So an ad pops up on my Facebook feed for a cardboard cat bed. I’m not sure why it got my attention; our cats have multiple cozy places to nap, from a heated igloo in winter, to their very own chairs, official pet beds, and a summertime favorite: a cardboard box. Most of the places they lounge are up off the ground, so I was surprised when they choose to sleep in a cardboard box that we left lazily sitting on the floor of the garage.
Perhaps, then, it was the cardboard that fired off some neurons in my subconscious, motivating me to order a cat bed that I couldn’t possibly need. It’s made by a company called Katris, and is called a Katris Nest. It’s also $49.00 plus shipping, so for a circle of cardboard, it’s not cheap.
The bed arrived the next day, and Jim set about putting it together, somewhat daunted by the instructions that listed 108 pieces to put together. Turns out it was easy, and 10 minutes later, here was the result:
Seriously, I don’t think five minutes went by before I peeked into the garage and Nellie had settled into it. Note that the favorite cardboard box is now being ignored. Polly likes it too, she was in it later when I came back from working the dogs.
That got me thinking about all the places that my dogs and cats sleep, and how to advise people what kind of dog and cat beds to get. I remember a few years ago deciding that my dogs needed better sleeping beds, and being overwhelmed by all the choices.
What better question to throw out to all of you! What are your favorite dog or cat beds? My second question is actually my favorite: What are the weirdest places your dogs or cats choose to sleep? I still find it amazing that my cats, cats being famous for liking to be above ground, love to sleep in cardboard in the middle of the garage, where there is virtually no height, no privacy and really, no protection. Is it the cardboard? Could we all just save a bunch of money by giving our cats cardboard boxes to sleep in? (Though note that the Katris nest is the clear winner here, this is Nellie in it again after Polly left.)
And this is what I found last night when I took the dogs out for their last pee: (They had been curled up together sleeping until I bothered them and went back to get the camera.)
What about the dogs? Nothing new for them, because we now have four dog beds upstairs for just one dog (Maggie gets bedroom privileges while Skip sleeps loose downstairs). Three of the beds are from LL Bean, like the one below, and the fourth (not pictured) is a Cozy Cuddler. The Cuddler has a fleece-lined pocket that Maggie refuses to nestle into, but she loves lying on the bed itself. Or, as below, in the small LL Bean bed that I bought for Tootsie. Actually, all the dogs played musical beds, and right now Maggie alternates between this one and the Cuddler. She completely ignores, of course, the medium-sized LL Bean bed that I bought for her.
Then again, what’s better than a couch?
I’d love to hear more about where your dogs and cats sleep!
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: We took a drive on Sunday just to enjoy the scenery, it being far too hot to do much of anything else after 9 AM. (If you are as old as I am, you’ll remember when that was all there was to do. No TV, much less internet . . . Sunday drives were a BIG THING when I was young, growing up in Arizona.) On this week’s Sunday adventure we brought the dogs along just for fun, and I couldn’t resist popping them out of the car to illustrate that corn really can get “as high as an elephant’s eye”.
Skip, as usual, thought it was GREAT, JUST GREAT! Along with, “WHAT? WHAT ARE WE DOING? OH, WHO CARES WHY, IT’S FUN!” Maggie thought being asked out of the car to immediately sit down in the middle of nowhere was just weird. She accommodated me, but is undoubtedly still trying to figure it out in her head. Maggie the head case, Skip the, uh, Golden Retriever in a Tuxedo?
The flowers in the backyard are at their peak of color, and every day I try to soak them in as if to preserve them in my brain for the black and white winter to come. Have I mentioned how much I love color? And flowers? Oh, okay, perhaps I have.
What’s adding color and joy to your life now, and what are your dogs and cats sleeping on?
Frances says
Where do my animals sleep?
On me; beside me on my chair; on/in my bed; on another piece of human furniture; on the dog bed and blanket by my feet, provided I have plumped it up adequately; on one of the other dog beds which litter the floor, especially, in Sophy’s case, if one of the others is already in it and has to be asked to make space for her.
At the moment it is only 6pm, and I have a cat on my lap, a dog tucked in beside me, another dog at my feet, and suspect there may be another cat already in my bed…
Rick Grant says
Some people would call this strange dog behaviour but then again they would be people who have never lived with the perpetual weirdness of a Border Collie’s life.
Tess is seven years old and in most respects a lot saner than my other Border Collies, at least in relative terms.
