Cats love to be warm and buying a heated cat bed is a great way to give your kitty the comfort she craves. If you're shopping around, check out certain models that stand out as the best options for indoors and out.
Best Indoor Heated Cat Bed Options
Some heated cat beds designed for indoor use incorporate an electric, low-wattage heater within the base of a regular plush or fabric cat bed and others use special materials to trap and reflect your cat's body heat.
K&H Thermo-Kitty Bed
The K&H Thermo-Kitty Bed is a four-watt, round cat bed that comes from a reputable brand that offers high-quality cat beds. The deep bed provides a ledge for kitty to rest her chin while the high walls of the bed allow her to sink inside and ignore the world around her.
This product encloses a heating pad within two layers of thick foam that keeps the bed 12 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient room temperature when not in use. When your cat is on the bed, it heats to your cat's typical body temperature.
Pricing: The Thermo-Kitty bed retails for about $90 and the heating pad costs around $40.
Features:
- Comes in 16 and 20-inch sizes
- Available in mocha or sage colors
- Can be left plugged in when not in use
- Removable and machine-washable cover
Pet Remedy Low-Voltage Heat Pad
The Pet Remedy Low Voltage Heat Pad works like a normal human heating pad, except that it runs on a relatively low voltage. Originally developed for the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, the Pet Remedy Heating Pad is available for sale in the United Kingdom, though it can also be purchased through Amazon for delivery to other locations.
This bed is an especially good choice for post-operative use, or for a cat with reduced mobility since it doesn't have any deep sides the cat needs to climb over. Pet Remedy also recommends it for whelping.
Pricing: The product retails for about $63 (or £45.00).
Features:
- Dimensions are 16.5-inches by 15-inches
- Is safe to leave on constantly
- Comes with the 12V AC adaptor needed for the pad
- The pad can be wiped clean
- The cable is wrapped in a protective sheath to prevent the animal from chewing through
- The cable is 2.7 meters (8 feet, 3 inches)
RIOGOO Pet Heating Pad
The RIOGOO Pet Heating Pad is made for both cats and small dogs. It's an Amazon's Choice best seller in the pet heating pad category. It's designed for older pets, newborn kittens, sick pets or any cat that needs to be kept warm and cozy. The design is simple and looks just like a heating pad made for humans. It has a removable, machine-washable polyester cover that provides a soft resting place for your animal and also keeps them from overheating themselves on the pad. The pad is made from water-resistant PVC and can easily be wiped clean when the cover is removed.
Pricing: The RIOGOO pad retails for about $28.
Features:
- Dimensions are 18 inches square
- The power cord is 46 inches long and is chew resistant
- Pad has an auto power on-off function with a timer of up to 12 hours
- UL approved heating wire to prevent burns to your pet
- One-year guarantee
Best Outdoor Heated Cat Beds and Shelters
Heated shelters and bedding for outdoor cats are essential to protect cats that don't live indoors and keep them warm through the nights. Rescues and cat lovers with strays in their neighborhoods will place these beds in their yards, under porches and in other spaces that shy cats tend to hide. Good options include:
Outdoor Kitty House
A rather beautiful cat house, the Outdoor Kitty House from K & H not only provides shelter from the wind, rain, and snow but also provides a warm and inviting safe space for outdoor cats to relax or sleep. The house is shaped just like a "people" house, with four walls, a steeped roof, a front door, and a back door. The rear exit ensures that outdoor cats can't be trapped inside the house by other pets or predators.
Polyester and vinyl construction keeps the inside of the kitty house dry while the Lectro-Soft Outdoor Heated Bed keeps the heated model warm and cozy. Just like in a real house, the roof overhangs the doorways to prevent rain and snow from coming inside.
Pricing: The heated model costs around $160.
Features:
- Easy-to-assemble
- Provides shelter and warmth for one or two cats
- Outer dimensions are 18 inches by 22 inches by 17 inches
- Inner dimensions are 14 inches by 18 inches by 16 inches
- Can be left plugged in 24/7
Outdoor Multi-Kitty A-Frame
If you love the Outdoor Kitty House by K&H but have more than one cat, you'll love the A-Frame version. The house is designed for multiple cats and is a great option if you want to provide a warm space for some outdoor strays or ferals as well. It features the same construction as the regular size Kitty House.
Pricing: The heated version retails for about $188.
Features:
- Two entrances/exits for multiple cats to use
- Water resistant
- Dimensions outside are 35 inches by 20 inches by 20 inches
- Sleeping area dimensions are 24 inches by 19 inches
- Can be left plugged in 24/7
Safety Measures for Cat Owners
It's understandable to want to keep your cat safe and comfortable, but always use caution with any kind of electrical heating product.
Heating Pads Made for Cats
Do not use heating pads intended for humans. These are dangerous to cats as they get much warmer than heated beds designed for cats. Heated beds designed specifically for cats keep the wattage very low incorporate a built-in thermostat. This way, the bed won't overheat and cause burns or become a fire hazard when left plugged in.
Dangers of Cord Chewing
Some kittens and older cats have a bad habit of chewing on wires and cords. Does this sound like your cat? If so, don't bring an electrically-heated bed into the house; it's just too dangerous. If a self-warming bed isn't providing enough heat for your little one, consider buying a microwaveable heating pad like the one created by Snuggle Safe. Follow the instructions carefully to make sure the temperature is suitable for your cat and check the pad yourself to double-check.
Beware of Heat Burns
Electrical heating pads and pet beds without a working thermostat and safety settings pose a threat not only to your cat but to your home. When you first start using a new heated cat bed, check the settings carefully and make sure that the bed is behaving as it should. Old and sick cats with severely aching joints and other problems may not realize that their fur or skin is burning in time to prevent injury, so you'll have to keep an eye on things just to make sure everything is okay.
Keeping Kitty Warm
Geriatric cats that have trouble getting warm love electric beds as do brand-new kittens and cats struggling with illnesses such as arthritis and flu. Whether your kitty is suffering from joint pain or an infection, warmth plays a big role in comfort, healing and pain management. Of course, even cats without any ailments just love to snuggle in a warm spot and nap for hours. Go ahead and treat them! There are plenty of safe products on the market that can help you cater to kitty's every desire.
