The Best Pet Heating Pads in 2022

Heating pads for dogs and cats are a mat that is heated be it via electrical input, thermal technology, battery power or the microwave, and provide your pet with a warm place to rest. Depending on the mat, there are several way that they work:

• Mains - supplied electrical - Electric heating pads are supplies with power via the mains plug and are made to warm up quicker or be pre-warmed ready for when your pet goes for a lie down. They are low voltage and are often thermostatically controlled in order to remain the perfect temperature at all times.
• Thermal - A thermal pet heat pad uses thermal technology, much like a fleece jumper, to insulate the pad and reflect back the natural body temperature that your pet produces, creating a nice warm spot for them to lie, and because it doesn't contain rigid the heating element it can be ideal to go into pet beds, or can be for outdoor use as an alternative to electricity powered pads.
• Battery powered - Much like the mains powered pad, a battery operated one will provide a pre-warmed spot for your pet to hunker down into. Though the batteries will need to be checked on a regular basis to ensure that it is still functioning.
• Microwavable - Microwavable pet pads use the same method as a warming wheat bag in which they are filled with a conductive material that will hold on heat for a long while after coming out of the microwave.

  However, something to consider with this type of pad is that it can overheat very easily, will need pre-heating before your dog or cat lays down and will need occasionally rewarming once it cools down.

A heating pad can be perfectly safe for your pet so long as you take the necessary precautions when purchasing one. There are certain safely elements that must be considered when it comes to making your buying choice.

• Overheating - This is not necessarily in reference to the blankets themselves overheating and becoming dangerous, though this can happen with older electric heating pads and should be watching out for, but more in reference the danger of your dog or cat overheating whilst using it. Some pads become warmer than others, and it is important that you know the kind of temperature that is right for your pet. And in the case of a microwavable warming pad, it is worth monitoring them carefully and starting cooler to be safe. If you feel your cat or dog would like a little bit more warmth, then increase the temperature in small increments.
• Chewing - with electric based heated mats for cats and dogs, you must always take into account the power cord. Though most warming pad manufacturers do take this into account by producing them with a chew-resistant cord, this if often done with something like a steel wrapped cord. However this is something you need to take stock of when choosing the pad for you, because if you pet is going through that teething or destructive phase, they run a very real risk of being electrocuted if they make it through the chew proof shielding.

  If your pet is an avid chewer, but you have chosen to select an electric heat pad, a recommended course of action would be to use a chew deterrent spray to prevent them from being tempted. Alternatively you could cover the cord using PVC pipe, or cut up water hose, just to provide an additional robust layer of protection.

When it comes to picking the right heat mat for dogs or cats to go into your home, it can be a bit tricky to know what size to get. The things to consider are the type of pad you intend to purchase, this would help you decide on the size. With a microwave pad for example, you may want it to go in or under your dog or cat's bed, in which case you could afford to go a little bit smaller. If the pad you decide on is thicker, you could use it as a sleeping area of its own, in which case you would pick the pad which matches the size of bed your dog would require.

Typically, a dog pad or cat pad around the same size as their bed would be a good size for most pets, unless they are particularly fussy about their temperature control and require only a small pad to warm a portion of their bed, but not the entire thing.

Self warming pads have proven time and time again to be a worthwhile investment for anyone who does not wish to buy an electrically powered one. They are also fantastic for a cat or dog that travel a lot, as it saves you having to worry about finding an electricity supply everywhere you go. They use thermal technology to reflect your pet's body heat back to them, so that they maintain their body temperature for much longer, or even indefinitely.

There are a couple of ways to clean cat or dog heating pads depending on the pet pad you have chosen. Each heated dog or cat pet pad you find will have its own cleaning instructions, but here are a couple of general tips that should help you to plan your purchase better.

An electric heating pad for dogs and cats will often come with a removable and machine washable cover, this could be a fleece cover or nylon cover in order to be slightly more spill resistant. These covers can usually be put into the washing machine, though it must be stressed that they need to be washing on a cool temperature and air dried in order to avoid the cover shrinking and being unable to fit back onto the pad. The best cat or dog heating pad will come with something like this for ease of cleaning.

If you are worried about washing the entire cover, you can spot clean them using a mixture of milk detergent and water, applied and scrubbed using a toothbrush, or something along a similar line.

With a self warming dog or cat heating pad, they are usually machine washable, so long as it is done on a low temperature, again to avoid shrinkage, as they don't have any electrical components to worry about. The same goes for a microwavable heating pad, though this would take much longer to dry due to the denseness of the materials, so it may be easier to spot clean whenever possible to save on drying time.