I love the idea of pet beds – specifically dog beds, in my case, since that’s the only kind of pet I’ve had. I bought my dog a few beds over the course of his life, from the tiny basket that I brought him home in to a cozy padded fleece version that I thought he would love. He didn’t. No matter how enthusiastically I patted the bed and mimed how lovely it would be for him to sleep on it, what he liked was a mattress, and sleeping with me, or with any other human being in the house who would indulge him his ability to expand his 22-pound self enough that he took up the entire bottom of a queen-sized bed. Meanwhile, his beautiful bed sat idle, used as a repository for his toys when I decided to pick them up and organize them for the five minutes they stayed that way.
But perhaps you’re a better alpha than I am, or at least have better boundaries. Maybe you have an intolerant partner who can’t stand sharing space with an animal, or you are that intolerant party. Whatever the reason you decide to set bedtime boundaries for your pet, there are tons of sleeping options for pets of all sizes and needs, including some very cool hand-crafted choices.
Cody’s Creations – custom apparel for pets – features items like this cool “take me along tote” and travel bed. I like the camo version in particular, for the pet who’s trying to keep a low profile.
Vintage Renaissance believes in “recycling, upcycling, repurposing and reviving older styles to work for design today,” including cat beds fashioned out of vintage suitcases. If I had a cat at the moment, I’d own one of these pronto – and whether they actually sleep in it or not, it’s an excellent conversation piece.
For smaller pets who like to snuggle, Toni’s Desirables makes the Pawket Blanket in different shades of faux fur. Very sweet, very warm.
AngelCats offers hand-crocheted cat beds made with a cat’s need for a cozy space to curl up and a supposedly keen aesthetic sense.
Have a small pet like a rat or a small rabbit? Tree of Life has just the indoor hammock for them, made from two layers of alpine fleece.
