Cat heating pads?

@CaptAmehrican Every one I have read reviews about are either auto off after a non-changable number of hours (some as short as 2 hours, one as long as 10, but the complaints there was they got too hot) or will get too hot even on low. That is what I looked into first because they were so big. Also looked into heated throws - all of those were basically auto off after 2-4 hours. I want to be able to leave it plugged in 27/7 and have it sit around 102 degrees (cat temp).

@Calabama I’ve got one pyramid shaped that is a “cave” which gets used, although once I bought the really fluffy one that is reasonably tight when she lies down is the one that she uses more. I put a throw in the pyramid one so she could have more around her sides and that didn’t seem to matter to her although someone else decided that was an improvement.

@Calabama Speaking about chewing cords. I looked behind the couch in my office (where I allow my bird to roam) and found the cord of my power strip chewed. I don’t know how my bird survived. I can see the neutral and the hot exposed and very close to each other.

@cengland0 Yikes!! That bird got really, really lucky. I used to have the problem of computer power cords being chewed, but not in the last couple of years.

@Kidsandliz Ours is still a chewer. Phone charger cords in particular, which are much thinner and easier to get through.

@cengland0
Amazing! BOTH of you got really lucky!
I had a cat live through biting through Christmas lights, which she could not let go of, I quickly unplugged the lights. She lived a long time but not as long as her aunt, 23.
My cats do not chew cords, thankfully. I have four, 5, 13, 14 and 18.

@pitamuffin My bird likes the telephone cable. The one that goes from the phone to the receiver. Don’t have a photo of how badly he damaged that one but I do have a photo of a network cable he got ahold of.

@RiotDemon I had read about those. Not sure how well they work. Any idea? My one that has been to the vet a bunch is always cold - cold ears, cold nose… She crawls into bed with me and lies as close against me as she can (where she is right now). I’d set up an electric heater but I worry about it being knocked over. I have some really fluffy beds that are nice tight fits which she will get into on occasion so that helps. I was hoping to provide an external source of heat when I am gone all day. I do heat up the gel thing I was freezing to put on my foot, and she likes that, but it doesn’t stay warm all that long.

@Kidsandliz I’m not sure. I’m looking online right now. I see the cat heating pad you’re talking about with the 8" square pad inside. That one keeps it 15° above ambient temp and warms to 102° when the cat lays on it. It’s probably the safest option. 8" is probably plenty big to warm up even a big cat. They are on sale at chewy for 15.99.

@Kidsandliz this self heating one gets good reviews.

https://www.chewy.com/kh-pet-products-self-warming-pet/dp/54652?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=K%26H Pet Products&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA1uHSBRBUEiwAkBCtzX1OcGCTJMDrtxZyW-yCiGtDAGjy_0GRhzxXvJdicncWu1VyllxzVhoCbmkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@Kidsandliz

I had read about those. Not sure how well they work. Any idea?

I use a similar sleeping pad when camping. Although it’s no substitute for blazing fire, it does help quite a bit IMHO.

@RiotDemon That’s a good price. Since she and her brother often sleep together at that price maybe I could get that one and then find one bigger both could be on together or one with heat as well. Thanks.

@ruouttaurmind That is useful to know that actually works. Thanks.

@RiotDemon PS the small size is a really good price. Certainly worth trying. Could maybe put it in the bigger cat bed she and her brother lie in together. Then if they seem to prefer it buy more or buy the “prettier” one @lordbowen found to put in another spot she hangs out. I wonder if cutting it to fit in the bottom of the high sided “tight” bed she likes might help her in there.

@spiralroad Don’t think mine will chew cords, the disk would be a better solution than what I am using in the microwave and when I am home to keep re-heating it would be useful. Thanks.

@heartny At $100 for the dog one I was hoping there’d be a smaller, less expensive cat one. Didn’t see a cat one. I’ll have to email them to see there is a cheaper solution. If nothing else reflecting body head on soft padding is worth trying.

@lordbowen Price is sure right to try it. Thanks.

@lordbowen PS always good to have “cat” reviews. (grin).

@lordbowen @kidsandliz When I saw the thread title, I came off of lurk just to mention these reflecting mats. There is even a brand that zips into a tunnel shape, which is even better. My cats hated the tunnel one, but love the flat.

@kidsandliz Just found it clean on top of the dryer. Send me your address to (myMehname)09 @ Gmail and it is yours. I’d rather someone get use from it!

@Pamtha My gosh thank you. After so many years that must have been so hard when your cat died. Email sent.

@Pamtha It just came today. THANK YOU! I have put it under the kitchen table (flat right now) where she likes to sit. So far she hasn’t ventured there to try it out. The other cats have checked it out thoroughly in case of aliens or monsters or something. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you again SO MUCH!

@Pamtha
She finally decided this thing was safe and has settled in under the kitchen table. Thank you again. Haven’t yet put my hand under her to see how warm she has made it using her own body heat, but she hasn’t decamped yet so that is promising.

@Kidsandliz I am so, so pleased! See if she will be interested in it zipped up into the tunnel if it is drafty in that spot so it can radiate around her. Cutie will send derpy head butts to yours now, but Beamer is still a jerk.

