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Bedding and habitat for your cat: getting the size right

This is the structural purchase — and where mistakes cost the most: too small, badly placed, badly sized. Our guides give serious minimum dimensions for a cat, the materials that last, and the traps of entry-level products.

The key point : Cats live in three dimensions: one tall, stable cat tree beats three beds on the floor.

Our dedicated guides

• Pregnant cat: setting up a cosy nest for birth and the kittens

  How to set up a calm space for a pregnant cat: location, supplies, gestation length, and the signs that labour is about to start.

• A New Baby Is Coming: How to Reorganize Your Cat's Space at Home

  Adjusting your cat's litter box, bed, and quiet zones before a baby arrives limits stress and tension in the first weeks at home.

• Cat Scared of Thunderstorms or Fireworks: Creating a Calming Hideaway

  Cat frightened by thunderstorms or fireworks: how to recognize the stress and set up a calming hideaway at home to help them cope.

• Cats and Heatwaves: How to Set Up Your Home for Summer

  Heat stress, hydration, litter box placement: how to adapt your home to protect a cat during a heatwave and spot the warning signs.

• Heated beds and pads for cats: winter comfort done right

  Electric or self-warming heated pads for cats, insulated outdoor shelters: safety, power use, prices from 15 to 90 € and how to choose.

• Cat window perch: the ideal suction-cup hammock

  How to choose a window perch for your cat? Suction cups or frame, weight capacity, fitting on glass and prices from 12 to 45 €.

• Cat wall shelves and climbing routes: putting your walls to work

  How do you build a wall climbing route for a cat? Shelves, bridges, heights, fixings for every wall type, a sample layout and a 40 to 250 € budget.

• Wall-mounted cat tree: space-saving climbing on your wall

  Why choose a wall-mounted cat tree? Modules, fixings for every wall type, load capacity, prices from 30 to 200 € and how it compares with a classic tree.

• Adopting a cat when you already have a dog at home: the gear for successful cohabitation

  Separate bowls, elevated zones, a litter box out of the dog's reach... the right setup makes a huge difference when a cat and a dog have to share the same roof.

• One hiding spot per room: why cats need several hideouts at home

  Hiding is not a sign that something is wrong: it is a basic feline behavioural need. How many hiding spots to provide, and where to place them around the house.

• Two cats: one cat tree or two?

  One cat tree or two for a two-cat household? Decision criteria, layouts that actually work and a realistic budget to keep the peace between your cats.

• Senior cat: adapting your home for its golden years

  Adapting the home for a senior cat: easier access, low-entry litter box, orthopaedic bed, raised bowls. The changes that make all the difference after age 10.

• Introducing a second cat: the gear that changes everything

  Introducing a second cat takes more than patience: an airlock room, genuinely doubled resources, an introduction barrier. The gear you need and the full protocol.

• Recovery bed for cats after surgery: is it worth buying one?

  Spay/neuter, fracture, surgery: does your cat need a dedicated recovery bed, or will its regular bed and setup do the job?

• Scottish Fold cats: setting up a bed that's easy on the joints

  Folded ears, fragile joints: how to choose a comfortable, accessible bed for a Scottish Fold cat.

• Munchkin cats: setting up a home for short legs

  Munchkins climb and run like any other cat, but their short legs change the math for cat trees, litter boxes and reaching furniture.

• Renting with a cat: setting up your home without causing damage

  Scratched walls, ruined carpet, a security deposit on the line: here is how to set up a rented home for a cat without a bad surprise at move-out inspection.

• Covered or uncovered litter box: what a landmark study says about a cat's actual preference

  The common assumption is that cats avoid a covered litter box for lack of privacy. A study directly tested cat preference between open and covered boxes, with a more nuanced result than expected.

• Orthopedic beds for senior cats: easing joint pain during rest

  Feline arthritis stays underdiagnosed because cats hide pain well. The right orthopedic bedding can genuinely improve day-to-day comfort.

• Somali cats: designing vertical space for a highly active climber

  A semi-longhaired version of the Abyssinian, the Somali jumps and climbs relentlessly. How to structure vertical space to channel this energy day to day.

• Sharing your bed with your cat: suitable bedding and good practices

  Sleeping with your cat doesn't disrupt sleep as much as commonly believed. Bedding, hygiene and habits to adopt so the nighttime cohabitation works well for both of you.

