Bill Watterson’s Hobbes once said, “You can take the tiger out of the jungle, but you can’t take the jungle out of the tiger.”
Cat lovers know that their favorite fuzzy friends will always have a little bit of the wild in them. Cats never lose their urge to chase, to scratch, and to hunt their own food. Understanding their instincts is the key to building cats a happy home.
One of the habits cats brought into our homes from the wild is their love of high perches. Cats perch to keep watch for rivals and prey, to exercise, to explore, and to get away from annoyances like dogs, other cats, or human children. In fact, cats love to perch so much that if you don’t give them a perch, they’ll make one for themselves — likely by pushing a bunch of stuff off a table or dresser.
Buying your cat a perch-bed combo can be daunting, so we’ve written up reviews of our favorites to help you search. Afterward, stick around for more tips in our expert-written buyer’s guide.
A Quick Comparison of Our Winners in 2023
| Image | Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  |  | K&H Pet Products EZ Mount | CHECK PRICE | |
Best Value  |  | Oster Sunny Seat | CHECK PRICE | |
Premium Choice  |  | K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty | CHECK PRICE | |
 | Kitty Cot Original World's Best | CHECK PRICE | ||
 | Orangelight | CHECK PRICE |
The 6 Best Cat Window PerchesÂ
1. K&H Pet Products EZ Mount Cat Window Perch – Best Overall
Our favorite cat window perch and bed combination is the EZ Mount Perch from K&H Pet Products. It combines fundamentally strong construction with lots of the features we look for and is sure to please both kitties and humans.
This perch mounts using suction cups. Two of them anchor directly to your window panes, while the other two hook onto the end of support straps. Overall, it’s extremely easy to install. It’s also convenient to fold up temporarily when you want to close your blinds.
The suction cups are both compressed and twisted for an extra-tight hold. It makes them extremely strong, capable of holding up to 100 pounds — not to mention completely unfazed by multiple cats. The bunk is lined with a comfortable cover that can be removed and run through the wash.
The biggest reason the K&H window seats for cats made #1 is that we tested it on felines, and they love it! Once a cat gets on, it’s hard to get it off. The only issue we noticed is that the suction cups lose power if the window isn’t completely clean and dry, so make sure to wash and wipe the glass down thoroughly before installing this perch.
All in all, we think this is the best cat window perch this year.
- Comfortable for cats
- Easy installation
- Affordable
- Great for multiple cats
- Holds up to 100 pounds
- Washable bunk cover
- Suction cups lose power if the window isn’t perfectly clean
2. Oster Sunny Seat Cat Window Perch – Best Value
The question “What are the best cat window perches and beds for the money?” doesn’t only mean “What’s the cheapest?” For us, it’s about not settling for less because you’re on a budget. For your money, the Oster Sunny Seat Cat Window Perch gives you the best value.
Similar to the K&H Perch at #1, the Oster Sunny Seat is a suspended bunk, with two suction cups on the bed and two hooked to shoulder straps. It’s just as easy to install without tools, though not quite as strong, rated to hold up to 50 pounds of cat.
If you put the Oster Sunny Seat in direct sunlight, your cat will be happy to sunbathe in it all day. Since it sells for cheap, you can buy two without much trouble, giving two cats equally high beds — or one cat an exciting obstacle course.
The suction cups are less reliable on this bench. You’ll need to clean the window thoroughly, and possibly refresh them at least once in boiling water, to ensure they hold the weight limit. We also noticed that cats sometimes chew on the retaining cables, so you might need to replace them with something less exciting.
- Easy to afford more than one
- Comfortable for cats
- Warm in direct sunlight
- Handles jumping cats well
- Lower weight limit
- Suction cups take more work
- Cats might chew on the cables
3. K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty Window Perch – Premium Choice
All the window perches on this list are high-quality, but there’s no denying that paying extra can get you some nice perks (Perch perks? We should do something with that). The K&H Thermo-Kitty Window Perch is the best example of a perch bed for cats that earns a higher price.
The Thermo-Kitty provides an orthopedic foam bed, similar to a memory foam mattress for humans, with a removable faux-lambskin cover that’s washer-safe. Instead of suction cups, it attaches to your windowsill using a pair of stable, detachable legs, which fix in place without tools. If you want extra stability, however, there’s also an option that uses screws and Velcro.
The real draw, though, is the electric heater. If you plug this cat window perch into an outlet, it heats up to 15 degrees above the ambient temperature, creating a warm and comfortable surface that will check all your cat’s boxes.
The Thermo-Kitty perch is definitely pricey, and more complicated than suction-cup perches — it’s frustrating that you have to install it near an outlet. It’s also less strong than many others, only holding about 40 pounds. That’s enough for one cat, but might not be able to hold two.
- Orthopedic mattress
- Heated platform
- Installs without suction cups
- Washable faux-wool cover
- Expensive
- Has to be near an outlet
- Relatively low weight rating
- Permanent installation requires screws
4. Kitty Cot Cat Window Perch
The “Original World’s Best Cat Perch” from Kitty Cot is a bold name to live up to. Since we’ve only put it at #4, we don’t agree, but we do think this window perch earns the title of “World’s Fourth Best Cat Perch.”
