Are heated beds and pads necessary?

[CoolSphynx]

Hi "everybuddy"

Does everyone have a heated bed or pad for their sphynx? I have an old apt in an old building and I'm terrified of leaving anything on when I'm not a home. (two buildings on my street have had electrical fires in the last five years--can't wait to move!).... I have many fleece beds and blankets for Dobby and he cuddles with my persian Phineas. I've only been babysitting Dobby since June (I have him a few days a week when my neighbor travels for work b/c Dobby has kidney disease and takes meds.). but if I get to keep him this fall and the weather gets cooler, I need to think about ways to keep him warm...

thanks!
shana

p.s. i've saving up for my own sphynx of course... i've fallen in love with this breed! (my friends with persians think i've lost my mind, but to meet a sphynx is to fall in love with a sphynx, no?)

 

[The Mayor]

Honestly we bought one & Kramer never has never even layed down in it; he bites it though!

 

[Mews2much]

I do not have any heated beds because I think they might catch on fire if we are not home.
Cleo has blanktes and snuggle sacs she uses in the winter.
She also sleeps with the other cats.
I got her last Dec.

 

[CoolSphynx]

thanks mayor and M2M, i've been really worried about fire, so that's good to know!

 

[The Mayor]

If it's real cold (since we live in Chicago) I would put a heating pad on low with a blanket over the top & they preferred that better.

 

[nbolin]

Kreacher does not have a heated bed...if it's particularly cold out I will throw a towel in the dryer for 10/15 minutes and throw it in his bed. He pretty much wraps him self like a burrito when I do that! Super easy and he loves it!

 

[Brooke]

I've been wondering about this, too...

I live in Florida, so it's not a concern 355 days out of the year, but the central heat in my house doesnt work (A/C still kicks butt, though thank GOD!) but since I hardly need it I haven't bothered to get it fixed.

I work for a company that makes heating pads and heated blankets and I have access to all the safety records, but I still don't trust it and I won't even leave them plugged into the wall when they aren't turned on!

I have seen some heated pet beds online that are activated by weight, so when your pet lays on them they turn on...anyone have experience with these?

 

[kalliee129]

Meecho doesn't have a heated bed of her, but my bed has a heated blanket that I keep under the sheets to keep me and her warm because my house has only one temperature all year round...frigid. Now my blanket has a timer on it so I know when I turn it on it will turn itself off at a certain time but I have had worries about it starting a fire. One thing to help control the flow of electricty going into it and to help prevent fires is to plug your bed or blanket into a strong surge protector. Whether that actually helps or not I don't know but it certainly puts my mind at ease and keeps me and Meecho toasty warm all day. Even when it's over 90 degrees here with a heat index of over a 100 and I'm still freezing in the house

 

[PitRottMommy]

Congrats on your new baby. Heating pads are not necessary to keep a sphynx warm. Sweaters help, if you're concerned about warmth. The most concerning thing about heating pads is the fact that they can cause burns, the worst of them being electrical burns. I've seen them in a few pets (such as chihuahuas) from owners who have had them trained to seek warmth in a spot with a heating pad. If you're truly concerned about warmth and not interested in doing clothing, try a "rewarming" pad. They're sold at petstores. It has a thermal layer that helps to turn the heat that a pet puts off back into warmth they can use.

 

[ilovemysphynx]

The only time we use a heating pad is when the babies are new born to keep them warm the first few weeks.

 

[CoolSphynx]

that' s great info about the thermal pads. i'll look them up for Dobby. His mom (I'm just the kittysitter) is dead against pet clothing, but I'm totally dressing my Sphynx up when I get my own.
Doesn't matter if I get a girl or boy, they're going to be wearing one of Sami's Skull&Bones sweaters!

 

[Maximus]

I saw, at Petsmart, a pad that heats from the animals body temperature, almost like a thermas. I was thinking about getting Scrotie that for the winter.

 

[susi794]

My cats love their heated beds! I use a heated throw, and make half the bed warm and the other half not--that way they move as they want. In the summer, I keep the heat to almost nothing, but in the fall and winter I adjust it accordingly. I always have several layers of blankets on top and have left them plugged in and functioning for months on end without any problems at all. So, while I don't think they are essential, my "kids" love them.

 

[PinkSphynx]

My cats love their heated beds--they're actually window seats, too, so they're double-loved. They plug into the wall and are no different than leaving any appliance plugged into the wall. They are thouroughly padded to guard against burns; they're really no different than running the DVR, which the cats also love to lay on due to the heat.

I also have some microwaveable heating pads that to put in their carriers if they need to be transported during the winter, and those work, but are a lot of trouble and don't last as long as they could. I've never tried human heating pads, or those grain/rice heating pads that are said to keep heat longer, but that might work as well if not better.

They don't need extra heating, though. I keep the house at a comfortable temperature for them all year long. They're very adept at seeking out warm, cuddly spots if they do get cold. There are plenty of throws around, and they know they have ownership of the beds! Mine love to lay in front of the vents in the winter, and in the kitchen sink because the stainless steel disperses the heat nicely from the vent underneath it! A general rule of thumb is: if you are comfortable naked, so are your cats.

 

[ilovemysphynx]

We have radiator's with covers over them just for looks and in the winter our cats favorite spot is on top of it!

 

[kalliee129]

My cats love their heated beds--they're actually window seats, too, so they're double-loved. They plug into the wall and are no different than leaving any appliance plugged into the wall. They are thouroughly padded to guard against burns; they're really no different than running the DVR, which the cats also love to lay on due to the heat.

Where did you find a heated window seat? I've been looking for a window seat for Meecho but I worry about her getting a cold draft there so I've been holding off on getting her something that would encourage her to sit there longer.