Will My Cat Fit?

We are often asked, "Will my cat fit into the Cat Ball cat bed?" or sometimes, "Will two cats fit?" 

Three cats inside the Cat Ball!

Photo by The Whole Cat and Kaboodle in Redmond, Washington

Well, we generally see the Cat Ball® cat bed as a bed for one cat. Maybe that is because we have always had larger cats. Maybe it is also because our cats are worse at sharing than 4 year olds are. But as you can see here, it is possible to share! 

Thanks to the Whole Cat and Kaboodle in Redmond, Washington for sharing this fun photo of three young cats sharing a standard size Cat Ball® cat bed. They got pretty creative in this photo!

Cats Who Share

We've seen some really funny photos of multiple cats using our cat bed designs from Nekononiwa, a cat café in Singapore. The cover photo for this blog post was taken at the café, where it seems really common for the cats to share a sleeping space. (For size reference the cats in the cover photo are actually in our mini size Cat Ball® cat bed!) 

Two cats at the Nekononiwa cat café in Singapore share a Cat Canoe® cat bed.
Two cats at the Nekononiwa cat café in Singapore share a Cat Canoe® cat bed.
For size reference, these two cats at the Nekononiwa cafe are sharing our standard size Cat Canoe® bed. They may also be small cats, we aren't sure. It looks like the same two cats are in the cover photo for this blog post. 
Here's a photo of two larger cats sharing a Cat Canoe®. Each of these kitties is around 12 pounds, so yeah, the Cat Canoe® can potentially hold 24 pounds of cat. 
Two cats are sharing the Cat Canoe® modern cat bed. Photo by @crazycatmish on Instagram
Two cats are sharing the Cat Canoe® modern cat bed. Photo by @crazycatmish on Instagram
Here is what I've learned about how cats fit into our cat beds:
  • Some cats select small sleeping spaces, cramming themselves into a box or basket that touches their sizes and holds them closely. 
  • Cats often like to rest their chins or heads on an elevated edge.
  • Some cats like to share a sleeping space. Some cats do not want to share. You know what your cats like. 
  • Some cats seem to be claustrophobic, and never use bags, boxes or confined spaces. You may see them sprawl on the floor, for example. 

Think about what you see your cat doing. If your cat is really into cramming himself into tiny boxes, then he might love our Cat Canoe®, even if he weighs 15, 17 or 18 pounds he's probably going to fit into our standard size Cat Canoe® and be willing to shove himself into it. Honestly, most cats will fit into that bed: remember that photo with approximately 24 pounds of cat? They made it work!

Two cats in a jumbo size Cat Canoe® cat bed. Photo by Purrmania.

Two cats in a jumbo size Cat Canoe® cat bed. Photo by @Purrmania.

This black/white polka dotted bed is a jumbo size Cat Canoe®, and the photo is by Purrmania in Germany. These cats are Oriental exotics, with long and lean bodies, and sometimes three cats will share this bed, which is why their humans selected the jumbo size bed. The jumbo Cat Canoe® is also designed with really high sides, so it will offer more privacy, and some cats will like this feature. 

Do I need a jumbo Cat Ball® cat bed?

The short answer is "probably not". Our standard size Cat Ball® cat bed really is enough for most cats most of the time. My cat Retro is tall, long and thick, weighing about 17 pounds, and he fits into the Cat Ball® just fine. Sometimes le leaves a leg handing out, but that's because he wants to. 

Retro inside the Cat Ball cat bed. This cat weighs about 17 pounds

Here's Retro, a 17 pound cat, inside the Cat Ball® cat bed. He fits inside the bed, he just wanted to let his leg hang out this time. 

Retro is not a small cat, yet even at his chonky 17 pounds he will curl up and sleep inside the Cat Ball®. I feel no need to make him a jumbo size bed.  So, who needs the jumbo size Cat Ball® cat bed then? I developed the pattern for this larger size bed at the request of the Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest Cat people, who really do have big cats. 

 Merlin is a Maine Coon Cat, and inside a jumbo size Cat Ball® cat bed

 Merlin, a Maine Coon Cat, inside a jumbo size Cat Ball® cat bed. 

If you have a really big or really tall cat, such as a 23 pound Maine Coon Cat, you will probably need the jumbo size Cat Ball®. We don't manufacture this larger bed and keep them in inventory, instead I'm making them one at a time in my design studio. They're just really big (and hard to sew) so right now making them on demand works better for us. If you're sure that the jumbo size is the best fit (or if you still have more questions), reach out to us with your questions. 

Comparing the Sizes

Cat Canoe® size comparison with a 7 pound cat named Tink

Cat Canoe® size comparison with a 7 pound cat named Tink

Cat Canoe® approximate measurements

Standard size: About 24" long x 8" wide. The sides are about 6" tall.

Jumbo size: About 24" long x 12" wide. The sides are about 9" tall. 

Cat Ball® approximate measurements

Mini: (we aren't making these right now)

Standard: 17" diameter x 16" tall with two openings, about 10" and 6"

Jumbo: 18" diameter x 21" tall with two openings, about 10" and 6"

Compare the mini Cat Ball® cat bed to our standard size

Compare the mini Cat Ball® cat bed to our standard size

Compare the jumbo size Cat Ball® cat bed to our standard size

Compare the jumbo Cat Ball® cat bed to our standard size. The jumbo is pretty big! 

A small 7 pound cat is leaving the mini size Cat Ball and walking into the standard size Cat Ball

Here we see Tink leaving the mini size Cat Ball® and walking into the standard size Cat Ball®

 

Here's one last photo that shows Tink, who weighs about 7 pounds, standing next to our standard size Cat Ball® cat bed. Retro , who weighs about 17 pounds, is curled up inside the bed. 

A large cat sleeps inside the Cat Ball® cat bed while a smaller cat watches from outside.

 

 


5 comments


  • Loanne Potter

    Have you made any Jumbo cat balls? I talked with you about a month ago. I don’t care about the color. My Mittins is waiting patiently


  • Jenna Meow

    My adult cat Cornelius and new kitten fit perfectly inside together. They love sleeping and grooming each other inside. Once the kitten gets bigger, not so sure, looking forward to see! You can see photos of them at www.meowlifestyle.com


  • Jennifer

    Cynthia-
    I have developed a pattern for a jumbo size Cat Canoe® cat bed. Currently I am making it on demand, and fabric options may be different. This larger size is probably a better option for your cat family.
    -Jennifer


  • Cynthia

    I am owned by 3 Maine Coons, weights ranging between 15 and 20 lbs. Lots of fur and they do like to stretch out. Wondering if the cat canoe comes in different sizes. Thanks in advance.


  • Lynn

    That is so funny!! Look at the disgusted looks on the two kitties in the ball! :-)


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