The thing about outdoor pets is that most of them really
do love being outside, even in the winter.
Problem is ... north winter winds can be expected to blow, temperatures will drop and your pets
will get cold. Just the same, my cats and one of my dogs still choose the outside environment
over the indoor, and lets not forget little Daisy the pygmy goat, one of my favorite pets.
Something had to be found to make us "all" feel more comfortable when the colds winds blow.
Our solution for the last four or five years has been to use heating mats designed especially for pets
and dog house environments. Pets heat pads aren't cheap, you can expect to spend around a $100 for one,
but peace of mind they bring us has made them worth it for us. The two main brands are Kane and Lectro-Kennel.
The one we've used for the last three years is the one by Kane Manufacturing.
They are strong and the heating element is encased in sturdy plastic.
The mat's temperature is set to operate ideally in outdoor weather between 40 degrees and -10 degrees F.
The heat mat may not feel warm to the touch. As the animal lies on the mat surface the body traps the heat thereby giving the animal the desired warming effect.
Thermostats are available if you need temperature control in a warmer setting such as inside the home.
We've used the heat mat from Kane for over 3 years and we've loved it without a single complaint - until now - until
Sammy - our Pyrenees puppy otherwise known as the destructor.
The minute we weren't looking she had the cord chewed in half. Kane mats have a chew resistant
spring cord around the first foot of cord coming off the mat but just regular exposed cord for the
remaining four feet. I guess the Kane mat is hard to beat when you have a pet that is not a chewer, but
very risky around chew happy dogs.
Since were worried about Sammy chewing on the Kane Heat Mat's cord, we've been looking around for
a replacement product with a better protected cord. We just purchased a Lectro Kennel Mat, the pricing
is similar and the idea is the same. One thing
about the Lectro Kennel that we like is that their cord is wrapped in spring all the way
from the mat to the plug, making it safer in our opinion. Will it be as tough and effective as
Kane? We'll keep you posted. Were also looking into a mat from a company in Kansas, they
advertise that their cord is protected, but we haven't been able to get them to respond to our inquiries
so we hesitate to mention their name at this time. We'll let you know when we have spoken to them and we know more.
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Currently, we are doing something we advise others to do as well, doing a dry test run (placing the
mats in the pets environment without plugging them in) for a few weeks before the major cold fronts
move in. That way, you can find out if your pet will chew on the cord, spring wrap or not,
before the plug is plugged in and dangerous to your pet's well being. When we feel safe plugging
the product in, we'll do so during the day when were home to keep an eye on it in case it has
some kind of manufacturing defect that would cause it to set fire in any way. I guess all electrical
products pose some kind of danger, but we feel the risk is small enough to make it
worthwhile just the same. Our Kane mats have been heating element fault free for over three years now.
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