Her sleeping place of choice in a thunderstorm is flat out on the concrete patio in all the rain. If hail starts she moves under a porch but much prefers being outside than in during a storm. In heavy snowstorms she either curls up under the porch or burrows into deep snow to sleep like an Inuit sled dog.
Inside, the couch is the throne of choice. But she has a perpetually open crate with blankets on each of the three floors. Throughout the day, and the night, she wanders from one crate to the other to sleep. Oddly, she never had to be trained to use the crate as her safe place. Right from the early days of puppyhood she took to the crates.
Barbara says
Ok, I’ll be the first to state the obvious … that is the cutest kitty cupcake bed! The cats look like sweet little tarts in their cupcake liners. Every night our dog Rocky crawls under our bed to sleep. I bought him a bed a long time ago but he just wasn’t interested. I suspect he enjoys that closed-in feeling like being in a den. In the morning we often invite him up on the bed which he also loves.
Trisha says
Yup, the weirdness of a BC can not be replicated!
Trisha says
And this is why we say, sometimes just to the air, “Would someone else please get that, I have a cat/dog on my lap….?”
Margaret says
With me in my bed, of course. Well, at the moment, since I live an A/C -free life in Indiana, Kate alternates between the bed and the bedroom floor. She prefers the bed, but her panting makes it shake, so I invite her to get down. Nina has realized that she will not be welcomed back to her job as a heated backrest until the weather cools down, so she’s mostly to be found in front of the floor fan in the living room. They have a thick fleece pad in the living room, but it doesn’t get used much in the summer. I only use the fleece pads as beds or crate pads, having learned the hard way that a bed with a lining that cannot be washed has a limited lifespan.
My cat is currently sprawled, belly up, on the kitchen counter. She has a wooden ammo box that I have turned into a plowshare on top of the refrigerator that is her favorite spot if it’s even 10 degrees cooler than it is right now. She also sleeps on my bed when she wants to–she’ll share it with Kate, but she makes Nina get down.
Trisha says
Barbara— Kitti Cupcake? Yeah, that’s adorable.
HFR says
I’m constantly on a search for a bed to make my old rickety dog more comfortable. When I go over my friend’s house with my dogs, he quickly pick one of her many dog beds to lie on. I immediately order said bed when I get home. Needless to say he never touches it in my house. He prefers the couch, my bed or the hard floor over any of the beds I buy him. My other younger dog does like the “hairy” bed that is so popular these days tho, so at least that one didn’t go to waste.
Love, love, love your flowers/wildflowers. Especially the randomness of the colors. I hope you pick some and bring into the house to enjoy. It always amazes me how you can pick wild flowers in any order and they always look lovely. I always have fresh flowers in my house, an indulgence for sure, since I have to buy mine at the grocery store. But if I stop buying beds, I can afford it.
Trisha says
HFR, I feel your pain. I think the dogs are in cohoots with the dog bed manufacturers. And thanks for the reminder to pick more flowers for the house. I used to do it often, but have slacked off. I’ll pick some tonight!
lak says
I found a semi finished quilt, folded it in half, stuffed with old bed and pillow that was losing its shape, sewed up the sides, Velcro’d the end, and placed on a dog serta mattress on the floor, dog loves it, but sleeps in my bed when I am not home, I work night shift so she has the real bed a lot! The short answer…where ever she wants!
DogMom2 says
I might need to get my cat that bed. She has some favorite perches, but she always has to try out anything “new,” such as a different afghan on the bed or, best of all, a freshly unpacked box of any kind. She will cram herself into a box half her size within seconds of it appearing. For reasons known only to her, right now she’s liking the bath mat in front of her dad’s sink. She adores her dad, so maybe because it smells like him? Who knows.
My chi/terrier likes to be covered up and very warm. Most work days, she curls up in a little bed next to my desk with a fleece blanket entirely covering her. Sometimes when I leave the house she’ll burrow under all the bed pillows and make a little cave. She will seek out sunbeams and lie there til she’s panting, then move to the shade for a few minutes, then back to sun. On weekends we snuggle in bed and have coffee, and she insists on being entirely covered up.
Right now my home includes 8 dog beds, 2 cat trees, 2 window perches, and several improvised cat hideouts, plus human furniture they are allowed to use — for one 13 lb cat and one 11 lb dog. It’s good to have choices!