• A comfort object during an absence: what the science of cat attachment says

  Cats form genuine attachment to their humans, with styles comparable to those seen in children. How a familiar object can ease the stress of being left alone.

• Cat sleeping in the sink or bathtub: should you worry?

  It's neither a quirk nor a behavior problem: if your cat regularly settles into the sink or bathtub, the reason is usually simple — heat.

• Devon Rex: sparse coat, warmth needs and the right bedding

  The Devon Rex's fine, curly coat insulates poorly. What genetics explains, how to set up bedding and warm spots, and the heating mistakes to avoid.

• Cornish Rex: why its ultra-thin coat leaves it cold, and how to set up proper bedding

  A mutation in the LPAR6 gene leaves the Cornish Rex without guard hairs. What that means for its thermoregulation, and how to build bedding that actually works.

• Balinese: why its long coat without an undercoat changes its bedding needs

  The Balinese is not just a "long-haired Siamese": its fine coat, lacking a dense undercoat, insulates less than you'd expect. What that means for its bedding.

• Your cat is cold at 21 °C: the thermoneutral zone and where to put the bed

  A cat's thermoneutral zone is estimated at 30 to 38 °C, some 8 to 16 °C above a heated home — enough to read its napping habits differently.

• Elevated or floor-level cat bed: which to choose based on age and season

  Elevated or floor-level cat bed: how to adapt bedding to your cat's age, joints and the season, without buying more than you need.

• New environment for a cat: why a hiding spot and height matter more than floor space

  Moving house, staying with a relative or a boarding cattery: a study on cats facing a novel environment shows what actually lowers stress, and it isn't the size of the room.

• Shelving for multiple cats: what a cattery study reveals about conflict

  Adding shelving that breaks direct lines of sight measurably reduced tension between group-housed cats, according to a 2016 study. How to apply that finding at home.

• How high should a cat's hiding spot be? What a shelter study shows

  A hiding spot set 50cm off the ground gets used for longer than one placed on the floor, according to a study run in a cat shelter. How to apply that benchmark at home.

• In boarding or at the clinic, the hiding box matters most for shy cats

  Housed alone in a cage, shy cats spend more time in a hiding box than bold cats, and their faecal cortisol drops further, according to a study comparing a hiding box and a shelf.

• Scratching post and hiding place in a shelter: a study measures cortisol nearly cut in half

  179 shelter cats, two environments compared: hair cortisol drops by nearly half in the enriched group. What a Polish study adds to how we set up a cat's space.

• Kitten playpen or cage: a genuinely useful piece of gear or an unnecessary expense?

  Kitten playpen or cage: in which homes and situations this gear truly helps a kitten settle in, and when it's simply unnecessary.

• Senior cat disoriented at night? Cognitive decline affects one cat in two past 15

  A veterinary review quantifies how often cognitive decline occurs in older cats and details the signs to watch for before adapting the home.

• Hospitalized cats before surgery: a hiding box lowers stress, a towel over the cage does not

  A study compares a closed hiding box, a towel draped over the cage front, and no accessory at all in cats hospitalized before neutering. Only one of the two gestures makes a measured difference.

• Strictly indoor or with outdoor access: what a study measures about the bond with your cat

  A study of 114 owners links a cat's lifestyle to the perceived quality of the relationship, but also to two well-identified problems on the indoor side.

• Hiding spots, bowls, litter: what a study of 565 households reveals about real cat homes

  A 2025 UK survey examined the resources actually provided to 565 cats. The weak point isn't the one you'd expect.

• Outdoor shelter for cats: insulation, placement and cat flap access

  Outdoor shelter for a cat with outdoor access: insulation criteria, best placement, and a budget of €40 to €100.

• Cat tree: size, stability, materials… how to choose the right one

  Height, stability, sisal, platforms: the practical criteria for choosing a durable cat tree your cat will actually use, from studio flat to house.

• Cat scratching post: how to save your sofa (complete method)

  Is your cat scratching the sofa? Scratcher types, strategic placement and a gentle redirection method: the full action plan to protect your furniture.

Bedding & habitat breed by breed: every cat profile covers this product family with that species’ own figures.