Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased the 16-inch bed for our small, 15-year-old cat because we live in New England and we keep our thermostat at 55 while we're at work and while we're sleeping. Needless to say, our cat is always seeking warm spots during the winter, such as our laps, the heat registers, sunny patches, etc. I also suspect that she has a touch of arthritis, so I thought maybe the warmth would provide some relief. We just received this bed yesterday and she already loves it! The heater is activated by the cat's weight, so before I introduced her to it I left a couple of throw pillows on top of it for about half an hour so that she would instantly feel the warmth. I put her in it, she started purring and kneading, and then she curled right up and took a nap. She spent almost all of today in the bed, either sleeping or looking out the window. I'm so glad I bought it for her. I had worried about a cat bed with a heating pad in it, since cats tend to knead their bedding. However, the foam that covers the heater is very thick, and my cat has been kneading with no problems. Some reviewers have complained that the bed isn't very warm, but it's not supposed to feel hot like a regular heating pad. It only gets up to temperature when the cat is in it. You can test it by leaving a heavy pillow on top of it for half an hour and then putting your hand under the pillow. If your heating unit is functioning properly, you will feel a soft warmth. One more note: if you have a very large cat (like a Maine Coon), or if you want a couple of kitties to snuggle together, get the larger version. The 16-inch version is perfect for my small cat, and I think it would be perfectly cozy for an average-size cat, but it would be a very tight squeeze for a big cat or more than one cat. UPDATE November 24, 2012: We've had this bed for ~1 year now, and it remains our cat's favorite spot. We thought we were only going to use it in the winter, but we didn't have the heart to unplug it. She has enjoyed the bed year-round. (Thankfully, the cover washes very well!)