How to make the perfect cat bed for afternoon catnaps

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Last updated March 5th, 2020

Make a cat grass bed to impress your cat

Cats just love to make things up as they go along. They’re masters at improvisation and resourcefulness. They’re the bohemians of the animal kingdom, loving the comforts of the finer things in life, while always keeping a paw on the wild side. Cats play by their own rule book and the power of their purrsuasion and cat-nnovation has prompted cat lovers like me to make up words like these!

Cats can make the most seemingly uncomfortable spot look like a bed made of clouds. It doesn’t matter that they’re all twisted in a corner with their heads flopping down at an impossible angle but their agile bodies seem to melt and take the shape of whatever it is they’re sleeping on or inside. And their sleeping choices is no accident either. In fact, I think they have it all mapped out in their heads and they know exactly where they’ll be sleeping today at 12:05 pm.

“After breakfast: On top of the coffee table
At noon: On the arm of the couch
2:35 pm: Next to the apples in the new fruit bowl they bought
3:05pm: the grass bed in the catio”

Wait, what? A grass bed? Kitty, what are you thinking? Why are you sleeping in that grass pot?

Three years ago when we rescued Sly Pie he soon decided that sleeping in the big barrel of grass was the best sleeping pod for afternoon catnaps. It sparked a post called “How to make a bed in three easy steps” and that became his ‘thing.’ So each summer I would make sure to plant various types of cat-safe grasses for grazing and snoozing.

Make a cat grass bed for your kitty — Three years ago, Sly Pie claimed the barrel of Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa) as his own purrsonal snooze pod.

Sly Pie is an ardent believer in ‘Make your grass bed, now lie in it’

In a recent post we shared with you how to grow cat grass and for this cat grass bed project, all the same steps apply. The only difference is you would need a larger square or rounded plant pot to grow your cat grass bed. Actually, it doesn’t have to be that large. If your kitty is known to apply the rules “If I fits, I sits” then a snug fit will do. After all, cat loaf can be practiced in the tiniest of spaces!

Why your cat would like a grass bed

In the heat of Summer, a grass patch is cooling.

A grass bed, much like a box, provides a safe space for your cat to hide and feel secure.

Cats love novelty and a cat grass bed provides enrichment for a bored cat.

It’s a kitty salad buffet and cozy comfy cat bed all in one! You can’t get better than that!

What you will need to make a cat grass bed

1. A heavy and sturdy plant pot. I chose a plant pot from the Home Depot. About 12” high, 6” wide and 14” deep. It’s quite heavy and sturdy, so ideal to cradle a large man cat with a massive head like Charlie or a stubby little round tuxedo.

2. If you are making a grass bed for indoor use, make sure the hole at the bottom can be plugged close. Or get a pot without drainage holes.

3. Plant the seeds in exactly the same way we did for the cat grass tutorial.

4. Plant other smaller grass pots intended for grazing so that your cats have more options.

5. Do you have a spare litter box in storage somewhere? This would make the perfect sized cat grass bed which is a more practical solution for smaller apartments or balconies with not much extra space.

After about 5 days to a week when the grass has reached its peak height, and the blades are lush and strong, observe for any attempts at climbing inside the container.

Senior cat Earl Grey snacking on some cat grass

There were the usual hustle and bustle of cats exploring the grass, grazing here and there, even climbing into the pot. But no one settled in for a snooze yet. Even the seniors came by for some grass snacks.

I didn’t see any cats make their move but I did see evidence of the grass being slept on. For days I wondered who might the mystery cat be. After all, there was a clear indentation in the grass that showed it had been slept on. I had a sneaky suspicion of who it might be. Perhaps a little tuxdeo with black capri pants?

Until one day, I saw this….

And this…..

Pretty soon, the cats established their catnap timesharing schedule and played musical chairs with the cat grass bed. Sly Pie demonstrated to the other cats that a cat grass bed is not only perfect for catnaps and sweet dreams but is also ideal for cat loafing, cat muffining, grazing and staying cool in the heat.

Cats love new things, and this cat grass bed provides an opportunity to explore and satisfy their curious nature. When you think about it, free-roaming cats love to sleep on grass so it makes perfect sense that our indoor cats would welcome their own personal grass pod to sleep on.

Three years later Sly Pie still makes his bed in the barrel planter of Japanese Forest grass mixed with Creeping Jenny. Old habits die hard.

I wonder what other cat-inspired projects my little purry resourceful innovators will concoct next. For now kitty, I made your grass bed, now go lie in it!

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