Kat says
Purrcasso the cat prefers above all sleeping spaces my right shoulder, arm, chest (any combination of those three). My theory is he does this because I am right handed and probably sitting down to try to do something on the computer which the presence of a cat there will make nearly impossible. (I’m often amazed how well I’ve learned to type with him sprawled on me.)
The Great Catsby cat prefers to sleep in any cardboard box or on any plush blanket. He occasionally condescends to sleep on one of the multiple cat beds we own.
D’Artagnan prefers above all one of his dirt wallows–he is a Pyrenees after all and it’s important that a white dog sleep in the dirt. Thank heavens for that Pyrenees coat that sheds dirt easily. Inside we have two pet beds in the living room. One is a large D’Artagnan sized bed, the other is the perfect size for two cats to curl up together. It’s the sofa style with raised arms on three sides. And I’m sure you can guess that the cats can be found sleeping on the big flat cushion and D’Artagnan does his best to curl onto the smaller bed. By now there isn’t much rise to the arms. Mostly inside he prefers the hardwood floor in front of the front door. I’d bet that’s the coldest place in the house. Outside under the covered section of the deck there are currently five dog beds. It’s nice that I can confess that here and no one will even bat an eye at such an excessive number of beds for one dog that prefers to sleep in dirt. I’ve found a good use for all of them though, since he’s supposed to walk on unstable surfaces as part of his PT I’ve arranged them all so he can step from one to another and he gets to play treat hunt there. There’s everything from super soft to ultra firm. Once in awhile he’ll even choose to sleep on one of them (although never consistently one over the others).
Frances says
I actually took Sophy bed testing at a local big pet store, having first made sure she was clean and flea free. She would not put more than one paw onto any of the dog beds, and was sniffy about most of the cat ones, but actually curled up on one particular donut bed. Unfortunately it was a hideous colour, and I could not bring myself to pay the exorbitant price. Instead I got three cheap similar ones from Aldi – the other animals love them, but Sophy still prefers the fleece throw that she slowly stole from me inch by inch ten years ago. Bet I am not the only one whose floor coverings chiefly comprise dog and cat beds and throws…
markmark says
My family dog when I was young (border collie X) loved sleeping either at the very top of the stairs with chin just hanging off the tread, or on his sheepskin rug. We had to shake it well after each wash to make it soft and flexible again. Current v large mutt (greyhound, lab, german shep mix) prefers his new toddler mattress covered with an old blanket. We were looking into supportive dog beds (beginning of arthritis) for him which were all v expensive but I happened to look at toddler bed mattresses which were between 1/3- 1/2 the price a dog bed for same size (at least 1.5m length). Also lots of choice for memory foam or different support levels. V easy to clean as the mattress cover is washable and we have a fair stack of old blankets that we wash and rotate.
Sally says
My dog of the moment, LuluBelle, sleeps touching me. She had a rough interlude after her former person died, and I think she wants to be certain I do not disappear. While this is sooooo sweet, and no trouble as she’s only seventeen pounds, it’s been a bit uncomfortable recently as we’re in the midst of a wicked heat wave and our coastal Massachusetts house has no air conditioning. But, it’s only a few weeks out of the year, and I love her little crazy heart.
Beautiful garden!
Allison says
My cats have a cat tree. One prefers the top of the fridge, one a cradle that has blankets in it and the other prefers the beds. They all love the kitchen table or the windows. My dobie prefers the couch, if I am on it. If I’m working in the kitchen, it’s the floor. I made her a bed out of pallets and put a really nice memory foam mattress in it, which my husband said was a waste of time and money. I had to lay on it to show her it was safe. She goes to it when she wants a chew on her bone or if one of the cats is sniffing around it. The other day she went to it during the storm and I covered her with her blankie. Thank you for the thunder treats idea, in a couple of weeks she went from trying to get under the table to staying out near me. Huge improvement! I can’t thank you enough! At night, she sleeps in the bed with us and gets covered up with her blankie. Basically she just goes where I am and chooses her best option depending on the room.
Diane says
Three dog beds and two dogs. One dog sleeps half way through in his dog bed and then climbs in bed with my husband. My older guy wants nothing to do with dog beds and sleeps with me. Both generally nap on the floor during the day.
Terry Golson says
My horse prefers to find a pile of warm poo in his stall and sleep on that. Specifically, always positioned so it’s his butt and hind legs in it. He tells me that the moist heat is good for his hocks. Did I mention that he’s a Paint and that his hocks are white?