@Pamtha I will try that… For now I was going to let her get used to it and mark it as hers. Then I was going to try to make the tunnel once she decided this was safe. Thanks again. Why is Beaner still a jerk? You wouldn’t want her sending head butts back. I just found out she has ring worm that isn’t the usual presentation (which is why for the last 2 months she has been losing hair on her nose despite about $100 of a bunch of different meds. I finally had them culture it (yikes $80 for that) and got a useful dx. Now to hope no one else (including me as I wasn’t all that careful) gets it.

@Pamtha So I tried to zip it up around her. That lasted about 2 min and she made her exit. So then I tried again only left it half way. That is working better although I am not sure she will crawl in on her own so likely I will leave it unzipped for a while and just zip it part way up around her until she is used to that and then see what happens.

Hmm that photo is sideways. Not sure why since the other one was fine.

@metaphore Thanks for all those suggestions. 21 is an amazing age for a cat. That must have been really, really hard when your cat died. I am dreading losing 3 relatively close to each other. I don’t think my little sick kitty will reach 18, the other two might.

@metaphore Thanks for sharing the Smile link. Mine benefits the local high school.

@gregormehndel Thanks for that link. Good price. I could wrap that in a towel.

@Pony You are the second person who has recommended that - must be a good one! Thanks.

@lseeber My cats definitely prefer soft with their little bony hips. I have had a fleece pillow commandeered by them and I finally gave that one up to them. Thanks for the suggestion.

@Kidsandliz I have two cats that love fleece, they knead it and I swear then suck on it too. Guess it reminds them of their mom.
One of them looks just like this one.

@Calabama A couple of mine do that too. I have one fleece I have given up to them. Pulled threads all over the place. They are like a toddler with their blankie with that fleece throw.

@Calabama Mine does that too. It’s called “wool biting” and is usually due to weaning too early.

@lseeber My yellow cat came from a coworker, barn cat so I do not know about weening her, figured that was why. I got her uncle the year before, I sadly lost him. He had herpes and compromised his kidneys, he hid from me for a few days. Did not know he was sick, such a sweet gentle skinny boy. I held him for hours when he was sick, times before. My son took him to the vet, expecting the best but son called, he was too sick. I still miss my boy.
My pup was weened too soon, mother hunting dog, owner wanted her to stop producing milk before hunting season. She does not like to be alone, I had another lab that was weened too soon, separation anxiety was pretty bad.
I let kittens nurse as long as they wanted to.
I had a dachshund that got false pregnancies when my cat had kittens, she would steal them and nurse them, she had milk. One cat got bigger than her, still nursing, we had to stop that!

@savvysapphire A couple people have recommended the K&H brand. It must be good. I am thinking that, especially since it is hard (and expensive) to keep this drafty place warm heated ones would really help in their most favorite places they usually hang out on the floors and then the reflecting ones on some of the furniture they sit on on a regular basis. Hopefully I’ll have the “problem” of keeping them warm for a bunch more years!! although my one, I think, isn’t going to live to see 18.

@duodec I had about 12 cats at one time and they liked to be outside. The mr made a huge cat house. Four by four feet and four feet tall. Had two carpeted levels. He made a heat box using a 40 or 60 watt bulb, attached it to a hole he cut in the back of cat house, with wire covering hole to keep cats away from bulb. It kept that house so warm, they stayed there even when it snowed, would not come in the house.

@Calabama Our admin at work took care of four ferals for 5 years when our office was in a converted home that still had a back yard. She got a Dogloo igloo type doghouse and put one of the large hard plastic crate heaters in it and some outdoor carpeting. It worked except for the worst days (10 or more below zero) though we had issues with raccoons.

@duodec We usually do not have to worry about temps that low, the lowest I can remember 5. That was very humane of your admin.
I hate to think of all the animals outside, all mine sleep inside, all year.
I live in the country but have no problems with critters, my neighbors dogs are always out.
This is how my 14 year old, Bitsey likes to keep warm. She has always loved dogs.

@Calabama Unfortunately I can’t see your picture. Just a blue question mark box. Is it a photo of your cat curled up with your dog?

@duodec @Calabama I’d be afraid they’d root through the blanket and then get too hot with the foot warmer. Not sure these guys would get into new box. They have their “spots”, although rigging a lightbulb near one of the corners one cat sits in might work.

@Kidsandliz Yes, That is the picture. I kept playing with it, tried it on another sight and it came through. ???
Tried it again here, deleted it, still would not work.

@f00l Inside a corvette??? Why???

The foam bathmats are a good idea. That would be way cheaper than buying a twin bed pad.

@Kidsandliz

Inside a corvette??? Why???

“Corner”. As swipe/typed by a @f00l.

@Kidsandliz Just remember that the quality of memory foam makes a difference as to how well it holds in heat.

@lseeber But it might turn into a habit and she might decide she likes the cat bed after all. You might need to move the bed to places she hangs out (besides your lap).

@Kidsandliz Good to hear! Dang on that inhaler price. Have you checked around to see if there is a cheaper alternative?

@lseeber unfortunately nowhere cheaper - yah know patents and all, plus as a cat she can’t use all the different human inhalers, only a limited universe of human meds - which appears to be a limited universe of one unfortunately.

@lseeber As long as it doesn’t go over 102 degrees that might work. On the other hand if it cuts off on its own then it isn’t as useful. I’ll have to check into it.