I am looking for bedding to put in a dog house for feral cats to keep warm in the winter. Is this a good product for that?
465796
This is grass, not straw, which means you're paying for nutritional food for foraging-type animals. You could probably buy much cheaper straw bedding which would provide similar thermal insulation without wasting good animal food.
2054840
I haven't used it on bedding or anything like that. I think this is formulated to use directly on pets, and there are other products that would probably be better suited to use in the environment. Just as I wouldn't use an upholstery spray on my pets, I wouldn't use pet spray on upholstery. I've used products like Zodiac Carpet & Upholstery flea spray with good results. I think the products designed for fabric might be stronger, primarily because they're not applied to skin. For that reason, I think they'd be more effective. This Merial Frontline spray is a little expensive, as I recall. I really think you'd get better results for less money with a product that's geared toward your specific needs (upholstery). Good luck!
1408266
No, it's good as is. It's already insulated, and the cats will keep each other warm though body heat. The 2 feral cats in front of my condo existed during the last winter with -15 degree weather with the cat barn.
2167059
I used feline pine and sometime ago noticed the re-branded bag recently and was wondering why it smelled so much worse in the litter. Buy a bag of pet/animal bedding from your local tractor supply store or other similar farming supply stores. It's a fraction of the price and works well. My cat breeder uses the horse/animal pine bedding instead of this stuff.
727138
It says in the directions not to sit anything on top of it to just use the fleece cover they send with it. If you sit a cat bed on top it may be too thick for the heat to go through and warm your pet. I wouldn't recommend it as I have seen reviews of the heating pad messing up if you put anything on top of it.
2011652
I think so- I placed mine in a dog-bed (so two or more cats could snuggle) and have had no problem. The mats don't get really warm; I'd say the temp was just right.
518308
I would say you probably can. It doesn't get hot like a human heating pad because K&H; says on their site that animals have different internal thermostats. Their heating pads are designed to warm the animal and not make them hot. Their site is very informative and they have all kinds of wonderful products for pets. I have 4 heating pads and one of the nylon cat houses that has a heating pad and is beautifully made!!! I highly recommend their products based on my experiences with them. Sturdy materials, heavy duty wire and coils around them, nylon, all of it. And, the fleece covers which have 4 elastic corners to go over the pad so it is soft and fleecy. I think each heating pad offers one. I would say you probably can. It doesn't get hot like a human heating pad because K&H; says on their site that animals have different internal thermostats. Their heating pads are designed to warm the animal and not make them hot. Their site is very informative and they have all kinds of wonderful products for pets. I have 4 heating pads and one of the nylon cat houses that has a heating pad and is beautifully made!!! I highly recommend their products based on my experiences with them. Sturdy materials, heavy duty wire and coils around them, nylon, all of it. And, the fleece covers which have... » Read More I would say you probably can. It doesn't get hot like a human heating pad because K&H; says on their site that animals have different internal thermostats. Their heating pads are designed to warm the animal and not make them hot. Their site is very informative and they have all kinds of wonderful products for pets. I have 4 heating pads and one of the nylon cat houses that has a heating pad and is beautifully made!!! I highly recommend their products based on my experiences with them. Sturdy materials, heavy duty wire and coils around them, nylon, all of it. And, the fleece covers which have 4 elastic corners to go over the pad so it is soft and fleecy. I think each heating pad offers one. « Show Less
473583
Dear Serendipity...You might want to try some catnip and sprinkle some on the cover. I had the same problem with a few ferals and it took a few times but eventually they all laid on it. It also helps when the temp's get really cold. They can sense the warmth!
700639
They are thicker than disposable pads, but I wouldn't use them alone as bedding. I use them for an incontinent cat, but I have sewn several quilted fleece pads to go on top of the absorbent pads.
313280
I originally bought the unheated version. I put an old baby blanket in the bottom for comfort and my semi-feral cat took to it immediately. I was hoping she would decide to come indoors as the weather got colder, but no such luck so far so I've since added the heated pad. That means I have to move it to a table on the back porch each night so I can plug it in. I also have a problem with raccoons at night so it works out for that issue too.
2197297
The Heated K&H Outdoor Kitty House would be the more sturdy of the two and provide sufficient heat. It has an excellent thick heating pad you put inside which is very cushionyyy. I took off the plastic on both sides since the movement of the plastic seemed to scare the feral cats away. Heating pad is warm for them and works with the heat of their own bodies. Keep this out of the rain and wind. Garage would be perfect if for a feral cat, otherwise place it where it wont get wet and battered by wind and where dogs cant get to the cats. I bought this for our feral cat we have had since a kitten when her mother put her up on our wall and left her there. We took her in and kept her in our garage and she has always remained very warm, and that was 2 years ago. She roams the neighborhood but always comes back at night for food and her house.
1175193
We use the 12" x 18" pad in a "house" on the covered front porch for feral cats for 8 or 9 winters. We purchased additional pads (same size) for family cats that like to sleep in the garage in the winter. The heat is activated by the weight of the cat so you need to put a book or something on it for a few minutes to test it. Ours are all still working.
473582
We have 3 of the K&H outdoor houses (with the heating pads) and we started by putting their cat treats in them. Once they figured it was warmer in the house they have used them every night. We think you might want to put the blanket on the heating pad since they are used to that. You might also try the cat treat thing since they could feel the warmth on their feet they decided that was a good thing. We hope that helps!
2098435
I bought it for a 10 lb cat and put it in between a fleece and the chair and he was totally cozy all winter because it never turns off, a real plus. I would imagine it would add some warmth to a larger dog.
2246786
Instructions when purchased said it was good for small animals. I use it for my aging outdoor kitty. I put it under her kitty bed inside a wooden box. She sleeps there at night and many cold days. It is a little warm to touch and increases to a preset safe temperature when the animal's weight is on it.
1589437
Re question on furimals warming pad. I have a cat who is feral and lives in my backyard shed .. I find that for this type of winter, the micro wave discs are much better. heat up for 6 mins in microwave and they stay very warm for 10 hours ! I put under her blanket..
514927
This item is only warm and does not project enough heat to melt anything. I have it outside in a shelter made of wood panels and it works just OK for this. The shelter is for feral cats to come and eat providing protection from the cold.