My rescued cat lives in our garage (refused to stay in the house) and sleeps on the sofa. Will this be safe to leave on the sofa where she sleeps to keep warm this winter?

Yes, it should be. I have one of those type of rescues also who refuses to become an indoor cat. I have 2 heated mats for him. One is a softshell mat that wraps the inside of his hooded bed and a second that is a hard thermo mat which is on top of a carpeted mat infront of one of the garage window sills. I also have a propane gas heater that keeps the garage a steady comfortable temperature. To answer your question though it will be safe. If your garage is not heated, I would recommend covering the mat with at least a cardboard box to keep her warmth around her whold body. Otherwise she will get cold, especially if she is wet, try to dry her with a towel. And a large towel over the cardboard box might help retain the heat in the box. Yes, my one boy is determined to remain an outdoor cat, owns the garage.

Does this turn on and off with the weight of the cat or is it on all the time?

The brilliant feature of this kitty mat is that it is pressure sensitive. Keep the mat plugged in all the time. Any weight will activate the heat and it will turn off when nothing is on it.

can we use an extension cord with this?

Using extension cords is basically safe. Those official warnings against using extension cords are legal boilerplate that theoretically protects manufacturers from lawsuits if something goes wrong, from both user misuse and manufacturing defects. When not overloaded with high wattage equipment, modern electrical circuits are designed to operate safely using extension cords (think of old fashioned lightbulbs rated at 100 watts as lower than normal usage since one circuit can handle several such lightbulbs running 24/7). Aside from overload, the true safety issues arise from pets and children chewing (as well as humans tripping & falling), causing partial exposure and/or breakage of prongs and wiring that might come into contact with flamable material, or electrocute a living being. If the metal remains covered and intact, it's basically safe. But if ~any~ cord or plug has become permanently bent or kinked, it's wise to replace it (including the entire appliance if its the built-in cord that's damaged). Even if the extension cord gets warm during use, it is safe (however, HOT cords indicate a problem either with too many appliances or from a defective cord or appliance, and steps should be taken to determine which it is so the issue can be addressed). Even if a circuit gets overloaded, circuit breakers are designed to "break" the flow of electricity before it does any damage. However, if your building's wiring is very old (i.e. still uses fuses instead of circuit breakers), or has been installed improperly (an issue with the DIY crowd), then it ~could~ be dangerous (not necessarily ~is~). If your breaker frequently trips (or your fuses blow), your circuit is overloaded and is potentially at risk. [More leagal boilerplate - DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional of any kind, including but not limited to, electrical and/or legal. Information provided is my opinion. Use at your own risk.]

Small 4 watts, Medium 6 watts, Large 13 watts. The warmer you are asking about is a large, so it runs at 13 watts. You can check others out at http://www.khmfg.com/catproducts/indoor-heated-cat-beds. Ours got warm very nicely.

Product Dimensions	31.75 x 63.5 x 1.27 cm; 440 g
Item model number	100544963
Breed Recommendation	Small
Pet Life Stage	All Life Stages
Item Form	Rectangle
Allergen Information	Yam Free
Fill Material	Polyurethane Foam
Color	Gray
Size	64 x 33 x 3 cm (L x W x H)
Maximum weight recommendation	50 Pounds
Number of Items	1
Quantity	1
Care instructions	Machine Wash
Special Features	Heating, Removable Cover
Specific Uses	Indoor
batteries required	No
Batteries Included	No
Item Weight	440 g

K&H Pet Products Heated Thermo-Kitty Mat, Indoor Heated Cat Bed, Pet Heat Pad for Indoor Cats and Small Dogs, Cat Heating Pad, Electric Thermal Warming Cat Bed Mat, Gray 12.5 X 25 Inches

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