Take Their Familiar Bed With Them

Take their familiar bed with them. Bring the removable cushion they know into a carrier that fits.

The carrier comes out of the closet, and suddenly the room feels different. There is an appointment to get to, a bag to pack, and a cat who may have other plans.

One practical idea begins long before that morning: make the carrier part of home life, and consider bringing familiar bedding along. For a cat who already uses the removable center cushion of the ITNaps Cat Tunnel Bed, that cushion may be an option—but only if it fits the carrier properly and leaves enough room for the cat.

A familiar place, even when you’re away from home

Your cat’s favorite resting spot becomes familiar through ordinary days: a nap after play, a quiet afternoon, the same soft surface beneath their paws. If they regularly sleep on the removable center cushion, taking that same cushion along can bring a familiar surface and scent of home into a different setting.

For the ITNaps Cat Tunnel Bed, the idea is simple: an everyday resting place, a removable cushion, and a familiar piece of home in a compatible carrier. It starts with what your cat already chooses to use. The carrier still needs its own gradual introduction.

What veterinary sources recommend

Several veterinary organizations and university resources recommend making the carrier familiar before travel. Each offers a useful part of the picture:

• AAHA: In Helping your cat cope with veterinary visits, published February 27, 2026, AAHA explains how a carrier that appears only before vet visits can become associated with frightening experiences. It recommends keeping the carrier in the home with comfortable bedding. It also notes that carriers designed to convert into cat beds may reduce fear by becoming part of a cat’s everyday environment.
• FelineVMA / Cat Friendly Homes: Choosing the Perfect Cat Carrier recommends familiar soft bedding that the cat likes, or bedding with the caregiver’s scent, to help the cat feel more secure. It also suggests keeping the carrier where the cat already spends time.
• UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: Its Traveling with Cats guide suggests leaving the carrier out with a soft blanket, toys, and treats, and helping the cat get used to short car trips before longer travel.
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine: Preparing Your Cat For A Visit To The Veterinarian explains that previously used bedding or clothing carrying the owner’s scent can add familiarity for a cat hesitant about the carrier. It also recommends leaving the carrier accessible at home.

These recommendations support familiar bedding and gradual carrier preparation. They do not establish that the ITNaps cushion reduces anxiety, and AAHA’s example of a convertible carrier describes a different product design. For this removable cushion, the practical connection is bringing an already familiar resting surface along when it fits properly.

The cushion travels; the tunnel stays home

The ITNaps Cat Tunnel Bed has a removable center cushion surrounded by a square tunnel. Here, we are talking about taking the cushion alone into a separate, purpose-built cat carrier.

If your cat does not use this cushion at home, it is not yet their familiar resting place simply because you own it. Choose bedding based on what your cat actually uses, not which accessory makes the tidiest matching set.

Measure the carrier with the cushion inside

The ITNaps cushion measures 54.61 × 54.61 cm, or 21.5 × 21.5 inches, overall including its base. Its raised center is approximately 35.56 × 35.56 cm, or 14 × 14 inches, and 8 cm or 3.1 inches thick.

That thickness matters. A cushion can fit across the floor yet take away too much headroom. The smaller raised-center measurement is not the size of the complete cushion, so do not use it alone when judging compatibility.

Check your carrier’s usable internal dimensions and its manufacturer’s instructions with the bedding in place. Our ITNaps size guide explains the cushion measurements in more detail.

• Keep the carrier’s ventilation openings fully clear.
• Make sure bedding does not interfere with doors, zippers, latches, or attachment points.
• Check that your cat still has appropriate usable space, without being pressed against the roof or sides.
• Do not fold, bunch, or force the cushion into a carrier that is too small.

If the fit is questionable, leave this cushion at home. A thinner piece of familiar bedding may be the more practical choice. No single cushion can be assumed to fit every carrier.

Try the arrangement on an ordinary day

Check the empty carrier first, then let your cat investigate the proposed setup at home without turning that moment into a departure. Notice whether the cushion stays flat and whether the entry remains easy to use.

The Feline Veterinary Medical Association’s owner handout recommends familiar soft bedding and gradual carrier training, allowing a cat to become comfortable with each step before moving on.

Use that as a reason to plan ahead, not to set a deadline. Do not make appointment morning the first test of a new cushion-and-carrier combination. Keep the manufacturer’s travel setup separate from any open configuration used for resting at home.

Keep care practical

Familiar does not mean leaving dirty bedding unwashed. Inspect the cushion for dirt, dampness, loose material, or damage before using it. For this cushion, follow the ITNaps cleaning instructions: a laundry bag, cold gentle machine cycle, mild detergent, and complete air drying. Do not tumble dry or iron.

Have a clean alternative ready if the cushion needs washing. The amount of time available before departure should not decide whether damp or poorly fitting bedding goes into the carrier.

Familiarity is one part of the plan

AAHA’s travel preparation advice recommends keeping cats secured inside their carrier during the car ride. Familiar bedding does not replace a suitable carrier, correct use, or a plan with your veterinary team when travel is difficult.

For cats who already enjoy the ITNaps Cat Tunnel Bed, its removable cushion offers a possibility worth measuring. Keep it simple: the right carrier first, enough space for your cat, and a familiar piece of home only when it works with both.