Some models use electricity, others use batteries and some use the animal’s natural warmth to provide soothing warmth in a heated cat bed, keeping the pet warm on the cold winter nights. They can also provide comfort to a young cat or provide soothing heat treatments for an older animal.

To a sick or injured animal, offering soothing warmth can help speed its recovery, much like humans, and there are many choices of a heated cat bed to provide that warmth, that it should be easy to find one that suits your needs. Heating pads designed to fit under a pet sleeping pad or under the padding of a windowsill perch can provide the animal with heat. Especially near a window where cold air may tend to blow in, it can help prevent the cat from getting chilled, supplementing the natural warmth of the cat’s fur coat.

For quickly supplying a warm spot for the animal to rest, there are pads that can be heated in the microwave oven and then placed on the cat’s favorite place to lie down. For some cat owners a heated cat bed may seem to be a luxury item, but the health benefits it can provide the animal may save enough on veterinarian bills to make the investment worth the cost.

Insure Cat’s Safety When Choosing Heated Cat Bed

The majority of units will be thermostatically controlled and will limit the high temperature of the heated cat bed to about 102-degrees to prevent injury from excessive heat to the animal. If the under-the-pad heater does not come with its own padding, make sure it fits completely under the padding the cat will be lying on in order to prevent the cat from coming into contact with the heating element.

The majority of heaters will not produce more than six watts of power, which should be safe enough for even the smallest pets, but there are those that are considerably higher for larger animals. When using a heated cat bed it should be inspected periodically for damage from the cat’s claws or moisture from accidents. The outer lining if so equipped, should be removable to allow for cleaning and any inner lining should be able to be wiped down at the same time to eliminate any diseases.

If you think about a heated cat bed as a human heating pad or electric blanket, more attention will be paid to any signs of wear and damage to make sure the cat is not inadvertently hurt by the heat or power supply.