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Self Warming Pet Beds - Are they safe & do they work?

post #1 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
I need something to keep the outside kitties warm this winter. I have been looking into self warming pet beds. However, I would need larger ones...so I've looked at medium-large sized doggie ones. They priced about $30/each. And I need at least 4, perhaps 6. So, I'm looking for some advice regarding them.

The benefits as I can see them:
1) no cords/electricity
2) provides constant heat
3) washable
4) no re-heating required by me

Anybody have a self warming pet bed?
Do you like it or not?
Where did you get it from?
Any other suggestions on warming pet beds?

I have looked at these, pricewise....
http://www.harrietcarter.com/index.c...-5a6c6b87e483/

But I have never heard of the company before, simply got a catalog in the mail & they seem too cheap to be worth it!
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post #2 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:11pm
I have one ... org purchased for Kandie but Zoey now uses it

the cats loved it ///

plain brown tabby

no

harriet carter is good"_
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post #3 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:16pm
So is that something you just put in their bed that they already have?

I would LOVE to get something like that for Harley & Bayley!
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post #4 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
The ones I've been looking at are actual pet beds. They've got the fleece/whatever fabric cover, the whole deal!
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post #5 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:51pm
I have one, but none of the cats will lie on it!
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post #6 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:51pm
this is intriguing, i'll look at the local pet shops for it. i am constructing some basic outdoor shelters and this would make it a lot more effective (assuming it works).

this sort of reminds me of these pads we used to take to outdoor stadiums, they were basically small flat beanbag chairs, full of tiny styrofoam beads. those seemed to do a good job of reflecting heat. i haven't seen them in years, but that may also be an option.

in my research for building a shelter, everyone says not to use towels or blankets, that they wick heat away from the cat. they say you should use straw, but living in brooklyn and not having a car, they might as well say to fill it with spun gold so i'm hoping this thing is legit!
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post #7 of 32
10/25/07 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
That's what I'm afraid of Betsy.

Although, Fafeena is 14 years old & got arthritis. Molly is about 2 years old & has arthritis, I think they might really like these. The key is getting those two hogs to share with anyone else!
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post #8 of 32
10/25/07 at 1:20pm
likely the reason Bestys "kids" wont use is they likely are too warm... Kandies type of CRF made her colder and Zoey must just be very yin
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post #9 of 32
10/26/07 at 5:10am
I bought mine at Walgreens for $5 each. Raven and Nabu love them. Stimpy doesn't get as cold, so he doesn't use the pads as much.
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post #10 of 32
10/26/07 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
I will have to check out Walgreens! I looked in Wal Mart but didn't see any & will have to check out Kmart & Shopko, too.
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post #11 of 32
10/28/07 at 7:12pm
I have an outdoor male who adopted us at our weekend retreat. It is very cold in the winter so we bought him a good shelter and lined the bottom with a mylar warming insert that is to be used for inside small animal beds. We bought a large one and put it inside the shelter with a fleece blanket on top. It wraps from the bottom up to the sides of the shelter. It makes a big difference by keeping more heat inside the shelter. If you can order online, get one from Agway.com or if you live near one, see if they have them or will order for you. It was inexpensive - $15 for an extra large. You can also order the whole bed which is the warming insert and then the fleece cover for it. Another option I read is to buy a mylar blanket like they use in car emergency kits and line the inside of a shelter with it. It is also supposed to keep radiating the cat's heat back to stay inside the shelter. Hope this helps! And if anyone knows of a battery operated heater for inside a cat's shelter, let me know. All I find are electric ones. Where are all the great inventors?!
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post #12 of 32
10/28/07 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
Walgreens doesn't have any. So, I'll probably be ordering something. Gonna look at mylar blankets....never occured to me to try one of them!
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post #13 of 32
10/28/07 at 8:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by white cat lover View Post
Walgreens doesn't have any. So, I'll probably be ordering something. Gonna look at mylar blankets....never occured to me to try one of them!
wow yeah myler is the material with in the beds ...
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post #14 of 32
10/29/07 at 7:22am
Littleraven7726,

Do you know what the warming bed from Walgreens was called? Did you buy it recently?
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post #15 of 32
10/29/07 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by smalecd View Post
Littleraven7726,

Do you know what the warming bed from Walgreens was called? Did you buy it recently?
I just bought it about 2 weeks ago. I think the brand was "Out!" and they are a leopard print, rolled up in a cardboard container (pink and black labeling). They were on the end of the pet aisle at the Walgreens I went to. There was also a sign that said $5 on the display.
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post #16 of 32
10/29/07 at 12:19pm
Thanks littleraven, I have 2 Walgreens nearby and will go within the next couple of days.
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post #17 of 32
10/29/07 at 1:40pm
I will have to go to Walgreens and check it out....we have a couple cats that adopted us, that refuse to come into the house. I have a bed on the porch for them. This might help with those cold nights.
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post #18 of 32
10/31/07 at 8:59pm
www.bargainpetstuff.com

they have some nice ones to choose from

mylar blankets are just "space blankets" if you google them you can get em for practically nothing.

for the person in the city that can't get straw, newspaper works good too, under the blankets
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post #19 of 32
10/31/07 at 10:11pm
So they're... what, really well insulated beds? I think my two would like something like that; the thermostat's pretty low around here and the cats usually find the fluffiest things they can find to sleep on (or they sleep on me, if I'm accessible).

