Warming and Cooling Pet Mat, Large

Honestly, I have only used it a few times to warm up in the microwave. That went well enough. I originally purchased one about three years ago at a retail store because it was the perfect size and shape for my old place that had water radiators. I wanted my cat to have a cushy warm place to sit, other than the back of my old tv, so I gave this a shot. Worked beautifully!!! I've since moved and have a better HVAC situation, so I haven't used it for the intended purpose since. However, I just bought two more because they fit perfectly on cat-like surfaces that I prefer my cat to rest on as opposed to less fur-friendly places. He did seem a little under enthusiastic about using it, the few times I actually heated it. But that's not enough to review on, he still loves lounging on them regardless. It was just worth it to me to find a well-sized comfy, decor-neutral cat mat that I could use with versatility. I have only just purchased the recent ones, but the old one has held up and there has been no sign of leakage. He's old and little though, so that might factor in, or not using it to heat and cool? I'm happy with it, and after 17 yrs of trial and error cat junk, not hating something on either of our ends is a huge plus!

My dog hated it (preference not products fault) so I gave it to the cats and the absolutely love it. I would highly recommend this product. The only slight complaint I have is that when they move around there is a small crinkling sound, but it doesn't bother me. The rest is great; heats nicely (haven't cooled yet), the padding is thick enough that you don't have to worry about burning your pet, but not so thick that you can't feel the heat, the padding is very soft with no slip bottom.

Our cat bends out of shape to avoid touching this product. Must be some funny chemical smell to her. She normally like anything warm of furry like this thing: Meow Town Thermal Cat Mat - BeigeFor the price it's not worth the trouble to return. At least the thermal core is solid, we can use it with a towel or something.

We have two outdoor cats we purchased this product for. This product is super inferior when compared to the Snuggle Safe. We installed it into the insulated version of Precision Pet Extreme Log Cabin, with related door. It was a perfect fit. The sheepskin bed is nice and soft, but the microwave insert does a poor job of retaining heat outdoors when the temperature is in the 30's. It will freeze to, as ours did, when the temperature dropped to 27 one night. We felt bad for making the cats sleep on a block of ice. We have only been able to get it to stay warm for about 3 hours in the insulated house! We ultimately purchased the Snuggle Safe and heat it up and put it into the sheepskin bed this comes with. That stays warm for 10-13 hours (in our experience) inside the insulated Log Cabin. So all was not a total loss, we use this warmer as a portable heating pad for us! The bed this comes with is nice though and is probably worth $10 alone. That is why it gets two stars!

When used frozen, the Microcore insert is difficult to stuff into the cover. There is hardly any room inside the cover to stuff a rigid plaque that does not bend at all. I always fear I will be damaging the plastic enclosure of the gel pack every time I do this. The flap on the velcro enclosure will not seal if do not fold the insert's "wings" and stretch the flap as far as it will go, just for it to stick. To wash the cover, you will need to turn the cover inside out, remove the foam inserts, reclose, then wash. The exterior of the mat is good, but the insides are not finished very well, nor made of very durable materials. The removable foam sheets are very thin and look like they were cut by a 4 year old. If I am not mistaken, the manufacturer also produces the Artic Zone Lava Seats, and the covers on those are excellently made. Hot or cold, the inserts slide in without effort. It's not the case with these Furimals pet mats.As for function, it does its job of cooling (or warming). I place it at the bottom of the Alfie Pet sling bag when we are out and about. The cooling effect lasts for about 1.5-2 hours. Heated, it is warm for longer, perhaps 4-6h. Overall, 3 stars for the cover, 5 stars for the insert.UPDATE 12/22/15For daily bed warming, I prefer to use the Arctic Zone Lava Seat. I heat up the 10x14 insert (comes with the Lava Seat), stick it in the Lava Seat cover, encase the whole thing inside a zippered waterproof pillow protector and then a pillow case. My pet has a Midwest Quiet Time U design pod bed (small) and the heated bundle fits and covers the entire base of the bed. It actually has come to replace the original oblong pillow in the pod. The Lava Seat cover is not washable. For maintenance, I need only wash the outer pillow case and occasionally the pillow protector.I would suggest buying extra Microcore inserts from the manufacturer. They have "heavy duty" versions designed to fit inside the Lava Seat (10"x14"), and the Furimals Pet mat (8"x12"). The insert covering is the same. What makes them heavy duty is that they weigh more (more gel inside) --- resulting in longer temperature retention. I actually use two heavy duty 10x14 inserts inside a single Lava Seat and it keeps my pet warm in her bed til the morning.

Love this heating pad for pets. much better then the hard discs that I bought for many years. Perfect for a outside cat that needs a little extra warmth for chilly nights.. Gel stays soft and seems to stay warm up to 8 - 10 hours if pets is laying on it. Out side cover is nice and soft, I have not had to wash it yet so do not know how that stands up. Like that you can get different sizes, which works perfect for different size pets and pet houses. Have not tried it cold ,was looking for heating but love that can use for both. Highly recommended