Keyboard's mom says
WOW! You live on a farm and the deer haven’t eaten every last day lily as a starter course? I live in suburban DC and had purchased some day lilies for my garden that I was going to plant the next day amongst some deer resistant plants. They didn’t last the night. By early morning when I went to plant them the container looked like Floral Design by Morticia from the Adams Family. Do I see scabiosa and bee balm in your lovely pictures?
Do you think one reason kitties like the Katris bed is because all the cardboard pockets hold more of their scent?
Our calico cat, Mélange, after a heavy day of mousin’ (she & her brother were like Hannibal Lecter and his sister leaving body parts brought in via a cat door in/out of the basement) would invariably be found cooling off by plastering herself along the walls of a powder room’s porcelain sink.
Living through my BC and my wanting a new bed, I purchased an Orvis bed that supposedly did everything except make dinner. Cured every ache & pain a BC could possibly have. Times used? Zip. Keyboard prefers the most disgustingly ugly and now lumpy bed my husband “surprised” me with from Costco. (Our previous dog also preferred bedding by Costco). It’s so ugly I had to put a sheet over it in an attempt for it to blend in with the decor. Now, yet another piece of laundry!
Truth in marketing: Ovis sells quality products and folks from the dog park came to our car to see the Orvis seat cover that looks pristine after 4 years of use & washing from BC rolling around in rained on wet gravel. I should have purchased this one instead of the multitude of cheap seat protectors I’ve gone through.
Patricia–every Tuesday when I groggily open my laptop (thank you, Keyboard for waking me every morning in pitch black asking me if it’s time yet for me to chuck some balls–Argh) and not knowing what day it is, I know it’s Christmas by seeing your name in my inbox. I know that I will see beauty, read beauty, and think beauty all day! Your blog is an emotional respite from having learned more ugliness of the world from the previous nightly news. Why can’t the world consist of only good people (and supposed leaders) doing fabulous things for dogs, cats, and nature?? Please solve for your next blog. BTW doesn’t it say all that our current “leader” doesn’t have a dog or a cat or even a pet gerbil?
Susan Wroble says
Our two labs both started life as Canine Companions for Independence puppies, and were crate trained for sleeping until they left for advanced training at about 18 months. When each returned to us for various reasons, they still choose the crate, but we left the door open. Then, when we began doing therapy work with them, we had to train them to get up on furniture in order to snuggle with children in the hospital. Now, they alternate between the assorted dog beds scattered around the house, and the couch, where Nella happily re-arranges the pillows to her satisfaction before curling up and placing her head on one.
Laura Valeriano says
My JRT mix Roxie loves our dirty laundry in the laundry basket we use as a hamper. Our Cattle dog Ginger opens the guest room door and flips the bedding to make her nest, or sleeps on the stairs so she can look out the front and side doors at the same time. The couch is an option too. They used to sleep with us but draped themselves on me, between my legs, on the pillow (good Morning dog breath) and between me and my husband. Never on him, only me.
Lorraine says
I cut the bottom third off a big plastic food-grade barrel and plopped a circle of foam and an inexpensive, washable tub bed in it. My whippet is curled up like an oyster in it every morning. The heavy plastic is chew proof and no puppies have been able to even scratch it.
Adrienne K. says
From day one when we brought Zasu home we always knew we would put her in out king size bed with us. And from day one she loved it. While she was all of 5 pounds I was ever mindful of us not rolling over on her. Having her with us was a great help in her housebreaking training. If she moved around I got up and took her out. If she was quiet I woke her at around 2 AM for a quick pee outside. Eventually I stopped waking her and we slept on very comfortably. Now it is five years later and my moyen poodle weighs 35 pounds and insists on sleeping attached to me in some manner every night. Moving her is out of the question she simply finds her way back. Though I often wake up with some part of my body aching I adore feeling her on me. We recently ordered what is supposed to be the most comfortable dog bed made. This is for her to use during the day when napping. The bed took months to get here from China and so far Zasu thinks it is a great toy to drag around and fight with. At least she is having fun with it. Looking at your kitties makes me miss ours so much. There is nothing like sitting reading a book with a cat curled on your lap napping.
Charlotte Kasner says
Can anyone explain why/how so many cats choose to sleep on the edge of a cold radiator? Habit from snuggling on it when it’s on?
