REVIEW—My cat, Mini, is 17 years old. She seeks warm laps to conquer, first by purring her victim into complacency and then by nudging their hand to encourage petting. Then, she will headbutt under blankets or plow a laptop aside to take her place in the most temperate climate and bask in her trouncing. The Rywell Heated Cat Bed is a superb place for her to take her throne as a heat-seeking snuggle machine.
What is it?
The Rywell Heated Cat Bed is an indoor, foam-filled fabric, temperature-controlled electrical appliance with timer functions that provide warmth for small domestic pets.
What’s included?
- Foam-filled fabric enclosure
- Pillow
- Heat pad
- Instruction sheet
Tech specs
- Material: 100% Polyester housing, alloy heating wire, needle-punched cotton, PVC, Copper, corrugated iron pipe
- Housing dimensions: 45 x 45 x 40cm (17.7 x 17.7 x 15.7 in)
- Heating Pad Dimensions: 32 x 32cm (12.6 x 12.6 in)
- Timers: One, six, and twelve hours
- Ten heat levels
- Bite-resistant cord
- Fits pets up to 15 pounds
- Rated voltage:110 VAC
- Power: 17 watts
- Current: 0.15 A
- Temperature levels (12 to 1):
- 65 – 60 – 55 – 50 – 45 – 40 – 35 – 30 – 25 – 20°C
- 149 – 140 – 131 – 122 – 113 – 104 – 95 – 86 – 77 – 68°F
- Overheat protection: 70°C / 158°F
Design and features
Mini was a shelter rescue. I adopted her as an adult cat after seeing her on a “Pet of the Week” news segment, and she kept me company during a six-week recovery after surgery and for the next 17 years. Her gentle nature, loving disposition, and ability to stay off tables and counters have won the hearts of many. As I write this, she’s beside me, napping quietly, vocalizing the occasional trill if my movements disturb her slumber.
She’s a great cat, and I’m grateful for her company, so I was eager to see the Rywell Heated Cat Bed. It arrived vacuum-packed.
The Rywell Heated Cat Bed has a string tie at the top. The walls can be folded outward in cooler weather or for pets not wanting to be enclosed. Initially, I was concerned Mini would chew or play with the strings, but she wasn’t interested. I think she associates the Rywell with “time to rest.”
There is a pair of snaps above the opening.
The pillow is reversible with fluffy and corduroy “pajama” sides. Mini likes them both. It fits the housing like a glove and doesn’t shift around when she enters or leaves.
The heating pad fits into the enclosure’s bottom. The pillow sits atop.
The cord exits through a hole in the back.
The in-line controller has four buttons: two (“-“and “+”) to lower and raise the temperature, one to sequence the timer (one, six, and twelve hours), and one to turn the heater on and off. I would have liked to see a pet detector to turn the heater on when Mini enters and off when she exits. Wishful thinking?
The complete assembly of the Rywell Heated Cat Bed took only seconds.
I placed the Rywell Heated Cat Bed inside Mini’s old bed to make it easy for her to find it. Within minutes, she snuggled inside. To start, I set the “level 2” for 12 hours. At first, I couldn’t feel any heat, but after a few minutes, there was sufficient conduction to make the inside of the enclosure warm and toasty.
A few more minutes later, Mini was soundly sleeping. It rapidly became her second favorite place to sleep. Her first choice is still in my or my wife’s lap :-).
This review was easy—either Mini would like the Rywell Heated Cat Bed or she wouldn’t. I’m happy to report that she does! She still likes to find a lap or a place in the warm sun, but the Rywell Heated Cat Bed is a winner.
UPDATE: For better heating, the pad fits inside the pillow, not under it, as previously stated. A zipper makes installation easy.
What I like about the Rywell Heated Cat Bed
- My cat loves it!
- Adjustable heat levels
- Timer with automatic shutoff
- Easy to clean
What needs to be improved?
- Add a function to turn the heater on automatically when the cat enters.
Final thoughts
Mini has brought me so much love and joy. Giving her the comfort she deserves when a warm lap is unavailable seems proper. Rywell’s Heated Cat Bet suits the task very well. She immediately took to it and frequently lounged inside, even when the heater was off. As a bonus, other places she previously preferred to perch (pillows, unattended laundry baskets, the backs of sofas, etc.) have seen a considerable decrease in the amount of kitty hair needing cleanup. Thank you, Rywell!
Price: $44.99
Where to buy: Amazon (Save 10% with code: 9CEQER3E Expires 12-31-2024)
Source: Rywell provided a free sample for this review but did not provide input, guidance, or editing before it was published.
