considering heating pad for elderly cat - can I do this??

[derelict]

We have an elderly cat here; he had been hanging out in our yard for *years*, but would not let us approach him. We left water out, but never left food.
This past summer, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to be-friend us, crawling into milady's lap and allowing scrubbing and such.

I'll make a long story short; after $2000+ of exams and surgery, we know that he has 'lympho-sarcoma'. We've decided against chemotherapy at this point, after discussions with various professionals, but we *are* giving him prednisolone, which has slowed the progress of his 'lumps'.

Anyway, he's still essentially an outdoor cat, having lived there all his life. He won't come in our house at all, due to our three other cats.
So we've been keeping him in the garage, with a soft nest that we made for him, which he is actually using. He spends about half his time outdoors and half in the garage.

Here's my question: we are in Fremont, CA; temps at night have been getting down to upper 30s/lower 40s. The un-insulated garage stays somewhat warmer than that. I was pondering taking a heating pad, put on low setting, and placing it under one of the thick blankets, just to give him a warmer nest at night. However, the docs for this pad say "do not sleep on this pad" in several places; I'm not sure whether that's actually a danger for a cat which can get up if he is uncomfortable.

So I'd just appreciate comments from folks here; is this a Really Bad Idea(tm) ?? or is it reasonable? Has anyone else ever done anything like this??

Truth is, I don't actually know that he's uncomfortable on the cold nights, given that he's been living outside during winter for more than a decade now...

Thank you in advance for any inputs that you provide to me, regardless of whether they are critical or supportive!
Derell Licht
Fremont, CA

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am so sorry for your older guy. Have you considered trying one of those thermal pads as opposed to an actual heating pad? Here is just one example of many available.
HDP Thermal Cat Mat, Gray Animal Print - Chewy.com

 

[Jem]

They actually make pressure sensitive heating pads for pets you could purchase. They only "turn on" when something is laying on it and they only reach a certain temp to prevent burns and make sure they don't get too hot (which is one of the big reasons you're not supposed to sleep on a heating pad or leave it on too long, even on low. I've seen heating pad burns, they are not nice!)
Here is an example.


There are also "self heating" pet beds. They redirect the pets own heat back making them warmer.

And thank you for caring for this senior kitty. He's lucky to have you.

 

[derelict]

Thank you both for these inputs!! I'd never even *heard* of dedicated pet heating pads !! I'm looking at some now on Amazon.
And Jem 's comment about heating pad burns just confirms what I was nervous about; I will abandon that idea, and get a dedicated pad for him. Hopefully that will let him rest more comfortably on these winter nights...

 

[Jem]

Just so you know, it is OK to use heating pads on low under a folded blanket or towel in the home for short periods when you're home to monitor. I just cringe at the though of a heating pad being used for long periods for a "semi-feral" in a garage left unattended all night.

Also, see if there is a way you can provide the heated spot as well as a non heated area for him to go to, just in case he doesn't want the extra heat at the time. Possibly an over-sized area where on one side is heat but the other is not, then he can switch back and forth as needed without leaving his comfy spot completely.

 

[derelict]

Hi Jem ; yes, I'm thinking the same thing. Fortunately, the area that he's adopted for his nest in the garage, is large enough to do this... he's basically taken over the area under my workbench, which is abou 5'x4'. I've been expanding it with blankets, towels and such as he moves around. He's a *big* boy !!!

 

[moxiewild]

We have an elderly cat here; he had been hanging out in our yard for *years*, but would not let us approach him. We left water out, but never left food.
This past summer, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to be-friend us, crawling into milady's lap and allowing scrubbing and such.

I'll make a long story short; after $2000+ of exams and surgery, we know that he has 'lympho-sarcoma'. We've decided against chemotherapy at this point, after discussions with various professionals, but we *are* giving him prednisolone, which has slowed the progress of his 'lumps'.

Anyway, he's still essentially an outdoor cat, having lived there all his life. He won't come in our house at all, due to our three other cats.
So we've been keeping him in the garage, with a soft nest that we made for him, which he is actually using. He spends about half his time outdoors and half in the garage.

Here's my question: we are in Fremont, CA; temps at night have been getting down to upper 30s/lower 40s. The un-insulated garage stays somewhat warmer than that. I was pondering taking a heating pad, put on low setting, and placing it under one of the thick blankets, just to give him a warmer nest at night. However, the docs for this pad say "do not sleep on this pad" in several places; I'm not sure whether that's actually a danger for a cat which can get up if he is uncomfortable.

So I'd just appreciate comments from folks here; is this a Really Bad Idea(tm) ?? or is it reasonable? Has anyone else ever done anything like this??

Truth is, I don't actually know that he's uncomfortable on the cold nights, given that he's been living outside during winter for more than a decade now...

