Cats love to lie high up, warm and with a view. A window perch or radiator bed gives your cat exactly that spot: by the window to look outside, or against the radiator in winter. Here you will find beds and mats for the windowsill, hammocks that hang on the radiator and hammocks for the window or wall.
Three types
- Windowsill bed or mat: lies loose on the windowsill or is fixed to it. There are flat mats, beds with a raised edge and elevated platforms. Some mats have a heat-reflecting layer that bounces your cat's own warmth back.
- Radiator bed: a fabric or plush bed in a frame that you hang on the radiator with brackets. The warmth rises and the cat lies just above or beside it.
- Window or wall hammock: hangs on the glass with suction cups or is screwed to the wall. Your cat then really lies in the window opening or on a shelf with a view.
How to choose
First measure the windowsill: depth and length determine which bed fits. For a radiator bed, look at the type of radiator and the gap between radiator and wall, because the brackets have to fit in there. Check the product information to see which radiators the brackets are designed for and up to what weight a suction-cup hammock is suitable. A large or heavy cat is better off with a sturdy frame than with suction cups. Choose a removable, washable cover: in winter your cat lies on it every day.
Safety
Suction cups hold best on clean, smooth glass. Check them regularly. Do not leave a tilt window above a windowsill bed open when your cat lies there unsupervised: cats can get trapped in the opening. Hang a radiator bed so that your cat can easily get in and out, and does not lie directly on a very hot radiator.
More sleeping spots can be found under cat beds and cushions, heated resting places under heat mats and climbing and scratching under scratching posts. Back to everything for cats.
Frequently asked questions
Does a radiator bed fit every radiator?
No. The brackets have to fit around the radiator and there has to be space between radiator and wall. Check the product information to see which radiators the bed is designed for.
Doesn't a radiator bed get too hot?
The cat lies above or beside the radiator, not on it. Do not turn the heating to its highest setting if your cat lies there for a long time, and check that it can get out by itself.
How sturdy is a window hammock with suction cups?
That differs per model. Check the maximum weight in the product information, attach it to clean glass and check the suction cups regularly.
My windowsill is narrow. What fits?
A mat or platform that you fix in place, or a window hammock on the glass. Measure the depth of the windowsill before you choose.