Best Orthopedic Cat Bed: My Pick

Amazon Price: $37.95 (as of 05/29/2012)

This bed comes in different sizes for dogs (bleh). The small size is perfect for cats. I like the "mocha" cover, but it also comes in sage.

The cover is removable and washable, with a plushlike top that's really soft and velvety after many washings, yet dirt doesn't stick to it (I keep trying to bring the garden in with me, but it brushes off). The "bump" style memory foam is firm and strong, so you don't have to worry about tearing it when taking the cover off.

Put it next to a window or sliding glass door so we can see out.

A word to the wise: if you remove the cover to wash it, I WILL make do with (a) your office chair or (b) the best chair in your living room until my bed is back in working order.

Amazon Price: $0.86 (as of 05/30/2012)

Mind you, there's organic catnip growing outside my house, and I like it, too. But for dried catnip, this is the best. Some years ago, a friend gave me a cat toy filled with it: "zoom around the room catnip." That became my favorite toy.

My feeder-person noticed it had finally worn out this year. She spoils me. She bought this package of loose leaf catnip, unstitched my toys, recharged them with fresh "zoom," and sewed them back up. Now I'm pouncing and chasing them again.

She also discovered that sprinkling a pinch of this dried organic catnip on my bed makes me happy. It was already my favorite sleep spot, but now, before I settle in, I have to snuggle and roll around first. Even 15-year-old senior cats need their exercise!

Amazon Price: $26.67 (as of 05/30/2012)

Galena lived in Utah, which has snow, yet she insisted on keeping her K&H Sleeper bed right next to the cold glass patio door so she could see out. So her feeder-person got her one of these mats and put it on top of the bed. You could buy the mat by itself, I think. You can also buy the heating pad all by itself and wrap it in a flannel blanket or towel for a cheap heated cat bed.

The reason to use a special heated cat pad is that it regulates its temperature carefully so that it's safe for a cat to sleep on. It stays on, too. A human heating pad is too hot to be safe for a cat, and most shut off after half an hour.