Anne Johnson says
I love that Terry included our equines. Mine have slept in a well-indented pile of manure as well. My dogs have the raised cots, which are very helpful when it is warm up here in Flagstaff at 7,000 feet. The cats can be found curling up with Tank as well. Never Shadow. He doesn’t tolerate anyone touching him when resting/sleeping. Tank loves the bed. Good thing I’m small and short. He can take up more than half of a queen bed! It’s a good thing my horses are not allowed in the house.
LisaW says
A visitor once asked if the dogs really got that tired walking from room to room since there were so many dog beds scattered around 🙂
Phoebe had a full-size futon with foam topper in the office that she slept on. She migrated from the bed to her own full-size bed years ago. She spent her first months curled up on my head in our bed. I’d wake up because I think I stopped breathing a few times!
Olive sleeps curled tightly against either one of us. She seems to alternate, but she buries her nose into the small of your back or your arm. She sleeps very tight.
The dog beds are rectangular with zip-off covers, and they all have a layer of memory foam in them since all our dogs seem to have come with joint issues. (I cut up some of our old foam toppers for that use.) I also put a soft, plush layer on top of their beds because we all like a bit of cush.
Maybe I was a bird at one time because I’m a dedicated nest builder.
Trisha says
LisaW: Love the visitor’s comment. I’ll be sure to tell my dog’s physical therapist about all the extra exercise they get walking from bed to bed.
Diane says
My dogs sleep kenneled at night. My old boy gets a blanket and the youngster gets nothing. She will chew and eat any blanket or bed!
Martha Sbarbori says
Our dogs, a Curly-Coated Retriever and an American Water Spaniel, sleep with us at night in our king size bed. During the day, both of them trade places between a raised dog cot with a memory foam dog pad (from Costco; oh why didn’t we buy two when they were available!) and a thicker shredded memory foam bed on the floor. The Curly also loves the leather recliner, despite our discouraging her use of it.
Trisha says
Anne J: I have always wanted to sleep curled up against a horse. Good thing I never tried no doubt, but I totally get horses sleeping in a manure pile. Sheep will do the same… warmer? Softer? Got me!
Trisha says
To Charlotte, re why cats sleep on the edge of a cold radiator: Habit is a good hypothesis, but there’s always the “in order to seem more mysterious” possibility.
Laura says
Seamus is a little weird when it comes to his napping habits. He likes the couch and his bed, and will always sleep on those surfaces. If one of us is napping in the “pack bed,” as we call it, he’ll happily join in. If, however, both my husband and I are napping in the bed, he won’t come up to snuggle, no matter how much we coax him. He will just walk into his crate for his own nap. I wish he’d come up for a sleepy cuddle, but he just doesn’t seem to want to do it. It’s odd because when we wake up in the morning, and I let him out of his crate from the night, he jumps on the bed and wants all of the tummy rubs and morning snuggles. I just let him do what he wants. It isn’t hurting anything and it makes him happy.
Tricia, your narration of Skip’s thoughts, “This is great! What are we doing? Oh, who cares? It’s fun!” is exactly Seamus’s thought process about everything. A golden retriever in a tuxedo is exactly on point. Thanks for the beautiful pictures, and the wonderful post. Your posts are always so relaxing.
Tails Around the Ranch says
The sofa is the top spot, (despite 7 egad! yes 7, assorted dog beds around the house), is the bed of choice. In fact, I haven’t sat on the sofa in years. With one dog occupying one end, and the other on the opposite end, I’ve been relegated to the floor. 🤣
Sue says
Wondering if the new cupcake-paper bed allows air circulation and thus is cooler in this hot humid stretch we’ve had in S WI. Here, Delta the sandy marmalade spurns boxes. He was found at 4-5 months old on the streets, is wary of new peeps to an extreme, and I surmise he may have had bad experiences with boxes in his early life. He still spurns a deep round bed I got for him a couple years ago—probably realizes it is really a small dog bed.
Rosemary says
Oh my… the never ending search for a bed my pets will like! Lol my cat prefers to lay on the rocks outside underneath the bushes in the 100++ weather we get in Vegas instead of many places I have for her in the house or outside. I also have 4 different types of dog beds for my 1 dog and she always prefers laying on the carpet part of the floor. I am going to order one of these for my cat to see if she likes it.
Ellen Hamburg says
By the time he passed, Miles had 4 or 5 beds scattered around my small house; at least one in every room that he might follow me to.