The Kitty Cot World’s Best is a window perch in the classic style, mounted with four suction cups and two shoulder cables. The frame is made of stout PVC pipe, and the support cables are stainless steel — both reliably strong and unlikely to be chewed on. The bed itself is a plain hammock, where you can either add a bed or leave it clear depending on what your cat prefers.
The whole thing is straightforward to wash with soap and water. The suction cups aren’t as strong as you might want, though: it only holds up to 25 pounds, which isn’t enough for the biggest cats, and absolutely not for many two-cat households.
In general, this is a great, comfortable perch, but it’s overpriced. For this much, we expect pampering on the order of the heated memory foam perch at #3, not a standard bunk with no bed that looks a lot like all the others.
- Easy to set up
- Strong frame
- Available in many different sizes
- Comfortable for cats
- Too expensive for what you get
- No bed included
- Low suction cup weight rating
5. Orangelight Window Perch for Cats
The Orangelight Cat Hammock is comfy and soft. At 21.6 by 13.8 inches, it’s wide enough for most cats to curl up and big enough for two small kitties if they’re OK with cuddling. The bunk itself is made of Oxford cloth, a fabric that’s popular for being both soft and breathable.
Orangelight’s window perch hangs from suction cups on steel wires, which won’t shed burrs and hurt your cat if it gets curious. These window seats for cats can hold about 30 pounds, which should be enough for multiple cats if they aren’t too big.
As usual, it’s important to clean the surface extremely well before attaching it, as any foreign objects interfere with the suction cups. Also, be warned that there’s no mattress or washable cover for this window bed for cats — but human pillowcases are about the right size.
Our biggest problem with the Orangelight Cat Hammock is quality control. Orangelight isn’t an established brand, so these perches vary in quality. Some are smaller than advertised, some have support wires with uneven lengths, and some have unpleasant smells in the packaging. Most of these window beds for cats are awesome, but we can’t recommend our readers roll the dice until the company improves its oversight.
- Affordable
- Good suction cups
- Soft, permeable fabric
- Easy to customize
- Not very large
- Support cables sometimes aren’t a uniform length
- Bad smell out of package
- No soft surface included
6. David City Window Perch for Cats
We had some issues going into our tests with the David City Cat Window Perch. Its product page doesn’t show any cats actually using it — the only picture with a cat in it is obviously faked.
However, once we applied real cats to this perch rather than photoshopped ones, we discovered they enjoy it. Heavy cats can get comfortable here, though the fit is a little tight. Since it’s not made of material cats naturally enjoy, they might take some convincing, but with their favorite treats and blanket in place, they’ll hop right up.
The mesh hammock is scratch-proof, and it’s a cinch to clean. The support straps are sturdy, though kitties like to chew on them. The suction cups are meant to hold up to 30 pounds, if it works properly.
Sadly, it usually isn’t. Of all the perches we’ve highlighted here, this cat window perch is the only one that refuses to behave. At least one of the suction cups seems to be loose at all times. The PVC frame is also cheap, often visibly cracking after a few weeks of use. If you want to pamper your cat, we don’t recommend David City.
- Cheap
- Cats like the material
- Washable
- Shoddy construction
- Suction cups don’t hold
- Not very large
- Instructions not in English
Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Cat Window Perches & Beds
Chances are that if you’re shopping for a cat window perch and bed, you’ve seen a few other review articles like this one. “10 Best Cat Perches!” “25 Best Cat Perches!” We get it — it can start to feel like a little bit much.
That’s why we’re doing it a bit differently. Instead of just telling you our favorite products, we want to give you the information you need to find the perfect cat perch and bed for your needs. At the end of the day, you know your cat best, so you should get to make the decision!
In this buyer’s guide, you’ll learn more about the value of a cat perch, and discover the different types, most important things to look for, and critical questions to answer before you buy.
Why Do Cats Perch?
At the start of this article on window seats for cats, we claimed that cats perch because of ancient instincts handed down to them from their wild ancestors. To illustrate why giving your cat a high perch is so important, we thought we’d share a bit more detail on feline evolutionary psychology.
- Cats perch to feel safe. Your cat is a mighty hunter at home, but its ancestors in the forest weren't always apex predators. Especially as kittens, wild cats could become prey for large birds of prey, canines, and other, bigger cats. The best way to stay safe was to find a high place where they could see threats coming from a long way off. In your home, your kitty may not have to worry about getting eaten, but perching might keep them away from barking dogs, bothersome humans, or other cats they don't like.
- Cats perch to seek prey. It wasn't just predators they watched out for in the wild. Sitting on a high perch showed wild cats where their next meal was coming from. As an instinct, perching kept cats fed and kept them from being something else's food. No wonder it's such a deeply ingrained behavior!
