inexpensive pet bed

**pita1213** · 01-29-2010, 11:20 PM

we have a beagle that for whatever reason makes a big mess of his bed. he has to sleep on something soft or he won't go to sleep. so after buying him pet beds that end up getting messed up and not being able to wash them because they don't fit in the washer, I bought him a regular bed pillow. He LOVES it. I got it on sale and the pillow cases on sale. I can wash the pillow cases weekly or more often if needed. And the pillow fits in the washer so I can run it through the sanitize cycle when it needs it. A regular bed pillow won't work for a large breed like a lab, but I thought I'd pass the idea along to those of you with smaller breeds.

**Kitten20** · 01-29-2010, 11:33 PM

My grandma made me a small pillow for my mini dachsund's crate w/ a few different covers. Soo easy to clean up after "accidents"! She also found a large pillow for their lab and made covers for it. It's a great idea.

**frugalfranny** · 01-30-2010, 12:13 AM

Thanks pita. I have two of the smaller breeds.

I buy the fluffy baby blankets at the thrift shop. Fold them to fit their kennels and they love it. One has to 'stir' until she gets it just right but that is just her nature.........

A friend bought a twin sponge mattress (are they called 'waffle covers'?) and cut it up for a number of beds........all washable.

**pita1213** · 01-30-2010, 12:28 AM

my beagle has to burrow into something when he goes to sleep so he has a blanket in with him too. otherwise he'll crawl into the pillow case like a sleeping bag and then get stuck until he remembers how to back out. He's an odd dog.
something in the eggcrate toppers make him sneeze, but i would imagine those dry a lot quicker in the dryer than a pillow.

**frugalfranny** · 01-30-2010, 12:46 AM

Yeah, eggcrate is the word I wanted.........

I have an eggcrate in the back of my car, covered with a blanket. The kids love it!

**Pemberleyan** · 01-30-2010, 07:55 AM

For larger dogs, I've made many a pet bed from fabric and foam bought from the thrift store. I always make an inner cover out of old sheets, so that the outer cover comes off easily and goes into the washer.

**stinkbug** · 01-30-2010, 10:51 AM

I have a very large cat. She sleeps in an old wicker chair on a bed pillow too...just change out the pillow case when needed.

**shoiji** · 01-30-2010, 11:40 AM

My cat has a small pet bed. I cover it with a pillowcase. Makes it really easy to clean. Other than that she sleeps where ever she wants to.

Spoiled? Yes!

**pop goes the weasel** · 01-30-2010, 11:52 AM

I t doesn't matter what I use my cats won't sleep on them. But the one will us anything of dh's to sleep on.Mmmm maybe I just hit on an idea to get rid of some of his worn out coats that he says are still good. lol.

**2ndGenGranola** · 01-30-2010, 12:19 PM

We use pillows too but don't buy them new ones. We hand down people pillows as we buy new for the beds. The cats think they are very special now because they have the handed down Spider Man pillows.

**madhen** · 02-19-2010, 11:18 PM

I keep old pillows in the back of my truck, along with an old quilt, for the same reason.

**frugalwarrior2** · 02-19-2010, 11:25 PM

Too funny. My dogs have no idea there are such things as "pet beds". They just sleep w/ the kids since toddlerhood.

**marilucke** · 11-11-2011, 05:08 AM

I always make an inner cover out of old sheets, so that the outer cover comes off easily and goes into the washer.

**wanderlusting** · 11-11-2011, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

Thanks pita. I have two of the smaller breeds.

I buy the fluffy baby blankets at the thrift shop. Fold them to fit their kennels and they love it. One has to 'stir' until she gets it just right but that is just her nature.........

A friend bought a twin sponge mattress (are they called 'waffle covers'?) and cut it up for a number of beds........all washable.

I do the same thing- use blankets. I like that I can easily wash them frequently

**Spirit Deer** · 11-11-2011, 10:53 PM

I use foam, usually something I've picked up cheap at a sale or somewhere, or some eggcrate foam stacked in layers till it's soft enough. If needed, I use ripstop nylon to make a case to hold everything together, as sometimes I need to use more than one piece of foam to make the pad big enough. Then I slip that whole works into a contractor trash bag. Those are large and very thick, so they stand up to claws. Then the pad gets a cover, usually Cordura because that sheds pet hair and is water repellent and very sturdy. It also dries quickly, so if a pet makes a mess on it, it's easy to clean it up by rinsing and hanging to dry. The contractor bag keeps any messes from soaking into the pad, so that never needs to be washed.