He seemed to prefer beds with bolsters for resting his chin, but by 10pm he was usually stretched out with his head resting on the floor, a good six inches lower than the rest of his body.
In his last months, he claimed some new patio cushions I had just purchased. He pulled them down, rearranged them to his liking, and made himself comfortable. I wasn’t about to argue with the arthritic old man, so he used them as his primary bed for the next 5 months.
Jordan Lee says
Interesting. When I have an extra $49, I’ll try the cat bed.
My two outdoor cats sleep in chewy boxes turned sideways with small round dog beds in them. In the winter, there are heat lamp clipped to them and an oil filled radiator between them. The set up is in an enclosed back porch. They have access to the house but they prefer the porch where there’s a CST door that they can use to go outside.
I have two heated cat beds that have been claimed by my oldest (14) and my youngest (1). Tiday is one of the hottest days of the year, and they are still on them.
There are other cat beds sprinkled upstairs, main floor and basement.the other two usually are usually asleep in the basement. One of their favorite places to sleep is on the top of a box filled with books. I finally gave up and put a thick fleece blanket on top of it, but the lid sinks down to the level of the first book so they have s concave spot to sleep in.
Sometimes they sleep on the chair and the beds.
My dog has a choice of several dog beds, mainly foam with a waterproof removeable liner and then a microsuede cover. It takes a few days for her to trust the bed after I wash the cover. I did splurge with my last 94 pound dog and buy a big Barker bed in her fina) year. So the dog has a choice on lying on that, which she does a lot. So do the cats. It is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. Seriously. If they made human sized beds, I’d buy one in a hot second. When Jolene is nervous or just wants extra cuddles, we often sleep on it. It also has s waterproof liner and microsuede cover. Jolene can also sleep on the human brand in her kennel (door is propped open) and she does that too. But if we are awake and in the house, she will usually be on the Big Bsrker bed.
Jordan Lee says
Corrction: Jolene can sleep on one of two human beds or in her kennel, which is propped open. Sounded like there was a human being her kennel.
Trisha says
To Sue re air circulation and the Katris Nest. Jim and I were wondering the same thing, if the beds are cooler because of air circulation. Will be interesting to see if they use it in winter!
Chris says
The day I brought Jake home, he is an old, nearly blind bloodhound, I had left an XL dog bed with a small hole in it, in the bathtub of the extra bathroom. Jake wandered around checking things out, eventually wandering into the bathroom. When he didn’t come right back out, I went to check on him. He was asleep in the bathtub. That is his place and he gets very grumpy when I rotate out the bedding and clean the tub. When the tub is ready and he is told he can go back in, Jake will refuse and stretch out in the middle of the kitchen. When he considers I have paid for my sins, he goes back to his tub.
Julie Bynum says
Our Akita sleeps either on the tile in our den or on the carpet in the bedroom, with his head under the bed. Once in a while he will get in the bed that we purchased for him, in the den. He refuses to sleep on the bed, that we bought for him, in the bedroom.
Norah says
Many years ago I splurged on a wool dog bed from Kerry Hills Farm in Oconomowoc, WI. My first Beauceron loved that bed and my current Beauceron, the 6th I’ve owned, continues the tradition. My boyfriend went with me to pick up a new cover for the dog bed and ended up buying a wool matteress system for himself!
Elizabeth Stroter says
One of our two Papillons loves to sleep in a box ‘o socks, in my closet! Even more cute when he sleeps on top of stuffed toys, stored in a basket. Their day time hang-out is on the back of the sofa, looking out the window, little dog style.
The older Papi would sleep on my head, if he could.
Your garden is charming, fellow color-loving dog person! I’m on a campaign to inform designers that white, gray and black are not “colors”. You should see the walls in our house!
Mary Straus says
When I first rescued my current dog, she was severely underweight with a thin coat, and she was cold all the time. I got her some shirts to wear, but a friend who has short-haired Dachshunds recommended these sleeping bags (she knows the guy who makes them but they’re only available on eBay, seller dain1234):
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_from=&_ssn=dain1234
I got one and my dog has used it ever since. She sleeps inside the bag when it’s cold, on top when it’s not. I got a second one for my office (where we spend a lot of time) and she uses it similarly. Warning — get a bigger size than you think you’ll need; my 9-lb dog likes her Medium Dog Sleeping Bag (Berber on the outside, fleece inside).
