How to Get a Cat to Use a New Cat Bed or Window Perch

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You bring home a soft new bed or stick a perch on the window, and your cat sniffs it once and goes back to the cardboard box. That is normal. Cats pick their own resting places, and most will take to a new one if it sits in the right spot and smells like home. This guide covers where to put it, how to make it familiar, and when a cat that stops using its favorite spots needs a vet.

How we wrote this: the advice comes from Battersea’s guide to creating a cat-friendly home, Ohio State University’s Indoor Pet Initiative pages on resting areas, perches and a refuge room, the veterinary review Environmental Enrichment for Indoor Cats by Herron and Buffington, and PDSA’s guide to arthritis in cats. Product facts come from the maker, K&H. We put their advice in our own words and mark our own tips with “in our view”. All were checked on 1 November 2026. We did not test any beds or perches for this guide, and we do not show prices or ratings.

Why cats ignore a new bed

A cat chooses where to sleep for its own reasons, and a new bed in the wrong place can lose out to the sofa, your pillow or a laundry basket. Ohio State says good resting places are usually quiet, comfortable spots where a cat can get away from the rest of the household, which is why cats end up on top of kitchen cupboards or under the bed. Cats are vulnerable while asleep, so safety comes first and the bed itself comes second.

Smell matters too. Battersea notes that cats have an exceptional sense of smell and may be put off by smells we cannot detect, such as cleaning products. A bed fresh out of its packaging smells of plastic and the factory, not of your cat or your home.

In our view, most “my cat hates the new bed” problems come down to one of three things: the place is busy or exposed, the bed smells wrong, or the cat already has a spot it likes better. Each one has a fix.

Step 1: put it where your cat already rests

Watch where your cat naps for a few days. Then put the new bed in or right next to that spot, rather than where it looks nicest to you. Ohio State says the best resting areas are quiet, out of the way and somewhere the cat can escape from people, and the Herron and Buffington review says cats need resting places where stressors such as loud noises, dogs, other cats and small children are kept to a minimum.

Good spots, in our view:

• Warm places. A patch of sun, near (not on) a radiator, or a corner away from drafts. Many cats follow the sun around the room during the day.
• Raised places. Battersea says cats enjoy being up high with a good vantage point, as well as hiding and being concealed. A bed on a shelf, chair or cat tree platform can win over the same bed on the floor.
• Quiet places. Away from the front door, the washing machine and the main walkway. Battersea suggests always giving a cat access to a quiet room or hiding place, especially when the house is noisy or busy.

Keep the bed away from the litter box and the food bowls. In our view, a bed squeezed in beside the litter box rarely gets used.

Step 2: make it smell like home

Put something your cat already sleeps on into the new bed: a used blanket, a towel from its old spot, or a T-shirt you have worn. Battersea advises not washing all of a cat’s blankets and bed cushions at once, so its own scent stays in the house and the place feels familiar. The same idea works for a new bed. Leave the old bed or blanket nearby for a while instead of taking it away on day one.

In our view, let a new bed air out for a day or two before you offer it, and wash a new cover only with an unscented detergent if you wash it at all before first use.

Step 3: invite, never force

Do not pick your cat up and hold it in the bed. In our view that teaches the cat the bed is where it gets restrained, and it will avoid it. Ohio State says that wherever a cat chooses to rest, it is important not to disturb it, and that a cat whose privacy is respected is more likely to seek you out when it wants company.

Instead, make the bed interesting on the cat’s terms:

• Play near the bed with a wand toy and let the game end beside it, so the cat settles there when it is tired. Our guide on how to play with a cat using a wand toy covers a good wind-down.
• If your cat likes catnip, a sprinkle on the blanket can draw interest. Not every cat reacts to it.
• Calmly praise or stroke your cat if it gets in by itself, then leave it alone.

Give it time. In our view a week or two is fair before you decide the bed is in the wrong place. If it is still ignored, move it to the next spot on your list rather than giving up on it.

Getting a cat onto a window perch

Ohio State calls perches a must for indoor cats: cats like to climb, and a high spot lets them watch from above without anything sneaking up on them. The Herron and Buffington review lists window perches for watching wildlife as useful enrichment. Most cats take to a good window spot quickly, but a few points help.

