Thermo Kitty Bed

Ever meet those crazy pet owners? The ones that have different outfits for their pets based on the day of the week? What about those ones that buy strollers for their dogs? How about the cat owners that buy heated beds for their cats? You had better have said that last group was okay because it includes my husband and I. Let me give you a little background before we get started.

In the coldest part of winter* and the hottest part of summer**, our electric bill climbs. It reaches heights near $400. Now, this month, my electric bill was about $105. Wanna know how I keep it so low? I refuse to run the heat. In the summer, I don't have much choice. I pretty much have to run some air to keep the house from getting humid and moldy. In the winter, however, we can layer!

61 degrees is not that cold.

You know who can't layer? Mr. Bijou Phillips Kitty Esquire. He has a fur coat, but he is averse to wearing silly clothes.*** How does he like to keep warm? He likes to lay on Mark. He's also a big fan of sitting in Mark's pants when Mark takes one of his many trips to the restroom.

Now, Mark is a kind and loving pet owner. He has been very, very worried about Mr. Kitty. I am less worried, as I grew up in a house in rural Pennsylvania that heated with a wood burning stove.**** It got cold sometimes. I survived, as did our pets. We didn't keep them outside, of course, but the house could get very chilly at times.

Because I understand that I'm being a little crazy with the "no heat" mindset, I acquiesced to Mark's request to get a heated pet bed for Mr. Kitty.***** We tooled around Amazon looking for the right one and landed on the K&H Manufacturing Thermo-Kitty Bed Deluxe Hooded Cat Bed. While I balked a little bit at the $40 price tag, it was worth it to make Mark feel better and know that Mr. Kitty would be a bit more comfortable.

Pictured: 

Mr. Kitty surveys his territory, the kitchen.

Let's talk about the bed itself. First of all, it only heats moderately until the cat uses it. When the cat deigns to sit in the bed, it will heat to his body temperature. At least, that's what the ad says. While I would not have chosen leopard print for Mr. Kitty, it does look pretty nice. The outside is a chocolaty color that looks good in our kitchen or living room. It's very complementary to the colors we chose for our home. The quality seems pretty good too. There is a nice, long power cord, and the cover can be removed for washing.

Behold the long power cord! I have

appliances with shorter cords.

Get with the program, 

Cuisinart.

I was initially worried about Mr. Kitty using his happy little hot bed because when we have bought non-heated ones in the past, he pretty much shunned them. However, it was cold enough that he decided to try it out. I am guessing the heat kept him coming back, as he has been in and out of it multiple times since we got home.

Not quite a "draw me like one of your

french cats" moment, but it

will have to do.

If you have an indoor pet and are worried about him being cold, this kitty bed is amazing. Mr. Kitty is a somewhat rotund feline, and he fits just fine. He seems to be receptive to using it, and it looks rather nice. I'm waiting to see if my niece decides to sit in it when she comes to visit.

This is Ellie, my niece, wearing one of

my husband's hats and playing with

a cat toy. She really liked to carry

around the long ones, so we

got her one for Christmas.

Don't judge.

*I realize it gets a lot less cold here than up North. I will not dispute that. It's pretty much why I refuse to wear a jacket.

**The Predator only comes in the hottest summers. Keep that in mind, refrain from carrying a weapon, and you may survive.

***I even bought him a Tauntaun costumer that had a tiny Luke Skywalker on the back. It was awesome. Did Mr. Kitty appreciate it? Noooooo.

****No, Bobby, that does not make me Amish.

*****See, we're good pet owners, not crazy people.