Zakkart SnugCloud Cat Perch for Windowsill (Natural Wood/Cream White, M)

Why it's worth it

The Zakkart SnugCloud hooks onto your windowsill instead of gripping the glass, so there's nothing to re-press and nothing to fall. Solid hardwood and a metal frame hold up to 40 pounds, and the four-sided bolster is the most enclosed bed in this group.

Skipping the glass entirely solves the problem the rest of this category is stuck with. The SnugCloud hooks over your windowsill on an adjustable bracket. No cups, no cleaning ritual, no slow decline in holding power over a winter. If suction perches make you nervous — and after reading enough owner accounts of them dropping, plenty of people are — this is the design that removes the anxiety.

The four-sided bolster is the other reason to choose it. Owners of timid cats single this out repeatedly: a cat who wouldn't touch an open platform will settle into a bed with walls on every side. Older cats and cats recovering from surgery seem to like it too, since they can lean against an edge instead of balancing on a flat surface. It's a den with a view.

From our review of 7 cat window perches, by James Bennett, Associate Editor

What we like

• +Skipping the glass entirely solves the problem the rest of this category is stuck with
• +The four-sided bolster is the other reason to choose it
• +The build is the sturdiest here
• +At 22 by 15 inches in the medium size, there's room for a big cat to stretch or for two small ones to share — and unlike a…

What to know

• –Fit is the whole game here, and it's unforgiving
• –The 40-pound rating is lower than the 50 pounds most suction perches claim