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Not long before we assembled the Cat Eye Bed, my cat jumped into a paper shopping bag. Nothing unusual there: Rose tends to hop into any enclosure that needs filling, whether baskets or even the upended tops of board game boxes.

It reminded me of that old saw about how kids are just as happy playing with whatever the fancy toy came in as they are with the fancy toy itself. But we reserved judgment.

The Cat Eye Bed ($39.95), so named for its almond shape, came in relatively easy to assemble pieces. Two panels – one covered in scratchable sisal – are bent to fit into the grooves of the plastic frames anchoring the bed. Once they’re snapped in, the bed is practically made, with an eye-shaped opening at either end and open slats along each side that a cat can use to peer out from a protected perch. By far, the bed’s best component, according to Rose, is the furry (washable) bedding that you place inside. She landed on the brown plush, kneading away, the minute it came out of the box.

The final piece - a “feather wand toy” - snaps into place like a flagpole outside one entrance. There is a small package of screws included in the kit, but not for a solo bed. Those are for attaching and stacking further beds in cat-eye-condo style. We left those untouched.

Based on two weeks’ use, the bed is getting a fair amount of attention. Rose is taking quiet advantage of this hideaway, and we usually only realize she’s gone in when we hear a snore, or spot a paw poking out.

The wand feather toy’s gotten a few bats – with at least one feather removed – but it’s not of huge interest. The one aspect of the bed that seems unused is the sisal surface. There’s no guarantee that scratching isn’t happening off-hours, but we haven’t witnessed it firsthand (a friend suggested rubbing some catnip on there as incentive).

From an owner’s standpoint, the bed’s big advantage is that it’s compact, and doesn’t take up lots of space. Rose still sleeps here, there and everywhere, but this bed has added some intrigue and luxury that goes well beyond a paper bag.

See more product reviews on PEOPLE Pets:
REVIEW: Cat Teepee Gives Indoor Kitties a Taste of the Wild Outdoors
REVIEW: Tell Your Dog to Chew on This All-Natural Antler

Moira Bailey