Could I make something like that myself? I have an awful lot of scrap cloth to use, because whenever I wear out an article of clothing, I keep it; and I scrounge garage sales for quilt scraps too; so the leftovers from my quilts stick around...

What's the 'anatomy' of a self-heated cat bed?
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post #20 of 32
10/31/07 at 10:17pm
Thread Starter 
Callista, I think they work by reflecting the cat's own body heat?

I suggest looking around for mylar blankets....I found some on Amazon.com....for super cheap. They're the blankets that people put in trunks, use for hypothermia....
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post #21 of 32
10/31/07 at 10:22pm
I have one of those. Wonder if I can sew it into a cloth pad--will it reflect the infrared rays of the cat's body heat back to it?
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post #22 of 32
10/31/07 at 10:27pm
Thread Starter 
I would think sewing it into a cloth pad wouldn't hurt.

Although, I would make the cloth pad removable to wash off kitty hair!
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post #23 of 32
11/2/07 at 9:19am
i just got my order, it seems to work, though i don't think it was designed for outdoor shelter use as I intend. still it's better than nothing, i'm product testing as we speak (i put it on my office chair ).

the thing with straw is they say it doesn't get wet like cloth or newspaper would. which makes me think i could use wool in some way, since that too doesn't lose its insulating effect when wet.

oh, that reminds me, has anybody ever used the micro disc? its the thing you microwave for 10 minutes and it apparently keeps a temp of 120 F for up to 12 hours. might try that at some point.
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post #24 of 32
11/2/07 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
likely the reason Bestys "kids" wont use is they likely are too warm... Kandies type of CRF made her colder and Zoey must just be very yin
Actually, they make a bit of a crinkly noise, and Ginger HATES that, so I think that's part of it. I'm going to find a place for it on the floor this winter and hope that maybe the Bengals use it.
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post #25 of 32
11/14/07 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 
I found some today!!! $12 each....so I only got two. I set them up in the garage, we shall see how Cow, Fafeena, Tony Bob, & Molly like them. I was cold on the hour car ride home, so I warmed my bum on one.
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post #26 of 32
11/16/07 at 10:57am
So what's the verdict Natalie?

My in-laws have just adopted an out door cat. Right now she's in garadge but they want to set up a corner for her in the car port so I'm going to make some suggestions. (The adopted her purposely to keep her outdoors because of mice and with that I'll just say that I have a vastly different oppinion on the subject than my in-laws. DH already said something too. But maybe he can convince her to make a cat flap into the garadge.)
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post #27 of 32
11/16/07 at 11:29am
Thread Starter 
My two are set up in the garage for the farm kitties. Molly has "dibs" on hers.....she sprayed it. She is much warmer, definately always sleeping in one spot now that the pet bed is there.

Fafeena beat the tar outta Cow & comandeered his bed.

I think that means they like them!
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post #28 of 32
11/27/07 at 9:21am
Someone on this thread mentioned Microwave Disks that can be put under covers to help stray/ferals stay warm in winter. I see them online but not in stores. I live in a small town but could get to Toronto. Is there anyone on this board from Canada who has seen or bought these from a pet store. If so, which store? Appreciate any help you could give.
Also, on a site about ferals, someone was using solar blankets - the kind you put on a pool - to cover shelters and keep the heat in. Anyone tried this?
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post #29 of 32
1/2/12 at 12:23pm

You can find the Emergency Survival Mylar Blankets at Walmart in the Camping/Sports/Outdoor Department made by Ozark Trail.  They measure 52"x82.5".  Think I paid around $2.50 for the package.  I cut them up into whatever size I need.  Right now I have a polar fleece square with the mylar blanket stitched inside.  They do crinkle...I sometimes lay another polar fleece square over the top of that to help reduce the noise.  I just throw the mylar square in the washer/dryer when needed.  You can make shelters for outdoor cats from almost anything including styrofoam coolers.  You can Google this and find a lot of information about caring for outdoor cats...here's one link that may help everyone.  There are lots more!  http://www.utahpets.org/nmhcms/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=IifAFxqYpp8%3d&tabid=93 .  

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post #30 of 32
1/2/12 at 12:39pm

Old thread is old.

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