I removed the heating element and stuck it under a better bed and now my kitty is very happy in ...
580809
It's a fair cat bet, although very synthetic and not particularly welcoming (sort of "bouncy" fill). That being said, I removed the heating element and stuck it under a better bed and now my kitty is very happy in the winter months!!
2394710
My cat is a "sauna cat." In the middle of summer, she would sleep on the overheating stereo receiver, or block the X360's exhaust vents. This winter, these are no longer available, and she's constantly pestering me for a lap. Which is nice, and makes me feel loved, but I know what she really wants. So I ordered this mat.

As soon as the mat arrived, I plugged it in, confirmed that it making heat, and set the cat on it. The cat did not move for two days. She barely gets up to eat. I'm sleeping alone, and my lap is always empty. Unconditional love? Hah!

It does not appear to generate heat until you press the foam cushioning. If you're a cat, you can accomplish this easily by walking or lying on it. :) I believe it acts as an insulator otherwise. This should reduce waste heat when the cat is not on it, but some cats may not be impressed, what with their short attention spans and all. Once you're pressing on it, it generates what I would describe as the "perfect level" of warmth. (My cat would probably want it scalding hot, but I couldn't stand the smell of burning hair, so it's for the best.)

The heater insert is less than 6" wide, so it does not get warm all the way across its 12.5" width. It does get warm from end to end down the middle. The product would be improved if the entire pad got warm. I could probably fit two warming strips side by side and heat the entire surface of the pad... is fire safety an issue here?

Heater insert width notwithstanding, my cat says I should give it 5 stars, so I have.

Updated Update: it's two years later (bought around Christmas of 2009, reviewed in Jan 2010, it's now Dec 2011). My kitty spent the entire two years on this heating pad, so I think it still gets 5 stars. My kitty "passed on" over the break :( but before that she had time to compare versus the "K&H Pet Bed Warmer" (13w 11x24) and "Petmate Indoor Pet Heating Pad Element" (30w 10x20). She preferred the larger K&H because she could sprawl out more, but the Petmate was too hot. Note that she was anemic at the end, so it is interesting that she did not like the warmer pad.

I have recently adopted a new, younger test subject...er I mean kitty, who is currently evaluating the K&H 11x24 pad.

Feb 2014 update: My new kitty is still using the 13w 11x240 K&H heating element, installed in this mat, and it's a high priority choice when laps or direct sunlight are not available. So I guess there's bonus points for long term reliability here. :)
1147298
I got these for my 18 year old Jezebel who just had radioactive iodine therapy for her hyperthyroid. With her metabolism dropping post-treatment, she's been seeking out warm places and curling up as tight as possible. So I decided to get her something nice and warm.

Within minutes of me opening the package, she was smitten. She seems to love the crinkly sounds the Mylar interior makes, and now she purrs nonstop while laying comfortably on her new warm beds. No more curling up, and no more stealing the warm spot where we were just sitting, and she seem less stiff when she gets up from a long slumber.
3299597
Bought this for our outside kitty, she came with the house we recently purchased. After several failed attempts of keeping her inside we felt this was the next best thing. This past winter was pretty cold, with temps dropping down to 4 degrees. The kitty house is on our porch, I went out to check on her several times only to find her curled up, warm, and sleeping. I stuck my hand inside and it was toasty! This is a great product to keep the kitties warm during the winter months, whether it be a stubborn domesticated outside kitty or feral cats.
4508948
I have noticed an incredible improvement in my kitty. She is much more playful and seeks out interaction. And she loves the flavor.
2295041
I bought the house with the heated mattress. It is easy to set up and is sturdy. After our heavy pollen season, I took it apart and hand washed it with a wet sponge and some dishwashing soap. This made it look new again. The size is suitable for an average size adult cat. I don't think it would be big enough for a large breed or for two cats. I plan to build a platform to raise it 6-8" in case we get snow and would like to position it or shelter it to protect against a driving rain. Initially my cat had not interest in it. I brought it inside and took the roof off. I think the open top triggered her curiosity to jump inside a container, like she does with cardboard boxes. She became comfortable with it and began using it outside. I think she became especially happy with it when she learned the mattress was heated. If you have trouble getting your cat adjusted to it, try putting a little cat nip on the mattress or creating a trail of cat treats into it.
3840371
UPDATE:
We adopted a third cat and now 2/3 cats enjoy laying on it.

We have two cats. Our female cat has a habit of peeing on the guest bed or the laundry basket if it's left out. We solved the laundry basket problem but the guest bed was something we didn't think we could fix. We have a waterproof cover so I could clean it each time she soiled it but it was becoming a daily problem. The guest room doubles as our 1 year old's play space so I was having to close the door until he wanted in there and our cat would sneak in unnoticed and pee on the bed. I considered shock mats but felt they were cruel. I bought the ssscat but it didn't always go off. I was skeptical but bought this pad.

