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I just bought two hooded cat beds for my two young cats, the younger(one year old) is very pleased with his bed and jumped into it at once and dozed contentedly, the older(by three months) wants nothing to do with her bed.

I put their usual cat woolly blankets inside the beds with catnip so both cats would have something familiar to encourage them to go into their beds but it hasn't worked in Tabi's case, has anyone had the same thing happen, and has the cat changed her/his mind and decided after a while that they like the beds?

It looks as though I may be returning it to the shop if she doesn't show any further interest in it, which is disappointing as I thought she would really like a place of her own to sleep.

Cats are so unpredictable, you never know how they will react to something new. I couldn't tell if your cat will eventually like the cat bed. Maybe if you give her some time, she'll change her mind. If not, perhaps you could return it.
I had bought my two cats a collapsible tunnel, thinking they would like it for hiding; neither has shown any interest in it.
The same thing for certain toys. It is disappointing when cats don't like something special you buy for them, but that's the way they are. I'm used to their moods by now. At least one cat is enjoying her new bed. LOL.

Ellen

...has anyone had the same thing happen, and has the cat changed her/his mind and decided after a while that they like the beds?

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I just had this conversation with friends a few weeks ago. They spoke of how furry their furniture was and I mentioned I picked up some simple round plush cat beds about 5 years ago and put them on my cats' favorite sleeping spots on the couch and bed. They loved them and used them all the time to curl up and sleep in. Really cut down on fur on furniture. I recommended it to my friends and they laughed.

They purchased a fancy hooded cat bed for their cat a few years ago and the cat had no interest in it. They tried everything. They finally got tired of looking at it and set it out on the enclosed deck they had built recently and the cat now sleeps in it all the time. It is the cat's favorite spot. Wouldn't touch it for years when it was in the house...

You could always take it back and try a different style.
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

Thanks for your help Teganslaw and Cyclopsgirl - I had to laugh at the last post, cats can be so infuriating! I have noticed that if the cats won't eat their food inside they will eat it when I put it outside later for a picnic meal...

I will try moving the bed to another place, that just could work as she she does like her sheepskin on the tri-pillow at night and the hooded basket just isn't the same. But placed elsewhere it could tempt her to use it. I did wonder if she would have preferred an open bed, I could try that if she absolutely refuses to go into her hooded bed, it's a good suggestion.

A quick and easy way of removing cat hair from soft furniture and rugs is to dampen a cloth (not too wet) and then wipe over the furry area. This gathers up the hair and you can dispose of it, it is amazing how much hair attaches itself to rugs and sofas, I do this on a weekly basis even though I vaccum every day the hair isn't completely picked up.

Hi,

I am owned by 10 cats and I have all kinds of cat beds here, all over the house. One is hooded and only a few of the cats will use it. The open beds are popular with all of the cats.

Same thing with litterboxes here. I have 2 covered ones and only a few cats will use them while they all use the open boxes. I provide them with a variety of open litterboxes as well----different sizes, shallow boxes, deep ones, and a couple of oval ones.

I believe that cats like to have variety and make their own decisions. That is why I give them so many choices. Of course, the larger cats use the smaller boxes, and vice versa...but they are all happy. lol

Regards,
PHKitkat

Now that is interesting about the hooded bed - Spice who liked his bed at first, isn't sleeping in it now - and I am going to try putting them outdoors where they might like to be protected from the wind.

I had the cat beds on my bed since it seemed a good idea to give them their own space.I think it might have been too late as they liked the original set up with the tri-pillow and mock sheepskin woolly laid against it. Cats are pretty conservative and don't like sudden changes do they?

I love the idea of having lots of cats, they are so funny.I can see myself having a lot of cats if I were settled somewhere permanently instead of renting. Do yours all get on with each other? I have read that being territorial they tend to fight if you keep more then two, but I know someone who has five and they seem to get on OK.

Hi There

I've had a few occasions now of being stung for buying new cat beds. With MAx we used to have a donut style open bed which he loved and we bought him a hooded bed which he also loved.

When we got Pepsi we assumed (stupidly) that they would al lbe the same so bought another hooded bed which she has never even sniffed...so we tried a pyramid bed...no interest..and finally a radiator bed...still nothing..so gave in ha ha

When we got Cola (Baby kit) he loved all the beds in the house since he likes hiding so he tends to pick and choose where he likes to lie.

So......either take back the other bed...or just keep buying kitties til somebody likes it ha ha ha (that's my logic)
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Kind Regards
Pepsi and Cola's human Janis
MAX - Earned his wings April 2006 - Sleep tight Pussy Cat

"Like those great sphinxes lounging through eternity in noble attitudes upon the desert sand, they gaze in curiosity at nothing, calm and wise"
Charles Baudelaire

Cats are so strange aren't they? Spice has now apparently decided he doesn't want to sleep in his bed, and this after he liked it and went to sleep in it the first day I bought it, so I have resignedly taken it off the bed and put it in the living room.

If I had bought the beds before they became used to sleeping on my bed I think they would have accepted them. As it is they like to sleep curled up against me for warmth so they wouldn't have this in their cat beds - maybe I should buy them a hot water bottle to compensate??

I like your last thought - no harm in waiting for another cat or two to wander along and decide to move into the cat beds...