Keep Pets Warm and Wagging This Winter With Foam Pet Beds!

As another winter freeze grips most of the nation, the layers of clothing worn add up until they get near double digits. At night, beds are piled high with blankets until their collective weight makes it hard to roll over. Heating bills shoot up, like a thermometer in the August sun we miss so desperately. Keeping warm is serious business.

But while we can do anything we want to get cozy and warm, it’s a different story for pets. Of course, animals have fur that generally keeps them warmer, and as the seasons change, many grow thicker undercoats to help maintain body temperature. But just like we may be fine in our normal clothes, but much happier under a fleece blanket while watching a movie or reading a book, there’s no reason your pets wouldn’t mind being a little cozier on the coldest days too!

Shredded foam pet beds are available with memory foam or conventional foam filling.

While a blanket isn’t really sensible, considering pets aren’t able to cover themselves, it’s what can go underneath them, rather than over them, that will make a difference. A fluffy, plush animal bed, while comfortable, is also going to be warm and cozy for your pets during the coldest months.

The first reason is the simple insulation effect it provides. Since heat rises, the ground is going to be the coolest part of a room. This is the reason heated flooring exists today – from years of people tired of dealing with the shock of walking on cold tile or hardwood first thing on the morning. Suffice to say, something that brisk isn’t comfortable to rest on. Unfortunately, your pets don’t have any other options, as most people prefer to keep them off their furniture (for understandable reasons). That is, unless they have their own bed. Stuffed with fiberfill, solid sheets of foam, or even shredded foam, pet beds will get them off the floor, and away from the cold ground.

In addition to getting them off the cold, hard ground, these filling materials are also insulating themselves, helping to hold your pet’s body heat and keep them warmer. Foam, more so than most materials, will sleep “warmer” – a big benefit during cooler months. Memory foam in particular has unique insulating abilities, as the foam’s softening and contouring is a result of its temperature-sensitivity. The visco-elastic polymers in the material warm and give way, but because the material has to warm, it also retains more heat than conventional foam. And as your pet sinks into its bed, they’re in contact with more of the warming, insulating foam, keeping them toastier! (Click here for more on the material’s traits.) Memory foam is typically made in two varieties too – solid sheets for more support, or shredded, for a softer, fluffier feel. Either style still exhibits the same custom-contouring properties, however.

In addition to the comfort the warmth of pet beds provides, there can also be a health benefit as well.

For pets who suffer from arthritis, dysplasia, or general stiffness, the cold, hard surface of the floor can be rough on joints. A little warmth can keep pets a little more limber and loose, and having a soft bed that provides a degree of insulation will help improve their comfort in general terms as well! The pressure-relief from foam, memory foam especially, will also promote and maintain better circulation, which is a very important issue. Health reasons aside, better pressure-management means less tossing and turning, so your pets can get a deeper, more rejuvenating sleep when they finally call it a night!

Be it to minimize health issues, or just because you love them and want them to be as happy as possible, there’s no wrong reason to give your pets the gift of a warm, comfortable bed they can call their own.

Tags: Pet Beds, Shredded Foam

Posted in Pets