Thank you in advance for any inputs that you provide to me, regardless of whether they are critical or supportive!
Derell Licht
Fremont, CA

Tl;Dr - Get a SnuggleSafe and/or Mylar blanket, and keep being the extraordinary people y’all are.

You didn’t mention whether your heating pad is meant for humans or animals. Never use one meant for humans, they get way too hot.

I take care of a ton of ferals and strays outside. Personally, I don’t even use electric heating pads or beds rated for animal (and outdoor) use due to the risks.

However, that’s because I work in rescue - so any time one malfunctions locally here and starts a fire or burns an animal, we here about it, so that influences/skews my bias (...as well as having been in a house fire myself when I was a kid). It’s just a risk I’d rather not take - but the majority of the people who use animal-rated electric heating pads for their pets never have issue with them.

I also live in south Texas. If I lived in, say, Wisconsin or New York, I might very well make an exception.

Personally, I feel far more comfortable with the SnuggleSafe. It’s a microwaveable heating disc. Any “malfunctioning” I’ve seen happens during or immediately after it’s microwaved, so it’s apparent before it ever gets to the animal.

And that’s assuming heating instructions were followed - of the complaints I’ve seen regarding dangerous malfunction, many times the reviewer felt it wasn’t warm enough after the proper heat time so stuck it back in the microwave, for instance. That’s improper use.

Directions are explicit about what amount of time for what wattage, never reheating until completely cooled, and ensuring there are no food particles in the microwave, as that can accelerate the heating process.

I’ve had about 12+ SnuggleSafes now. I follow directions to a T and monitor every new disc the first 2-3 times I heat it the entire time it’s in the microwave, and never stray too far while heating any of them (staying in either the kitchen, living, or dining room in an open concept home). I’ve never had an issue, and all still function properly years on.

The discs are rock hard, which is off-putting. But of the indoor cats I foster and adopt, most are seniors and geriatrics with rickety ‘ol bones, and none ever seem to mind this. I set it out, and they flock to it, even when I don’t have it under a blanket.

(And for what it’s worth, I think you’re on the right track here - this little guy may have lived his life outdoors braving the cold weather, but both seniors and sick kitties experience more difficulty regulating their own body temperature and he could surely use some assistance.)

For the outdoor guys, I place it under straw and above an insulated floor (either foam insulation or styrofoam, and with either a mylar/space/emergency blanket or Reflectix insulation on top). I highly recommend a Mylar blanket or Reflectix insulation, too (might even be all you need too for California weather?).

Mylar is what the self warming beds use, so using it on its own produces even more heat and still offers cushioning. Reflectix is like a durable Mylar bubble wrap, so also quite cushiony.

Since you might not have use for an entire roll of Reflectix, the blanket might better serve your purpose. You can generally find it marketed as an emergency blanket at Walmart and other grocery stores.

Mylar and Reflectix are great on their own, but a bonus is that they will make the SnuggleSafe retain heat even longer. On particularly cold nights, I also heat up a sock full of rice to put next to the Snuggle Safe for even better longevity.

Note, the disc might not feel very warm to you after heating, but effects are cumulative. Try sleeping with it on a cold night and this will be very apparent - you’ll be pushing it away in no time.

For a Texas winter, it stays warm outside for about 7-8 hours if no one uses it during that time. If a cat does use it, it stays warm for 12. And longer with the tricks I mentioned early.

You can find it on Amazon for about $30 or order it through their official website if you don’t mind waiting for shipping (company is UK based).

Okay, I’ll stop acting like a SnuggleSafe spokesperson now

Thank you for being such a kind-hearted person to this old kitty.

Trust me, finding someone to take on a semi-feral cat is exceedingly difficult. And finding someone to take in a senior is about one in a million. And someone willing to take a terminal case? Not a chance.

These are all factors that get cats dumped, abandoned, neglected, abused, surrendered, killed in shelters, or spending their lives at a rescue for - individually, on their own, with all other factors meeting “adoptable” standards.

So for you to take on a cat with a combination of these traits... there are no words.

You’ve done all you reasonably can to get him the care he needs at such a steep financial cost to you, too, without a hint of blame or resentment.

You’re basically the dream adopter/caretaker/steward in my eyes. The world desperate needs more people like you and your partner.

 

[derelict]

Thank you for your comments moxiewild !!
Yes, this old man has been a true gift for us. He was originally owned by a family who rented a house two doors down from us. He was always an outdoor cat, and he adopted our yard because we had sheltered spots in it, while their yard was pretty barren. What was amazing, though, was that after a few years, they moved away, to a house about two miles from us. They took Biggles with them, but when they let him out of the house there, he found his way *all the way back here* and just moved back into our yard!! She came back and picked him up a couple of times to take him back, but as soon as they released him, he immediately returned to our yard!! That was a most amazing thing - especially since he *still* would not let us approach him at all... and at that time, we were not feeding him.

