Heated Pet Gear Will Change Your Pet's Life
Americans love their pets, according to American Pet Products Association (APPA), an astounding 70% of U.S. households owned a pet as of 2022, which translates into 90.5 million homes.
Dogs are still a big favorite, 69 million U.S. households have a dog, while cats came in second with 45.3 million households. Pet ownership has been growing steadily over the years, 56% of households owned a pet in 1988, and that number grew to 67% in 2019 and hit 70 percent in 2022.
We also love to treat our pets, according to APPA data, Americans spent an estimated $109.6 billion on their pets in 2021. It’s not just food and vet care that pet owners are spending money on, according to Forbes Insights, the global pet clothing market is now worth over $5 billion and only expected to grow.
Heated pet gear is moving into the mainstream with the number of available options growing every year. While pet heating pads and heated houses are currently the most popular heated pet gear, heated vests and even heated bird perches are becoming more popular.
We thought it might be fun to look at hearted pet gear, how it works, and answer the question, “are pet heating pads safe,” so you can keep your pet nice and warm as the temps drop. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about heated pet gear:
What is heated pet gear?
Heated pet gear is simply anything for your pet that produces heat to keep them warm and comfortable. The most common heated pet product these days is a pet heating pad, but there is plenty of other heated pet gear available as well. Here is a quick list of a few of the heated pet products we were able to find:
Pet heating pads: Pet heating pads are simply heating pads designed for dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals. They are larger (in most cases) than heating pads designed for humans but have many of the same features, as well as some features designed specifically for pets.
Most pet heating pads have built-in safety features to keep your pet safe, everything from auto power-off function to multi-layer protection to prevent burns, as well as structure UL-approved heating wire and chew-resistant power cords.
Heated pet houses: Heated pet houses are fairly standard dog and cat houses with the added bonus of a heated sleeping pad on the floor. They work great to help keep both your pet and the entire pet house nice and cozy when it gets cold outside.
Heated pet houses have plenty of built-in safety features such as auto shut-off timers, chew-resistant power cords, and plenty of layers to prevent your pet from getting too hot.
Heated vest: While heated pet vests haven’t hit the mainstream just yet, there are a few options out there. Heated pet vests have a rechargeable lithium battery that powers the heating elements sewn into your vest keeping your pet nice and warm. Many have Bluetooth connectivity so you can adjust the heat from your phone.
Heated bird perch: If your pet has wings, a heated bird perch is a great way to keep them warm and happy when the weather gets ugly. Most heated bird perches use a safe 12V electrical current which is thermostatically controlled ensuring nice and warm feet for your birds, without having to worry about your bird being burned.
Heated pet bowls: Heated pet bowls will help keep your pet's water liquid instead of letting it turn into a big chunk of useless ice when the temps drop below zero. These bowls can be used for dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and even small farm animals.
Most heated water bowls can keep water from freezing even as temps drop to negative 20 and many have an auto shutoff feature when the water temperature reaches 113°F. Heated pet bowls can also be great for any stray, barn, or feral cats who spend most of their time outdoors.
