Are Heated Throws Safe for Cats?

54 comments

Happy Tuesday everyone! Snowball has found her boyfriend. Pierrot of Annie’s House . Hus name was originally Snowball- what a coincidence 🙂 They both have white furs and a tipped ear. Sounds meant to be to me.

snowball

Have you ever heard that electric blankets cause cancer?  I tried to research it online and didn’t find any real facts, just a lot of forums with comments.  A couple of years ago, I got my cats a heated throw and their Grammie bought them one too. Lucy used one of them constantly all winter for 2 years and now I am wondering if that is how she got cancer?

Kitty Christmas 2013 006Lucy on the tan one

I mentioned that to my hubby and he said , “no, but don’t use them anymore.” I know they love them to keep warm as our heat is set at 68 degrees. These had 5 setting and I kept it at 3. Does anyone else use these? And if you do, what setting do you keep it on and how many years has your cat been using them? 012Spooky on the snowflake one

I sure hope I didn’t give Lucy cancer, and I certainly don’t want this to happen to any of my others either.

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54 comments

  2. If you can’t find any information on this other than forums, it’s probably just a myth and I wouldn’t worry about it. My human doesn’t use heated blankets because she is paranoid that someday one will start a fire! I don’t know how possible this really is, but try telling her that! Anyhow, we live in California so we just crank the heater a bit – it’s still a bit pricey, but not like where you live.

  4. I would put the myth heated-throw-causes-cancer in the fuh-gedd-about-it file. My granmama has used one for years with no problem. Mom got me one for this winter since I spent last winter buried in blankets and mom never saw me and I can’t wait to start using it! You should ask Nellie – doesn’t she use a heated throw? Toby is glad Snowball has a boyfriend now – Simon said he was a confirmed bachelor and had no time for “that romance nonsense!”. Toby also says give Penny a kiss for him!!! Love LadyBird

    1. Penny sends kisses back to Toby. So Simon is a ladies’ man? That is right that Nellie has a heated blanket. I really want to get mine out for the cats- plus I use them too sometime to cover my legs when I am cold. I hope you get to use yours soon LadyBird, that was sweet of your Mom to get you one. XO

  5. I can’t imagine how it would cause cancer unless it has something to do with the electromagnetic field, similar to living near power lines. Even that is still up for debate.

  6. Gosh, we’ve never heard about cancer being caused from a heating blanket…..but Mom bought me a heating pad last winter thinking I’d love it and I hate it. HAHAHA Guess we won’t have to worry about this kind of thing if it’s true…..but now I’m curious about it. Are they talking skin cancer or any kind of cancer??

    Hugs, Sammy

    1. I don’t know what kind of cancer, I just have heard they could cause cancer. Being that it is so vague, it probably isn’t true. Sammy, I bet the heat would help your arthritis. XO

  7. My Giant Lady has a heated blanket on the Bed. They keep it on for Mia and me.
    Its under the bedspread with a soft blanket over that.
    Giant Lady, said, there have never been any problems.

  8. I’m an oncology nurse and have never heard of heated blankets causing cancer, and can’t think of one reason why they would. There are so many weird myths out there when it comes to health-related stuff, always look for scientific articles for a decent source.

    1. Thank you, I appreciate your input. I couldn’t find any scientific articles so it is probably a myth. I admire you for the work you do, that must be psychologically draining.

  9. I’ve honestly no idea, but my initial response was “tell me something that can’t cause cancer”. Seems like that everything can in some study be proved to have a correlation with cancer. So I’m with Summer on this one: unless you’ve a scientific source, I’d not take it too seriously.

    I admit that I’m also radical: the cats love these blankets. There’s an unliklely chance that they’ll get cancer because of the blankets. Would I still let them use those? I think I would. I also do things which are not good for my health, because I enjoy them.

    1. Very good points. I eat a lot of junk food which I know is bad for me, but I enjoy it 🙂 And it does seem that everything does cause cancer.

  10. Oh awnty Ellen, purrlease don’t beat yous selff up over this. Lectwic blankets and fwos don’t cause cancer anymore than milk duz as has been suggested. Weez use a lectwic blanky every winter as mommy keeps da heat way down. Meez just turned 6 as you know and have been layin’ on it since me was 3 1/2 weeks old. Sis Lexi ahd a mini lectwic blanky made fur kitties and doggies when she was born till she was big enuff to contwol hers bladder and then she began to sleep on da blanky wiff mommy. And as you know she be 16 years old and no sign of cancer. They are safe as any lectwic appliance. Meanin’ you shuld be careful there are no frayed cords or exposed wires. Mommy usually keeps ours on 2 but she has twubble wiff da hot flashes and can’t bweave ifin she gets too warm. So we snuggle real close togevver and da 2 is purrlenty warm.