When my sister stayed at my house with her two dogs, she brought several of her own dog beds, and I had others as well as the sleeping bags, but all of the dogs wanted to sleep on the sleeping bags, never in one of the other beds. I ended up ordering bags for her dogs as well.
I also bought one of the Medium Round Fleece Beds, but my dog never used it. I gave it to my brother, and their huge cat, who barely fits in it, immediately claimed it as her own and continues to choose it over all the other beds that they have.
These sleeping bags and beds are washable and reversible (my dog also enjoys pulling the fleece lining out of the sleeping bag so she can rearrange it to her liking). I think the Berber/Fleece bags are more comfortable than the Fabric/Fleece. They still look as good as the day I bought them several years ago.
Missy Boyd says
Our Teddy loves to sleep on his My Pillow dog bed. He loved the one we bought to put in the living room so much, that we bought another to put in his crate. I love them too because all of it is machine washable! So many dog beds are not, or there are so many rolls of stuffing you have to take out before you can wash the cover.
He’s a happy boy with his My Pillow bed.
Diane says
Had to laugh at Chris and her bloodhound’s forgiveness .. after time.
My dog – nothing unusual. Sometimes he sleeps in his bed….sometimes cool hard floors…sometimes sometimes sometimes. He’s such a dog.
Helen says
Ahhh….all the good people in the world giving their cats n dogs multiple beds to keep them comfy. Warms the heart. Also very good to know that I’m not indulging my dogs with the excess number of beds. None of which have gained much favour over the couch.
I would like Kat to name my next dog…the Great Catsby and Purcasso! Love it. Also someone has Keyboard. Too sweet. (Jack, Boo and Lenny show a complete lack of imagination in comparison.)
Louise Wholey says
My dog likes the sofa, with pillows, the carpeted floor, or a couple very old dog beds, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. I have tried to buy him a newer bed but he will not use it. These beds have been his since he was a puppy. I cannot wash the beds any more because they are falling apart with age (~7 years). I vacuum them with the Dyson animal attachment. The crate left home after the night he had diarrhea in it. Poor boy was closed in.
Carol Skalky says
Your posts make me happy! Thank you!!
Diane Mattson says
Back when we had cats, Grey Cat, (she had a real name, honest! Just never got used) usually slept on us, or the recliner. She was a tiny scrap of a cat, with anger issues. You weren’t allowed to move, or you’d be subject to her growls. She rarely purred, but did seem to like us. I think she just enjoyed being cranky. Very smart cat, but no interest in pet beds. Cally Cat had a routine, which also included ignoring the pet bed. She’d start on our youngest daughter’s bed, move to the hall and then by evening be on back of couch, so she could comb my hair with her claws. She purred often and loudly, and was as sweet as Grey Cat was grumpy. Grey Cat and Cally never slept together. They didn’t fight, but didn’t like each other, at all. I’m sure Cally threw a party after Grey Cat died.
Our dog Bridget loves soft beds with sides, that are big enough to stretch out in. She has gone through sooo many of them, because she flips them and drags them around. She used to sleep with us at night, but loves her current bed so much, we’ve been rejected. 😔 Oh well, no more kicking.
Trisha says
Agree absolutely about Kat’s naming ability! Great Catsby and Purcasso beyond brilliant. I think perhaps I should just do a post on great pet names, hey?
Chris W says
I have one good dog, a Golden Retriever, who does not get on furniture. She sleeps in an LLBean dog bed in the bedroom, but sometimes prefers the hardwood floor. Anywhere else in the house you can always find her at my feet. Our other dog is a rescued mixed breed using the term breed loosely, he is mostly put together with left over pieces and parts. He immediately decided to sleep where ever he wants, couch, chair, bed…rarely the floor! And likewise the cats sleep wherever they want, which is the sofa and chairs!
Bruce says
My wife wanted a window seat so we had one installed in the dining room. It quickly became Red Dog’s bed, where she can enjoy the morning sunshine while keeping an eye on rabbits and squirrels in the front yard.
In the afternoon Red Dog shifts to the sunny sun room couch where she keeps an eye out for groundhogs, squirrels, and rabbits (noticing a theme yet?) while my wife teleworks.
In the evening, Red Dog prefers whichever couch a human is sitting on. Preferably with a fleece blanket to curl up in.
At night, we have an extra dog bed since we lost our old Sammy mix. Red Dog splits her time between the two dog beds using an algorithm known only to her.