But this past July, I came home from hiking, and milady was sitting on the front step, with him stretched out in her lap... and ever since then, he has willingly approached us whenever we come out, always looking for a lap. He'll accept food as well, but clearly is more interested in attention... but why is it only happening now?? I'm guessing he's 'feeling his mortality', as folks say - we guess him at about 15 years old, though we don't have any firm data. He has tolerated being taken to the vet, left overnight for surgery, coming home with the 'cone' on for two weeks, and other indignities, but he's clearly attached to us, and here to stay. What a wonderful gift he is !!!

Here is an image of him in our yard, back on Xmas 2017, before he had decided to actually approach us...
Hi, handsome boy... we are grateful for whatever more time we get with you, even if it's only a few months...

 

[derelict]

BTW, I didn't answer moxiewild 's original question... yes, the pad I was thinking about using *is* a human pad. I had a pretty good sense that this wasn't appropriate, but I was confident that I'd get good guidance here, and I was right!!
Thank you all very much!!

I have a cat pad with very good user ratings on Amazon, on order to arrive tomorrow.
I'll make a second nest for it, next to his existing nest in the garage, and let him decide which he wants to use...

 

[FeebysOwner]

What a wonderful story!! I am SO glad you shared that with us!!!!!!!

 

[moxiewild]

Orange and orange and white kitties are my weakness (thanks to my soul kitty in my profile picture - also 15 with chronic and terminal issues when we adopted him) I used to hate orange cats and calicos, then found myself with one orange, two orange and white, and one calico who all needed saving, and that “preference” quickly went out he window

Cats certainly know when they’re ill, and increased affection can often be an indication that they are in pain or discomfort.

Seeking out affection from you guys was his way of self-soothing because he actually did feel comfortable and safe with y’all for quite a while before that, I presume. Having a greater need for your comfort helped him push through that last bit of hesitation and weariness

You’ve done a great job with him and he is so fortunate to have you. His past owners are really missing out. Your immense love, care, and compassion for him is palpable

 

[fionasmom]

Thank you so much for helping this old boy. As Jem said, try to arrange things so that he can move back and forth so that in the event that he is too warm he does not feel the need to abandon the pad completely. I have several electric pet heating pads from Amazon....out of stock and not avaible right now....and have them all arranged this way and notice that the cats do once in a while want to move off the heat.

 

[derelict]

Hi, everyone!!!
Hokay, I need to give everyone here a stupendous LOVE sign !!!
This is almost unbelievable... I ended up getting a self-warming blanket... I didn't actually *intend* to, I was actually envisioning one of the plug-in models, but the one that I ended up selecting, based on reading user reviews, happened to be self-warming... I don't recall *who* specifically mentioned that style, I think it was moxiewild , but in reading back through all the posts, I can't find it at the moment... I'm sort of having a senior moment...

Anyway, when I first put the new pad out there, I put it on top of his normal nesting spot, but when I went out later that night, he was sleeping beside it, on a newer nesting area... who knows from a cat?? So in the morning, I put it underneath the existing blanket of his preferred nest...

Well, I just went out to check on him, and he's nestled deep into the blanket and pad now!!! For the first time, he didn't jump up and come to the door to look for a lap... he just stayed in his nest, but he *did* look up toward me and make a silent meow!!!!!

Thank you all for your excellent and caring responses; we now have two contented old farts... one with two legs, and one with four...

 

[Jem]

Good to hear! So now that that is all settled though, a picture of your content four legged old fart in his new diggs would be greatly appreciated!
We love pictures here, the more the better!!

 

[derelict]

Good to hear! So now that that is all settled though, a picture of your content four legged old fart in his new diggs would be greatly appreciated! We love pictures here, the more the better!!

Yes, an excellent idea!! I *love* any excuse to take pictures of our babes!!
The very fact that I can easily walk out there and take photos of him in his nest, is a sign of how much he loves the spot, because before this, he would always leap up and trot to the door, looking for a lap, whenever we went out there...

And yes, the red stuff in his left eye is likely an instance of the sarcoma that he's dealing with. The prednisolone had a dramatic suppressive effect on most of the skin tumors that he initially had, but it doesn't seem to have affected the thing in his eye at all...
It doesn't matter... he has a forever home, regardless of what things afflict him...

 

[moxiewild]

Yes, an excellent idea!! I *love* any excuse to take pictures of our babes!!
The very fact that I can easily walk out there and take photos of him in his nest, is a sign of how much he loves the spot, because before this, he would always leap up and trot to the door, looking for a lap, whenever we went out there...

And yes, the red stuff in his left eye is likely an instance of the sarcoma that he's dealing with. The prednisolone had a dramatic suppressive effect on most of the skin tumors that he initially had, but it doesn't seem to have affected the thing in his eye at all...
It doesn't matter... he has a forever home, regardless of what things afflict him...

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Amazing news!!! So glad it worked out!