    PeeEss: Sowry weez behind, life caught up wiff us fur a few days. Weez twyin’ to get caught up now. 🙂

    Luv ya’

    Dezi and Lexi

    1. Thank you for your input. I am glad to know how long you have used them without a problem. It makes me feel less guilty about Lucy and I will most likely get them going again for the kitties this year. No worries about not visiting, I understand things happen. XO

  11. snowball….we wish ewe N pie all de veree veree best !!! how kewl iz that with yur namez & ear tipz !! 🙂

    N frank lee we think de hole blankit thing iza hoax; ore internetz falsehood….

    sum one prob ablee getted mad coz they couldna get ther moneez bak on a bad blankit & started sum thin….we noe peepulz iz paid ta rite good ree views & we noe peepulz iz paid by competitorz ta rite bad ree views….. trooth ~~~~

    yur mom dinna due nothin ta lucy; sad lee…it waz just her time ta go chex out heaven ♥♥♥

    1. Thank you sweet kitties. I know it was Lucy’s time to go to Heaven, but I always wonder what if. XO

  12. I heard that about electric blankets years and years ago. I haven’t heard any rumblings in a very long time. Gosh just think of all the humans who use electric blankets. I do not like getting in a hot bed…love my sheets cool no matter the season and we sleep in a coooool house in the winter.
    Hugs C

    1. I like getting into a cold bed , but the kitties like the warm blankies and their comfort is more important. 🙂

  13. I’m certainly no oncologist, but please don’t even begin to think that you gave Lucy cancer with the heated blankets. I’m sure that is not the case! The only thing you gave your sweet Lucy with those blankets was warmth and happiness.

    The primary reason I don’t use heated blankets for my furbabies is my fear of the fire hazard. To keep my furbabies warm, I run heaters while I’m home. I turn all heaters off when I leave the house (again, I’m a bit paranoid when it comes to fire hazards), but I leave lots of big, soft, cozy sleeping areas available for my furbabies to snuggle down in. Also, there are thermal pet blankets/sleeping mats available that keep an animal warm simply by reflecting its own body heat back to it. My sweet angel Rosie loved these in her older years.

    Purrs!

    1. Thank you for your kind words about Lucy. I know she was old, but I still wonder. I am very afraid of fire too and only keep them on when I am home. I will look for the thermal ones that reflect heat- that is a good idea and better on the electric bill too 🙂 Thanks for your input.

  14. I am glad Snowball has a boyfriend now.
    I have never heard of electric blankets or throws causing cancer. I think if they did it would have been well publicised.

    1. Snowball says thank you Flynn. And yes, I am sure there would have been more info than I found online.

  15. I agree with the other commenters. If there is no actual scientific proof other than hearsay, then I would ignore the forums!

    YAY! for Snowball and Pierrot!!! Definitely meant! 🙂

    1. Snowball says thank you 🙂 I will use the throws- on low and maybe put another blanket on top to be extra safe.

  17. First of all, concatulations, Snowball! You have one handsome boyfriend, that’s for sure. And second, we never heard of a heated throw causing cancer. Please don’t worry that you caused it. Like Summer’s human, Mommy is afraid one will catch fire. So we snuggle on the bed. (But I bet a heated throw is toasty warm.)

    1. Snowball says thank you. Heated throws are toasty- I borrow them from the kitties when I have a chill 🙂

  18. Pierrot is so happy but nervous. 🙂 He’s never had a girlfriend so he takes it seriously. He thinks Snowball is sooo pretty! Did you know, both his ears are tipped? We’ve never figured that one out.

    I know many people, myself included, that have used electrical blankets most of their lives, for several months each year, with no cancer. Sadly, we know of many kitties that have had cancer that never used a heating pad or blanket (we had two). Plus, I think you can trust the commenters here. I recognize many that really know about kitties and love them. I love what one said that you gave Lucy warmth & happiness and that’s it!

    1. Thank you for your kind words about Lucy. She did have a lot of love. You are right that many kitties that never used a heating blanket have had cancer, there are so many causes. Snowball is very proud to have Pierrot as her boyfriend. I did not realize both ears are tipped. Our Prancie has 2 short ears because she was frost bitten and the tips fell off- was her found outdoors?