This pad is shiny side up under the bedspread. I didn't want to remove it one day and have her think it was safe to go on the bed again, which is why it's under the bedspread. She hates it. The last time she jumped on the bed was minutes after I put this under the bedspread. She walked off the bed like she had shoes on. My male cat jumps on the bed, which is fine.
3121426
I was nervous about putting an electric heater under our little old lady cat's cushion.  I was afraid she might not be as aware as she should be in case it got too hot.  We put this one underneath a soft thick pad (synthetic filling...very light).  It's maybe 3.5 inches thick, and in order to feel the heat, you need to press lightly on the surface of the pad.  We put it next to her old bed, so she can easily switch back and forth, but every time I check on her, she's happily snoozing on the warm one.  I have recommended this pad to friends and family.
4771675
We placed the Thermal Bed underneath ours cat's normal bedding and he adapted quickly to it.  He snuggles up and looks pretty comfortable.  The bed seems to hold his body heat well.
3987453
i just removed so much potential furball from my cats and it is a great feeling for me.
4232017
I am in love with my bed again! has an odor that quickly goes away after unpacking. once again I can sleep thru the night. even my cat loves it.
419128
I sometimes get too hot with it on, but my cat likes to sleep in front of it. Because of this heater my cat loves me again. Thanks lasko!
1019583
My husband keeps our home cool year round. I use heating pads & blankets. To be humane I decided my cat needed a way to stay warm too. So far this pet bed warmer is working perfectly.
Update- I ordered a second pet bed warmer for the other end of the house. It is a rectanguler one fom Petmate. The electrical cord is much more flexible making it easier to hide from cats who like to chew as well as easier for the owner to position in the cat bed. For this reason the Petmate scored five stars from me while this one gets four stars. Both pet bed warmers keep my cat happy. Update- 7/13- The Petmate one quit after 8 months while this little K & H pet warmer is working well 24/7.
1476677
We have a very small cat who was sick earlier this summer and lost weight. We also keep the house at about 66 degrees during the winter. Our itty bitty kitty was persistant (with claws if necessary) in sitting on our chest at all times. If either my husband or myself moved, she'd simply go to the other person. She doesn't do laps - only chests which makes it very difficult to do pretty much anything with her there.

We decided maybe a heated pad would help the problem and decided on this one. It's the perfect size for her and fit our decor well enough. We plugged it in and put a blanket over it to jump start the heating process. 10 minutes later we set her on it and that was it. She says "Hi" to us once in a while but she lives on this unless she has to get up to eat or use the litter box.

Happy kitty and happy (but now a bit lonely) owners!
3892123
I purchased this because my nearly 18 year old cat constantly wants to be on me, to the point of crying non-stop when I am busy.  I thought he might just want a nice warm spot. I bought this and put it under a fleece pet blanket on the day bed and when I get home after work, that is where I will find him, but once I am home he has to be on me.  I suppose he just needs the extra comfort in his old age.  I like this because it is not too hot so it is safe to keep on the day bed and is safe for Meischa.  And most importantly he really seems to like it.  I chose this over the heated beds because they are pricey and I already had plenty of beds.  I did try putting it under the beds but the filling was just too thick the warmth did not get through.  The blanket works perfect, and it is very much washable.
2660061
My cat had become so difficult to live with. He would go through the house howling. He was extremely demanding. He peed outside the litter box. I was totally frustrated with him. Nothing I tried worked until this thunder shirt. Now he is calm and peaceful. He went from annoying kitty to wonderful kitty.
3454586
At first I was hesitant to buy this and wasn't sure it would actually work. We have 3 inside cats but one day we saw a stray cat in our neighborhood. He was very shy and wouldn't let us near him. Over time, we noticed he was sleeping on our back porch. We had a patio set and it became quite common to wake up with him sleeping out there or see him out there before bed. More and more, he warmed up to us. We started to feed him. But he made it pretty clear he did not like being an indoor cat after a failed attempt to bring him inside overnight. I'm in Ohio and the winter (and just about any other season) can get horribly cold. We built him a shelter using wood and a clear tub. We then put in pillows as insulation around the walls for padding. But I didn't think it was enough!

Came across this and after reading all the reviews decided to try it. I'm happy to report that every morning when I fed Bud his breakfast, he feels warm. I guess the way the pad works is that it doesn't get so hot that the animal gets overheated. He adapted to it very quickly and can usually be found lounging in his shelter. I'm so happy to help him out. I hope more people purchase this and keep helping animals.