could implement for some variety in your home. A lot of these ideas you can probably already implement with what you have in your house, no need for buying new items, though if you’re looking for something in particular, as I said, there are a lot of options. If you have any ideas of your own, or have preferences/tips/tricks on handling regular or even every-so-often pet pee or vomit accidents, please do leave your thoughts in the comments below! I’m sure many pet parents would be incredibly grateful for your advice – myself included, honestly!
Petmate Sky Kennel Airline Approved Pet Cage – Amazon / Chewy
Waterproof Pet Beds: Ideal for Cats & Dogs Susceptible to Accidents
1. Milliard Premium Orthopedic Memory Foam Dog Bed & Anti-Microbial Waterproof Non-Slip Cover
If you just want to increase the amount of soft furnishings your pet cat or dog has to lie on for a comfortable rest, orthopedic memory foam mattresses are an enormously popular option. They’ve almost all got non-slip covers that are easy to remove and throw in the wash if your pet has an accident, making them quick and easy to put back to work. These are some of the most popular options for good reason, in my opinion. And there’s a lot of variety when it comes to which you’d prefer. Have a peek at the Brindle Waterproof Designer Memory Foam Pet Bed and the PETMAKER Waterproof Memory Foam Pet Bed- Indoor/Outdoor Dog Bed if you’d like something like this for your furry.
2. PetFusion Ultimate Dog Bed, orthopedic Memory Foam
Personally, I know my cats to absolutely love raised portions on the corners and sides of pet beds – things they end up using like pillows. They look quite comfortable laying their heads on or over the side, and luckily orthopedic memory foam waterproof pet beds exist. Absolutely on the list of pet beds I’d consider high up on my list to try.
3. SportPet Designs Luxury Waterproof Pet Bed
If you’d prefer some pieces in your house that look more like human furniture, but that are completely pet friendly, easy to clean, and waterproof, I can think of no better product off the top of my head than this SportPet Designs pet bed. It looks like a really cute, comfy pouf, is very attractive, in my opinion, and I can’t imagine a single pet turning down lounging around on a cozy looking thing like this. Dogs and cats of all sizes love this thing quite a lot. Heck, even tiny humans love this thing.
Be careful when un-packaging as apparently it needs a wash before all the loose fluff comes off. Don’t wear black when first opening 😉
4. Petmate Barnhome III Dog House
There are quite a lot of inexpensive, outdoor pet houses out there, and I think the ones made of hard plastic and are thus ridiculously waterproof, durable, and easy to clean make for phenomenal make-shift pet beds.
Obviously, I wouldn’t just throw one in the house and expect my cats to sleep in it. They might, but they wouldn’t prefer it over other beds. That being said, fold over a comfy fleece pet blanket that’s incredibly inexpensive, maybe sprinkle with a little catnip, or if I had a dog, throw in a nice chewy bone, and I know my pets would go crazy for sleeping in one of these. Have a number of cheap fleece pet blankets, like ones in this set handy and you can line a bunch of make-shift pet beds like this.. for instance:
5. MidWest Homes for Pets Spree Travel Carrier
Waterproof pet beds made out of pet carriers! Getting a cat to sleep in his or her carrier is probably the best technique I have for getting him or her to stop being afraid of being in a cage/carrier. I’m sure it would work for dogs who are afraid of their carriers, too. So not only will your pet no longer be afraid to get into their travel-boxes when it’s time to visit the vet or go over to a pet sitter when you need to head off on a family vacation, but you also have a likely completely free way to make yet another waterproof pet house, since you probably already have a waterproof carrier to use at home and a spare blanket to line the bottom. I like hard carriers for this type of thing best, as I think they’re a heck of a lot easier to clean when it comes to accidents, but you can absolutely use soft ones if you’ve only got those as well. Still easier to clean than carpeting and most non-waterproof pet beds!
6. HACHIKITTY Washable Cat Bed Removable Cover
Just want some ready-made washable pet beds? This one is technically made for cats, but would work for loads of small dogs in my opinion, too. It’s got a removable cover that’s soft, comfortable, and most importantly, washable, making it perfect for those who just want something highest in coziness, but still easy to clean. I definitely think this tops the charts in terms of ideas my Bjorn would enjoy lounging around in.