• Pick the window your cat already watches from. In our view a window with birds, a feeder or street life outside gets used far more than one facing a wall.
• Check the weight limit and the fit on the maker’s page. For the K&H EZ Mount Window Bed, K&H says its suction cups hold up to 50 lbs, the solid glass pane must be at least 27 inches wide and 11 inches high, and the window and cups should be cleaned monthly to keep a tight seal. Other perches have different limits, so read the maker’s instructions for yours.
• Test it before your cat does. In our view, press down firmly on a new perch with your hand before your cat ever jumps on it. A perch that slips once can put a cat off for good.
• Give an easy way up. A chair, shelf or cat tree below the window lets the cat step up instead of leaping onto a hanging bed.
• Add a familiar blanket and play near the window, as with a bed.

In our view, check suction cups every few weeks, and remount the perch if a cup has lifted. Our best cat beds and window perches guide compares the EZ Mount with other options, and how to set up cat wall shelves covers giving your cat a route up to high spots.

Choosing a bed your cat is more likely to use

The Herron and Buffington review says cats seem to prefer comfortable resting places such as pillows or fleece beds. Ohio State adds that snug blankets and towels are just as appealing to cats as a bought bed and are easy to wash. So a costly bed is not required. Some features do match common cat habits, in our view:

• Raised sides for cats that sleep curled up, such as the rimmed Best Friends by Sheri calming donut bed.
• Gentle warmth for cats that chase heat. K&H says the Thermo-Kitty heated bed has a 4 watt, thermostatically controlled heater that can be removed, plus soft 6 inch foam walls. Follow the maker’s safety instructions for any heated bed.
• A covered or hooded bed for cats that like to hide.

Homes with more than one cat

Battersea suggests giving cats plenty of choice, with several beds, hiding places and high spots spread around different parts of the house. The Herron and Buffington review says cats in the same home tend to share resting and perching places at different times of day, and that several safe, comfortable spaces help avoid competition. In our view, plan on at least one bed and one high spot per cat, in different rooms, so a shy cat never has to walk past a bossy one to reach its bed.

When a cat stops using a bed or perch: see a vet

Sometimes a cat stops using a favorite high spot for a health reason, not because of the bed. PDSA says arthritis is very common in older cats and that cats tend to hide pain, so the signs are easy to miss. Signs it lists include stiffness or limping, difficulty jumping up to high places, trouble with stairs, the cat flap or the litter tray, sleeping and resting more, and grooming less (matted fur on the back and back legs).

If your cat no longer jumps onto the window perch or the bed it used to love, or seems sore, sleeps far more than usual, or hides, see your vet. PDSA says to contact your vet if your cat is slowing down or you think it might have arthritis.

For a cat that finds jumping hard, PDSA suggests carefully placed ramps, steps or furniture so it can still reach favorite spots, a choice of comfortable beds it can reach easily, and warmth, such as a heated bed or heat pad. In our view, that is the time to move a bed down to floor level or add a step up to the perch, after your vet has checked your cat.

FAQ

How long does it take a cat to get used to a new bed?

It varies by cat. Some climb in within minutes, others take a week or more. In our view, give it a week or two in a good spot with a familiar blanket inside before you move it, and never force your cat into it.

Why does my cat sleep everywhere except its bed?

Usually because the bed is in a busy, cold or low spot, or it smells new. Ohio State says cats look for quiet, comfortable places away from household traffic. Move the bed to where your cat already naps, add something that smells of home, and leave it in peace there.

Where is the best place to put a cat bed?

Somewhere quiet, warm and away from the litter box and food bowls, ideally a bit raised or with a view. Battersea notes that cats like being up high with a good vantage point, and also like places to hide.

Are window perches safe for cats?

A well-mounted perch used within the maker’s limits is a popular spot for many cats. Check the weight limit and window size on the maker’s page, press-test it before use, and check the suction cups regularly. If your cat struggles to jump up, see your vet and add a step below.

More for cats: our best cat beds and window perches guide and how to get a cat to use a cat tree.