Jen Thomas
Fall is approaching, the smell of pumpkin spice in the air, and you might find yourself wondering how to keep your furry BFF warm as temperatures drop.
Well, Amazon shoppers are raving about a heated pet pad that keeps cats and dogs cozy after a 'dramatic' cold snap was predicted in the US and Canada.
But are they safe to use? A pet expert has given us the lowdown.
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Dr Anna Foreman, Everypaw Pet Insurance's in-house vet, tells UNILAD: “Heated beds are a good way to help keep your pet warm during the winter.
"With fuel prices high, keeping the whole house warm for our animals sometimes isn’t affordable - local heating methods like heat mats, beds, lights etc are often more cost efficient. This doesn’t just go for our dogs and cats, but also our small mammal and reptile pets too.”
But she does have one warning: be sure to only use one designed for pets rather than using a heated blanket for humans, as the pet ones come with chew-proof cords and often run to lower temperatures and are low-voltage.
PDSA Vet Emma Fisher adds that heated pet beds or pads have the added bonus of helping with certain health conditions, telling UNILAD: "They can help dogs with stiff joints or arthritis, pets recovering from illness, and small breeds, puppies, or dogs with thin coats that feel the cold more."
But she does have a warning: "We always recommend supervised use of any heated bed or mat. Check the temperature with your hand, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pet.
"Always have another bed available in case your dog gets too warm at any point."
We all know our pets are creatures of habit, so if they have an existing bed they love you can always add a warming pad to their current favourite, like this Toozey pet heating pad which one Amazon shopper has called a 'game changer'.
Available in several sizes starting from $29.69, the smallest size suits cats and miniature dog breeds with the bigger ones working for large hounds, it's waterproof, and comes with a chew resistant cord.
You can set a timer too, for example if you know it gets very cold in your house in the evening or the early hours of the morning, it can be programmed to come on at key times.
The pet bed has six temperature settings, from 86-131℉, and comes with a cosy outer layer that covers a flame-retardant coating designed to prevent your pet from getting any burns.
The heated bed has a control with an LED screen to choose the temperature, too, and has had more than 10,000 reviews on Amazon.
One happy customer wrote: "This heating pad has been a game changer for my cat! It warms up to a safe temperature, perfect for keeping her cozy throughout the day or night.
"The material is soft, and the heat distributes evenly without getting too hot. I love that it has a built-in timer with adjustable settings, so I can choose how long it stays on and how warm it can get, great for customizing warmth to my cat’s likes.
"Plus, the removable, machine washable cover makes cleaning super easy, which is a huge bonus. Highly recommend!"
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