7. Milliard Velour Zippered Anti-Microbial Removable Waterproof Non-Slip Replacement Cover
If I had flat, mattress-like pet beds already I would 100% not buy a new one. Not only do I feel it’s terribly wasteful to do so, but also if you know your cat or dog likes what he or she has, there’s no way I’d trade it for something else. Instead, I’d grab some waterproof covers, and again, here you have a lot of options. Having just two covers is more than enough to keep you in business, as you can have one to throw on whenever you need to run the one that’s been thrown up or peed on through the wash. A couple great options as well if you’re interested in covers: the Dog Bed Liner Waterproof Heavy Duty Machine Washable Material with Zipper Opening & the PetBed4Less DIY Durable Dog Bed Dog Pillow Pet Bed Removable Waterproof Liner Small, Medium to Super Large.
Sherpa Original Deluxe Pet Travel Carrier Medium – Amazon / eBay
8. PetAmi Waterproof Dog Blanket for Bed, Couch, Sofa
Have a pet bed, or a particular spot your cat or dog loves to sleep in that’s just in need of some accident-proof protection? The easiest way to save that spot is almost certainly to buy a waterproof pet blanket or throw to keep the spot safe instead of rethinking the whole pet bed thing entirely. A great alternative to this PetAmi one: the PetBed4Less Premium 100% Waterproof Silky Soft Throw and Dog Blanket. Need to cover bigger areas like sofas? Check out my article on couch protector covers ideal for cat owners.
9. OUBAO Pet Tent Portable Folding Dog Cat House Bed Tent Waterproof Indoor Outdoor Cat Tent Teepee
Another cute option if you want to go the makeshift waterproof pet bed route is to grab a cute outer “shell” that’s made of waterproof fabric – like a pet tent or teepee, and stuff a nice fleece pet blanket inside. While it’s not perfect for every sized pet, for smaller ones, this trick should do very well, and look adorable while doing it. Other things that may work out as well? Cat cubes like the Kitty City Pop-up Cat Cube, Cat Toys & maybe even pet tunnels like the Creaker 3 Way Cat Tunnel, Collapsible Pet Toy Tunnel Ball Cat, Puppy.
10. SportPet Designs Waterproof Pet Bed
If you’re looking to add a pillow-like pet bed to the inside of something that’s already waterproof, as your pet prefers something like a pillow over something like a blanket, there are a few of these types of products on the market. A lot of them work really well in pet cages and carriers, so they’d pair well if you’re planning to go that route for a makeshift pet bed that’s waterproof.
11. Cat Bed Round Pet Bed for Cats, Kittens, Puppies and Small Dogs
Absolutely one item on this list that’s way more for cat owners than dog owners, but still had to put it in the list. Incredibly cute looking cat bed that’s waterproof and has got a removable washable cover.
12. Cheerhunting Outdoor Dog Bed Portable Travel Dog Bed Extra Large Dog Mat Cat Mat
This waterproof pet bed is not only portable and a little bit puffy for pets who like an extra cushy feel, it’s also helpful for keeping pets cool in the summer months because of what it’s made out of, which could come in quite handy.
13. NeatoTek 2 Packs Baby/Dog/Pet Pee Pads Reusable and Washable
Need a bunch of pet pee pads to rotate through because you like the idea of makeshift pet beds, but want something easy to take in and out to clean when there are really watery pee accidents? These re-usable easy to wash pee pads should absolutely do the trick.
Picture from post Cats Can Like Cages
Your Thoughts on Waterproof Beds for Pets?
What do you think about having waterproof beds for pets who struggle with incontinence or vomiting issues?
If your pet cat or dog has ever struggled with one or both of these things, which techniques have you tried to keep clean up easy? Do you think you may implement some of the ideas I came up with? Come up with some of your own?
Would love to hear any and all thoughts you have related to this topic in the comments down below! Your experiences will definitely be helping me decide what I’m more or less likely to grab for my own home, and I’m sure they’ll help a lot of other pet owners who stumble across your comments as well.
Kimm Antell says
Thank you for this. We are having a behavioral pee problem with a new kitty that was rehomed. I want to make life comfortable for her, but she keeps peeing on our latex bed and it is getting difficult.
This was very helpful.
Liz says
Wow! I didn’t even realize such a thing existed…
It immediately made me think of a few years back, when my blind kitty was nearing the end of her life 😢 and suddenly just quit being able to make it to the litter box altogether. I ended up resorting to buying a bunch of those clear plastic tarp things to cover as much of the floor as I could, and that definitely simplified the perpetually cleaning up part. Bed remained trickier, but I couldn’t bear not letting her sleep there if she wanted to. I just cleaned up a lot of messes. Wish I’d had something like this then!
Elise Xavier says
Poor thing, so good of you to let her sleep on the bed even with it being so much work. Absolutely so grateful for the products that are hitting the market these days. I think it’ll make going through feline old age much easier, and without the loss of happy comforts, which I feel is so important to maintain!