Cats love to feel cozy. Being tucked into a cozy little space makes many cats feel safe and secure. You may have even noticed that your cat likes to hide underneath things like clothes, blankets, or towels; particularly when it’s feeling a bit stressed or anxious.
Rather than your cat having to search for something to hide under, you could offer them a comfortable cat cave. Also called cat pods, these are beds that your cat can crawl into, rather than on top of. Once inside, your cat will feel comfortable, cozy, and secure. While not every cat gravitates to a pod bed, most do. And luckily, many pod beds can double as a cat mat, allowing your cat to lay on top if they don’t want to crawl in.
While searching for the perfect cat cave for our felines, we came across six that we really liked. So, we tested them all to see how they compare; information that we’re happy to share with you in the following reviews.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites of 2024
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Best Overall
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Hepper Pod Cat Bed |
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Budget Buy
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Earthtone Solutions Pod Cat Bed |
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K&H Pet Products Thermo Cat Pod |
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Twin Critters Handcrafted Cat Pod |
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Snoozer Pet Products Cave Cat Bed |
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The 6 Best Cat Pod Beds
1. Hepper Pod Cat Bed – Best Overall
With the perfect mix of aesthetics and comfortability for your cat, the Hepper Pod Cat Bed is our favorite cat cave of all. This one isn’t just a ball of wool tossed on the floor. Rather, it’s a modern cat condo that looks like any piece of furniture in your house. It’s a well-made piece with contemporary styling that will look good in any home.
Inside this cat pod, there’s a self-warming Sherpa fleece liner that keeps your cat cozy and warm. It’s easy to pull out so you can clean it when needed. The edges of the liner are reinforced for longevity. Non-slip pads are situated under each foot of this raised bed, preventing it from slipping and sliding on the floor when your cat enters or exits.
Looking at this cat pod, you might expect assembly to be a pain, but it takes just four screws to put it together. Inside, there’s ample room for one sizable cat or two small ones. The downside is that it only comes in one color.
All in all, we think this is the best cat pod bed available today!
At PetKeen.com we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
2. Earthtone Solutions Pod Cat Bed – Budget Buy
A pod cat bed doesn’t have to be expensive for your cat to love it, and this Earthtone Solutions Pod Cat Bed is definitely not. It’s one of the most affordable cat beds we tested, which automatically makes it appealing to many people. Even better, you’re getting a two-for-one here since this can be used as a cat cave or flattened out for your cat to lay on. It’s all up to your kitty.
This pod at bed is handcrafted in Nepal out of high-quality merino wool. It will help your cat stay warm in the cooler months but is also breathable to keep cool in the summer. You can mostly keep it clean with a lint roller. When washing is needed, you’ll have to wash it by hand as it’s not machine washable.
We found that the wool used to make this cat bed is very durable and not itchy as you might expect. Some of our cats did prefer to lay on it rather than in it, but all of our cats seemed drawn to it. Considering the affordable price, we think it’s one of the best cat pod beds for the money.
3. K&H Pet Products Thermo Dream Pod
Part of the reason cats love pod beds so much is that they keep them warm and cozy, helping them to feel safe. Why not increase that warmth with a bed that places a heating pad under your cat? That’s exactly how the K&H Pet Products Thermo-Mod Dream Pod functions. It’s a two-piece bed with a separate top and bottom that zip together for easy and quick assembly. Underneath your cat, a heating pad keeps them about 10 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature.
There’s no need to wash the entire pod, but the faux fleece cover that your cat will be laying on is removable and can be machine washed for convenience. This cat cave is large enough for cats of any size; even large cats will have no problem fitting inside.
We found that the heating pad inside isn’t very strong. There’s definitely no chance of it burning your cat, which is great, but it’s also not appropriate for temperatures below 60 degrees as it doesn’t produce enough warmth. Furthermore, the bed emits a faint chemical odor for the first few weeks. Still, we like the price and the features enough to recommend it as our premium choice.
4. Twin Critters Handcrafted Pod Cat Bed
A simple yet effective design for a cat cave, the Twin Critters Handcrafted Pod Cat Bed just missed earning our recommendation, though it’s still a great product overall. You can choose from several designs that many are likely to find cute. It’s a reasonably priced cat cave; especially when you consider that it doubles as a cat mat/bed when flattened.
The unfortunate thing with this bed is that it tends to want to flatten itself out. This is because it seems to lack the structural integrity necessary to stay standing for use as a cat cave. We also noticed that it sheds a considerable amount of wool, leaving an additional mess for you to clean up.
That said, we like that it’s handcrafted from 100% natural wool. This makes it quite easy to keep clean with a standard vacuum. Moreover, it’s completely chemical-free, so you don’t have to worry about any odors that we experienced with some other cat caves. However, you can’t machine wash it, so if it gets dirty, you’ll have to wash it by hand. Considering everything, it’s priced reasonably, though we think other pod cat beds outperformed this one.
- Related Read: 10 Best Cat Food Bowls
5. Snoozer Pet Products Cozy Cave Covered Cat Bed
We really wanted to like the Snoozer Pet Products cozy cave covered cat bed. When it first arrived, we thought we had a surefire winner. However, after only a short period of use, we realized that it didn’t work out quite the way we had hoped. Our cats made it clear that this bed was not their first choice; far from it.
The biggest problem with this cat cave is the opening. It just doesn’t stay open! Instead, the top collapses down, making it difficult for cats to enter. We also noticed that it started falling apart rather quickly, leaving us to believe its construction is of low quality. Despite this, it’s far pricier than many alternatives that we felt performed far better.