- Cats love to watch the world. Cats need a wide variety of things to stimulate their attention, particularly if they live their lives indoors. While toys and playtime are great for this, nothing compares to watching all the action in the outside world. A comfortable perch lets your cat curl up for hours to enjoy the scenery.
- Even humans know perching is great. People sometimes express confusion that their cats are so obsessed with being on top of high things. Then those people turn around and pay good money to see the Grand Canyon, or New York from the top of the Empire State Building. Let's face it -- a love of taking in the view is something we share with our feline friends.
Types of Cat Window Perches
Cat window perches can be classified by answering two different questions: what's on top of this perch, and how does it attach to the windowsill?
- What’s on the top? It could be either a comfortable bed, a soft hammock-style perch, a carpeted platform, or nothing at all, requiring you to supply the bed yourself. If you want to add your own comforts, it’s best to get a perch without much bedding on top, but if you want the complete package, spring for a perch-bed combo like the ones we’ve listed here.
- How does it attach? The two most popular methods are fixing onto the wall below the windowsill via suction cups and using more traditional fasteners like screws. Suction cups are the most common method these days. However, if you’re concerned about the amount of weight they can hold, you can still find perches that attach more solidly — just understand that these take more time to install and remove.
Cat Window Perch Questions to Ask
There are a lot of cat perches on the market, so it pays to narrow down the selection a little. To make sure you're looking in the right place, start with these basic questions.
- How strong are your windows? Windows installed before the 1980s are often single-glazed, made from only one pane of glass. Double-glazed windows, which are common in more modern buildings, have two panes of glass. To tell the difference, look at the bottom of the window and see if there’s a strip separating two panes. A single-glazed window isn’t strong enough to hold the weight of most full-grown cats, so if you have that older design, we suggest getting a perch that doesn’t attach using suction cups.
- How big is the cat that will use the perch? A Siamese will need a perch of a different size and strength than a Maine Coon. Pick one that’s large enough for your cat to pace around and curl up comfortably. Cat perches also have weight limits, so make sure to weigh your cat and check the perch’s limit carefully. The last thing you want is for your cat’s sanctuary to collapse while they’re in the middle of a nap. Also, don’t forget that rating a bed for a certain weight, say 50 pounds, might just mean it can hold a 50-pound cat that’s sitting still. Your cat may want to get onto their perch by jumping for it, which exerts a lot more pressure — like how humans can lie safely on some beds that they shouldn’t jump on.
- How many cats do you have? In addition to the reasons discussed above, cats often use perches to establish dominance over other cats. Even if you get each of your cats their own perch, multiple cats will decide amongst themselves what the “best” perch is and might compete over who gets to rest there. In many cases, multiple cats will use the “best” perch at the same time — take this into account when figuring out what weight limit you need.
Other Features
A few cat perches have extra touches that make them work a little differently than the others. Here are some non-standard designs you might encounter.
- Enclosed cat perches. Instead of the usual platform design, these perches consist of a nearly complete dome that attaches directly to the window at several points. Your cat can jump in through the one opening, and end up totally enclosed. This is a great option for cats who are a little more anxious or those who love to burrow.
- Washable cat perches. If you have an old or sick cat, or a kitten who’s not quite housebroken, you might be worried about what happens if they have an accident on the perch. If so, we’ve got good news: some perches are designed to be washable. They’ll either come with a machine-washable cover you can slip over the platform, or their whole soft surface will be a removable, washable platform.
- Scratchable cat perches. What’s better than a perch where your kitty can sit and look out at the world? A perch where it can also enjoy its other favorite hobby: scratching! Some perches are made of corrugated cardboard or rough rope that your cat will love to both lie on and sharpen its claws in.
Conclusion
Our favorite cat window perch bed is the K&H EZ Mount Perch. It's incredibly strong, relatively affordable, and cats can't get enough of it. We really like the comfortable material and the wide surface area that gives kitties plenty of space to lounge in the sun. As long as you diligently clean the window before installing it, you won't have any trouble.
For cat parents trying to save money, the Oster Sunny Seat is a fantastic choice. It's a warm, comfortable window perch with strong suction cups. There's a little more risk of the cups not holding if they aren't properly cared for, but you won't be disappointed by this perch as long as you follow the directions.
We hope our reviews and guides have helped point you toward your cat's new favorite window bed for cats. Nothing makes us happier than making pets and their owners happy. If you tried any of our favorite beds, or have your own favorite we didn't mention, let us know in the comments!
- 1 A Quick Comparison of Our Winners in 2023
- 2 The 6 Best Cat Window PerchesÂ
- 2.1 1. K&H Pet Products EZ Mount Cat Window Perch – Best Overall
- 2.2 2. Oster Sunny Seat Cat Window Perch – Best Value
- 2.3 3. K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty Window Perch – Premium Choice
- 2.4 4. Kitty Cot Cat Window Perch
- 2.5 5. Orangelight Window Perch for Cats
- 2.6 6. David City Window Perch for Cats
- 3 Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Cat Window Perches & Beds
- 4 Conclusion
