Does anyone use a heating pad with straw

on top of it in their cat shelter? I have a thin mylar sheet on top of a folded blanket in Muffin's cedar house, and it's filled with straw. We're going to be getting temperatures in the -5 zone a few nites next week and I want to take every precaution to keep him warm. I have another small pet house with a heating pad inside, but Muffin didn't use it at all last year and really likes his current house.  I would like to put a pet heating pad in his cedar house and straw on top of it because he's accustomed to the straw, but I'm concerned it may be a fire hazard, though I don't think the straw would get that hot. Any suggestions?

I have used the microwave disc buried in straw but not a heating pad.  The discs don't actually get hot - just warm, so there's no fire hazard.  I am not sure how hot the heating pads get.  I found this online here: http://www.economypoint.org/i/ignition-temperature.html

Tables Ignition temperature of some solids: Solid Ignition temperature in "°C

Fir wood 280

Wood 280-340

Cork 300-320

Straw 250-300

Plastics 200-300

Match head 80

note the temperatures are in celcius - you'd have to convert them

Use a heated blanket or a heated throw under or over It worked well for me and you don't have to worry about overheating him as with a heating pad.

Do you mean an electric blanket? Just heating a blanket in the dryer and putting it over the house wouldn't be effective in zero degree weather.  

Thanks for the info, ondine. Guess I'll google a celcius converter.

Yes a heated blanket they also come in smaller "throw" sizes I used a twin heated blanket and put it on high at night and low during the day.

250 Celsius is 482 Fahrenheit, so I think you're safe. 

http://www.metric-conversions.org/temperature/celsius-to-fahrenheit.htm

I use a heated pad on top of blankets.plus a heated disc . He seems to be warm but I think I would like to try a heated blanket. Would that be safe out side in my bells igloo?

Wow, I actually wrote a reply to this thread and then realized it was an old thread I had posted four years ago lol. I wonder how these old threads get resurrected. Yes, I do use straw on top of my outdoor heating pad in my pet house.