Still, it’s not all bad with this pet bed. We love the machine washable cover and liner that make it easy to keep this bed clean, fresh, and looking great. The fill is another win with a mix of cedar and polyester that prevents foul odors. You also have multiple sizes and colors to choose from. If the top remained open for easy entry, this could be a winner, but as it is, we don’t recommend it.
6. Fhasso Luxury Bamboo Pod Cat Bed
Upon first look, we were big fans of the Fhasso Luxury Bamboo Pod Cat Bed, though our excitement faded considerably once we started using it. We found the looks of this bed to be attractive and elegant. It’s also a very sturdy design being made from bamboo. You’ll have an easy time keeping it clean as well. The bamboo is easy to wipe down and so is the slick interior. There’s a cushion cover to keep your cat comfy, and it’s machine washable for convenience.
However, the slick interior introduced our first problem. Whenever cats get inside, the pillow slips and slides all around, and our cats weren’t fans of that. Of course, that’s assuming the cat even managed to get inside! This bed is very unstable and would tip whenever a cat attempted to climb in.
We could have overlooked these flaws, but the high price was our final deterrent. Compared to other pod beds we tested, beds that performed far better than this one, the Fhasso luxury bamboo wicker cat bed is extremely expensive. Even at a lower price, we wouldn’t choose this pod bed because it has more flaws than we can overlook.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Pod Beds
As you can see, there are plenty of cat caves on the market. Of course, this has been just a small sampling of all the available models you could choose from. The real question is: how exactly do you sort through all of these choices to choose the perfect one for your cat?
After testing so many of these pod cat beds with our felines, we feel like we’ve come to understand these products on a deeper level, making it easier to decide between different options. While all of them can be great choices with the right kitty, some are certainly preferable to others.
In this buyer’s guide, we aim to help you make the best decision on a cat cave by disclosing the features that we’re comparing them on. We’ve found that these are the most important traits for a cat bed to have, so if you find a cat bed that meets your needs in each of these areas, you’re practically guaranteed to have a winner.
Important Features of a Cat Cave
Before you start choosing cat caves for your kitty, you should figure out exactly what you’re looking for in each of the following areas. Doing so will allow you to make an educated decision about which cat pod bed to choose, rather than making an arbitrary choice that your cat may not approve of.
Cats Have to Like it
It may seem obvious, but the most important thing about any cat bed you choose is that your cat actually likes it. You could pick the most amazing-looking cat bed with every feature imaginable, but if your cat doesn’t like it, it might as well not exist. Should you choose a cat pod bed that your cat doesn’t like, you’ll certainly regret your purchase as your cat completely ignores it. Granted, you won’t know what your cat likes ahead of time, so it would be in your best interest to try out any bed you choose immediately so that you can still return it if your cat turns its nose up at the bed you chose!
Appearance
If you find a bed your cat likes, the next most important feature is its appearance. It’s not just your cat that has to live with the bed you choose; you do too! If you get a cat cave that you find unattractive, you’ll feel resentment or regret every time you look at it, which will be often. So, make sure you pick a cat cave that you like the looks of. It’s going to become a permanent piece of furniture in your home.
Durability
Once you go through the hassle of finding the right cat bed, you won’t want to repeat the process any time soon. As such, it’s important to find a cat bed that will last. Some are made more durable than others. We had some cat caves starting to fall apart after only minimal use. Unfortunately, price is no indicator of quality, so you’ll have to take a look at each model and determine for yourself how well put together it is.
Cleanliness
We all want clean homes, but having a cat already makes that more difficult. Cats can be pretty stinky creatures, so it’s important to choose a cat pod that allows for easy cleaning. This way, you can keep your cat healthy and your home clean! We prefer the models with machine washable inserts and covers. Furthermore, hard panels should be easy to wipe down. While you can certainly wash some beds by hand, if that’s the only way you can wash it, then you might end up letting it sit instead, which can cause odors to increase over time.
Size
Not every cat is going to have a hard time fitting in certain beds, but if you have a large breed feline, you ought to be aware of its size. Some of the beds we tested didn’t turn out as large as we hoped after looking at pictures. After all, pictures can be deceiving. Large cats need more space in their beds. If your cat is large, make sure you pick a bed that can accommodate its large size.
Price
Finally, price is going to be a factor; for some people more than others. If you don’t mind spending a ton on your cat’s bed, then you can ignore this particular factor. On the other hand, some pet owners will shop purely based on price. We think the sweet spot is right between these two approaches. First, you should find the beds that meet all of your other needs. Then, compare them on price and ensure you’re not overspending when there’s a more affordable option that can meet your needs just as well.
Conclusion
Though there are many cat pod beds on the market, we didn’t want to settle for just any bed. No, we wanted our cats to have the best cat cave possible, as we’re sure you want. To that end, after much testing and time spent writing reviews, we have settled on three cat pod beds that we feel confident recommending for your cats.
Our number one choice is the Hepper Pod Modern Cat Bed. This very attractive design is contemporary and modern, allowing it to fit in with just about any décor. Assembly takes just four screws and the Sherpa fleece liner inside is self-warming to keep your cat nice and cozy.
If you’re looking to spend a bit less, the Earthtone Solutions pod cat bed is a great alternative that’s affordably priced and can be used with equal effect as a cat cave or a standard cat bed when folded flat.
For our third choice of cat bed with some great features, we recommend the K&H Products Thermo-Mod Dream Pod. More high-tech than the competition, this two-piece bed zips together for easy assembly and features a heated pad inside to keep your cat warm on those cool nights.
Featured Image Credit: Hepper
