Best Heated Cat Beds

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There are two entirely different products sold under this heading and picking the wrong one is the usual disappointment. Self-warming mats and pads contain a reflective layer under the plush that returns the cat's own body heat, so they need no cord, no outlet, and no supervision, and they feel like a normal bed until the cat has been on them a while. Electric beds actively heat, and the number that matters is the target surface temperature, which should sit close to a cat's own body heat in the low hundreds Fahrenheit rather than as hot as a human would choose, since a cat cannot always move away quickly and older cats sleep heavily. If you buy electric, insist on a thermostat rather than a plain on switch, look for a chew-resistant or steel-wrapped low-voltage cord, and prefer models with an auto shut-off timer for an apartment where the bed runs unattended. Size to a curled cat, which is a circle of roughly 15 to 18 inches, and remember a mat of 21 by 15 or 27 by 18 inches suits a cat that sprawls or two that share. Whatever the type, the cover should unzip and machine wash with the heating element removed, because a bed that cannot be washed stops being used by spring.