Why Do Cats Like Hammocks and Swinging Beds: 3 Key Reasons

Have you ever considered a cat hammock for your 4 legged friend? If you are a cat owner, you’re very well aware of the liveliness and curiosity that these animals have on a daily basis. From running around, chasing, and hunting, all the way to performing insane stunts. Cats enjoy making the most of their environment.

Because of this, there is an array of pet furniture you can get for your pet in order to enhance not only their lives, but also to further their instinctive development inside the walls of your home.

Cat tunnels and boxes, which further the cat’s curiosity, are extremely important for house cats and help them preserve and reinforce their natural instincts. Scratch trees are also very important as cats need to use their claws, and it is always better for them to do so on a specially designed piece of furniture than on your expensive leather sofa.

However, there’s another very important type of cat furniture that is extremely simple in design but means a lot for pets and cats in particular. We’re talking about cat hammocks and swing beds and the way they can enhance your cat’s natural way of thinking about space.

Why Do Cats Like Hammocks?

Lets take a look at a the 3 main reasons why your average cats enjoy spending so much time in hammocks and hanging swing beds:

 

1. Cat hammocks suit your pet’s natural instincts

Although pet owners don’t think of them as predators, house cats stem from a long line of carnivores. They’re instinctively predestined to be hunters and always have an eye on things. However, when we say predators, we often picture big scary animals that hunt small furry ones.

Predators don’t fear any other animal; at least that’s what we think. The reality, however, is very different.

Predators are dangerous, but they are aware that there’s always another bigger animal that could get to them. That’s why predators are extremely careful in the way they perceive their environment.

 

 

If you’ve studied the behavior of your cat at least once, you may have noticed that the cat (while not asleep, at least) is always scanning its surroundings and looking out windows for possible dangers. That’s why the cat is always searching for a place where it has an “advantage” over the other animals around it.

Pet hammocks and swing beds are a great way to further this natural instinct cats have and provide them with the necessary places to achieve exactly what they need.

In nature, this is often achieved by climbing trees and finding a comfortable place on the tree’s branches to have an oversight of their surroundings. Because this is not possible for a house cat, a cat hammock is the next best thing the cats could choose for a convenient place to take a nap.

Just like with humans, when the cat is satisfied with the place where they sleep, the overall happiness of the pet will also be greatly improved.

 

2. Pet hammocks are not only for healthy sleep

Another important aspect of cats and their behavior is their playfulness. Of course, cats don’t see it as we do as a way of pastime, but rather as (you guessed it) a way of enhancing their natural hunting skills.

 

 

If a cat plays with a ball, it sees it more as a way of development rather than anything else. Cats are wired to interact with their surrounding as much as possible, that’s why we humans see them as great animals for pets.

Cat hammocks can be a great way to provide your cat with a place where it can develop, or simply-put play, with something that resembles a natural challenge. Once you get a pet hammock for your cat and the cat realizes it is something she can sleep in, it becomes part of her habitat.

The hammock is not only a safe space; it is a natural safe space that needs to be conquered every time.

In the above video, Timo The Cat And His Hammock Experiences (courtesy of YouTube user Xiedubbel), we see a cat gradually growing to love a hammock similar to the portable ones we may encounter. With some difficulty and persistence, the hammock is defeated; the, kitty victorious. 

This is, of course, just one of many types of pet hammock, with some being more accommodating to felines than others. 

In nature, there are no solid grounds in terms of where it is safe to spend the night. Before predators like cats choose their sleeping ground, they explore it. And since every possible safe space for cats in nature is wiggly and unstable, cat hammocks and swinging beds resemble this adventure of finding a safe space almost perfectly.

 

 

Once the cat hammock is established as a space for taking a nap, your cat will start playing with it, enhancing the cat’s intuition and overall natural instincts.

This aspect of playing with possible safe spaces is inherent to predators like cats. We’ve all seen videos in which cats play with boxes, jumping in and out of them. This is because boxes are not stable—they shift once they are touched and thus provide a challenge for the cat.

Once the challenge is mastered, the cat feels rewarded and entitled to the place it has claimed. This helps the cat to be much more in tune with its natural instincts which leads to a happier life for your pet.

Cat hammocks and swinging beds are perfect for this kind of interaction, as they provide the perfect amount of challenge and stability once “conquered”.

 

3. Cat hammocks are very comfortable

We’ve talked a lot about challenges and ways hammocks make cats interact with the environment. And sure, these aspects are extremely important, but there’s another aspect of pet hammocks that needs to be mentioned, and that is the way it makes the cat feel while sleeping in it.

Although we as humans don’t often see ourselves as parts of nature, we certainly are. In accordance with this, we have to think about relaxation and comfortableness as something that not only we seek, but that other animals seek too.

 

 

Every pet needs relaxation as well, and if we humans enjoy comfortable things, logic suggests that animals and pets do so as well.

Cat hammocks are great in the way that they not only provide all of the aforementioned features for cats to enhance their natural instincts, but also relaxation and a cozy place to be when they want to sleep. This aspect is often overseen when buying cat furniture and should play a leading role in our choices.

All in all, do something good for your cat, and get a cat hammock today.

Best Cat Hammock Reviews

Here are some top rated cat chair hammocks hammocks which you and your feline friend may want to consider trying. Cat wall hammocks and window hammocks are another good option, however they don’t offer the same swinging motion for your kitty to master as a hanging cat hammock.

 

Hanging Soft Hammock Bed For Cats

A prime example of a pet hammock designed with your feline friend’s natural habits in mind. It may be attached under chairs using the provided adjustable straps or to cages using hooks. It has dimensions up to 21.5″ x 17″.

ProSelect Wild Time Pet Cage Hammock

Another cat hammock, this one designed to provide a much-needed cozy option for cats (or ferrets) temporarily restricted to a cage. It attaches via snap clips and comes in dimensions of 21″ x 12.5″.

Cat Crib

This last cat hammock, which comes in tan, black, or even purple, is specifically designed to hang under wood frame furniture with legs between 18″ – 27″ apart. It comes in dimensions of 18″ x 18″ with non-slip strap design. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Cat Hammocks and Swinging Beds

 

Do cats like to sleep in hammocks?

Yes. Cats love to sleep and play in hammocks. The elevation of the hammock gives them a safe space to see their surroundings. The comfort of the hammock makes it a great cat bed and the swinging motion is great for Kitty’s to play on and master.

 

Do cats like window hammocks?

Yes. Cats love to sit on window sills and observe their outside environments. They also love to be elevated in their indoor environment for safety, and to observe their indoor surroundings. Window hammocks are a great option for kitty cats offering the best of both worlds.

 

Do cats actually use cat hammocks?

There are different types of cat hammocks and most cats will love to play and nap in them all. They offer comfortable place to rest and sleep. They are also elevated so your curious kitty can maintain observation of all their surroundings in line with their natural instinct.

 

What is a cat window hammock?

A cat window hammock is a popular type of cat hammock which attaches to the window via 4 suction points, 2 suspension ropes and the hammock bed. They are great for cats offering elevation and 360 degrees views inside and out – much to your curious cat’s enjoyment.