So location seems to be more important than the bed itself. And yes, we have way more dog beds than dogs.
Trisha says
I hear you Bruce. We have 7 dog beds now and 2 dogs. Yup.
Melanie Hawkes says
My dog loves the couch, which is good as he isn’t in the way of my wheelchair and I can reach him. If he is hot, he will sleep on the floor, often with his back against the wall. Is that a Labrador trait? Why?
My mum made the best bed. She was throwing out a single bed mattress, so got her to cut it in half and make a cover. He uses it when eating his kongs, mostly. I got some cot sheets and have to wash it every week.
Gary says
My dog is sleeping on the kitchen floor exhausted from playing with an empty milk jug. I think he considers his bed and toys collector’s items and wants them kept in mint condition. Gotta love em.
Erin says
My Chloe has a thing for piles of blankets and clean laundry, if you don’t put it away fast, it’s hers. She also likes to lay with her head hanging over the bed, even in her dog beds to where her nose it on the ground and I’m surprised she can comfortably breathe.
She also has a thing for pillows and will sleep with her neck propped up at weird angles, almost 90 degrees sometimes. She will occasionally pull her neck and sometimes needs a pill for pain/neck supplement and I get her an acupuncture treatment when we go to the vet. Gee, I wonder how that happens *sigh*.
She normally sleeps with me at night but has a round cuddly type bed she sometimes goes to, normally when she’s frustrated I won’t get up soon enough. I have puppy pad in a holder for her in the room and when she gets to hot in that bed she’ll sometimes lay on that which makes me feel bad.
Her favorite bed of all is actually her PupSaver car seat that we now just leave in the living room when we aren’t taking her somewhere. It’s *her* seat. Of course this is only true at home. In the car she wants to be anywhere else, lol.
She also has a round folding chair/bed for outside but you have to tuck her in with a blanket to get her to stay in it. She’s not a fan of the outdoors.
Adrienne K. says
Yes, a post on great pet names would be such fun.
Kristina says
Last time we were on a trip we brought an ikea bag (blue plastic bag that’s big enough to hold small furniture, basically) as a “suitcase” and it ended up on the floor after unpacking. All three dogs on the trip decided that this thin plastic bag on a hard floor was the best bed ever and took turns snoozing on it the whole time we were there.
At home, we tossed a couple of old bed pillows on the floor to throw out later and our dog immediately climbed on the pile. He likes it so much we decided to leave them and I call it his ” princess and the pea” bed (since it’s a stack of pillows). Probably smells like us!
Ayn says
The photos are just too cute. Thank you for the smiles.
For us the question would be… where isn’t our dog happy sleeping or laying? He definitely prefers the bed with us. But any of the other beds in the house also suit him. Of course, there are also several sofas, a leather recliner and a swivel chair in the office, the floors with rugs and sometimes the tile if it is super hot. We also have five dog beds scattered around the house. Our The only place he will not sleep is in the crate which I bought for him specifically because the rescue insisted that he had to have it.
Lisa says
We also have way more beds than pets these days. At one time we had five cats–several were indoor/outdoor–but these days we only have one. Bingley has slept in them all, but his current favorites seem to be, surprise, any one of the four DOG BEDS that we have for one large rescue and one golden retriever. The Lenny, the golden, often prefers the floor, or anywhere really, that he can be in the way when humans try to move. Millie, the scardy-dog rescue mostly sleeps on the beds if she can get one away from the cat, but she might leave and sleep on the floor if humans make noise or move too close to her sometimes.
I’m Loving your garden photos, and I have a question about your “naturalized” area above the retaining wall. I don’t see weeds in there, but with things so close together, how do you keep them out? I have attempted a similar bed but it’s so full of weeds and “wildflowers” that it’s very difficult to try and make space for the things we’ve actually planted, both in terms of room to get in and weed and just space generally. Your flowers are just lovely!
dog vitamins says
Hello. I never thought that I would be interested in an article on this topic.
I liked this very original cat bed. Perhaps in the future I will buy this for my cats.
I see how cats love rackton boxes. My cats sleep in them all the time.
As for the dog, she also sleeps in my box but on a blanket. Sometimes I let her lie on the couch, but not for long. All the same, the dog walks more on the street and therefore its paws are dirty.
Also, my dog loves to lie with his head on my lap when I work at the computer. Maybe she should pay more attention from me