Can anyone recommend a heat pad for my oldie Polly puss please ?, she has one, but it's only a small rectangle and is made of aluminium I think, so is hard to lie on, I'd prefer a soft one that will be comfier for her old bones. I got the hard one on the suggestion of my friend who runs a cat sanctuary, and i'm sure it's great for outdoors and widdlers, but it's not that great for Polly.

Do you mean these?

http://www.petnap.co.uk/acatalog/pet_heat_pads.html#a30

I use the metal ones - indestructable!  I buy the soft covers for them.  I did try the plastic stuff, so easily chewed!   Couldn't you use a soft hot water bottle cover on the one you have?

That's the one, it's the flexiguard I have, I didn't realise you could get special covers for them, how much cushioning do the covers have ?. I do have a cover over it at the moment but it's still not very comfy for her, she tends to just sit next to it rather than on it, although she will sit on a hot water bottle so i'm assuming it's not because the pads too hot.
She's coming up for eighteen,I think she just feels her bones a bit more.

>how much cushioning do the covers have

They don't!  It's only made of fleece, and I have newborn pups on it.  But if your old girl feels her bones, I guess a hot water bottle cover would be thicker. 

I'm sure that someone more domesticated than me could make a simple cover themselves.

However, while loads of folk tell you not to (I never do as I'm told), I put the metal heatpad under vetbed, and find that the weight of pups is what triggers the heat.  Would your old lady lie on a piece of vetbed with heat under it?

It's vet bed that's on it, a case of the princess and the pea I think, fussy old madam, i could put the pad under the pad in the bed but I would be worried it would be a fire risk.

> could put the pad under the pad in the bed but I would be worried it would be a fire risk.

I honestly don't believe that they warm up enough to do that.  I have mine under stuff 24/7 for at least 3 weeks (minimum) with puppies.  And there is a safety cut out on them. 

I use the vinyl petnap heat pad, it gets lovely and toasty, and like Jean I have it on until the pups are about 6 weeks old for comfort's sake as they move into the slightly colder kitchen then.

I didn't realise they had a cut off switch !..problem solved then, thanks Jean, you've saved me £26 :-)