      1. Yes, he was found on the streets of Philly somewhere but his ears definitely appear to have been notched by a vet. We think it was a mistake on the second ear but what an unheard of mistake!

  20. Our mom has used an e.b. for eons and she’s OK. We like it when she gets out the heating pad for her always winter-frozen feet but we only get to use it when she does. We’re OK too!

  21. Mee-you Snowball…***Hi-5’sss*** on thee grate mews…thee fact Pierrot was name Snowball meenss this was meant to bee….an his new name iss close to mee fave Dee-tecktive Hercule Purr-o! Well dun Sisfur-inn-Law!
    An Lady Ellen do not wurry about heatin blankitss…..LadyMum says there iss no way they wood give Lucy Cancer….
    Mee was finkin of gettin one butt mee likess to claw fingss so maybe not a good idea fur mee or katss that luv to claw an scratch!
    LadyMum iss still reesearchin heated kat houses….butt it wood have to fit inn mee Condo! Mew mew mew…..
    ~~head rubsss~~

    1. If you like to claw things then I agree it isn’t a good idea for you to have a heated blankie. They sure do feel nice though on a cold day. Snowball says thank you- maybe the 4 of you can go on a double date. XO

  22. Our dad is a physicist who works in Radiation Oncology and he says NO. But you have to proceed however you’re comfortable. We’ve used electric blankets for decades and no cancer in any of our cats who came before.
    However the possibility of a *burn* is very real. Especially with heating pads.

    1. Thank you, I didn’t realize your Dad worked in radiation oncology. That must be a tough job. I am glad to know you have had no problems with the blankets. I would never put it on a high setting for fear of burns.

  23. Sounds like a case of “This rock caused my cancer because I was near it when I got cancer” … If the only place you see it is in comments, then it’s either someone trying to be funny/mean or just ignorance. I can’t see where heat would cause cancer, if it did, everyone would have it around here! Just my two cents..

  24. We have heard meowmy discussing that with her peeps, and she read that it does interrupt/change the electromagnetic fields that are normally there. Potentially being a way to change the DNA a bit to make cells become aberrant…and eventually turn to cancer tumors.
    Hmmm…so. dog-guy has an electric bed only on when he stays in the back porch on yard guard duty…and the peeps have EB’s on their bed, but its on high to warm the bed up before they go to bed in the sometimes 50F unheated bedroom of this old den we dwell in…we use cuddly nests and lined boxes with those puff pads and sometime a self heating one too. Sunpuddles are the best though, too bad it is only there part time.

    Since Minko is a wire chewer we don’t use EB’s here fur the kitties, he would be bound to find a wire and that would have dire consequences…not to mention that dog-guy would try to monopolize that bed, Hah! And the stinker did just chew the cord to the Mac, meowmy had to get a new one…sigh…

    1. You are the first that has heard anything of this. If you see any articles, please tell me where they are. Minko, it is dangerous to chew cords. IKEA has cord covers that look like vacuum hoses with a slice in them. Pool Noodles are good for that too. I know all this because my niece’s cat, Nixon ate many a cord when he lived here. Luckily, he never got hurt and he seems to be better now that he is older- she hasn’t mentioned any cords-just shirts with spaghetti straps 🙂 XO

      1. Meowmy had cancer in 2006…and her sister worked years before that in a health store…she told meowmy about that…right now she can’t remember what the source of info was, but it pertained to peeps, howevfur furs may still have issues. But having said all that, we don’t want to discourage or scare you, this was years ago, we think things may have gotten better with newer techniques, etc. Meowmy thinks the perpetrator of her own Ca was stress and constant standing near a microwave oven turned on high power for long moments. She now has that machine…a new one by the way…standing on the other side of the kitchen.
        If she finds out the source or reads anything more she will let you know.

        We now have our cords wrapped in a sock, a hole in the toe serves as the ‘entrance’, MOL! Meowmy thought about using an old vacuum cleaner hose too…and the insulating foam tubes that go on plumbing pipes. Sheesh, the things we gotta do!
        And when she leaves her desk, meowmy puts a magazine on top of the covered cord for good measure,MOL!

        1. I hope your Mom is not as stressed now, she should try meditation. Very smart to move the microwave. I am thinking of using them on very low and not 24/7 like I was doing last winter. We bought bitter apple spray for our cords when Nixon lived here and he chewed the top of the bottle- MOL!

          2. I am sorry that your parents passed away so close together. That is definitely a LOT of stress.

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