Rossignal S. Kamikaze (Rossi Kamikaze) is my 21 year old cat!! with arthritis and a heart murmur. I am sure like all animal lovers, I cannot believe how much my beloved Rossi has enriched my life since he adopted me as a 4 month old kitten. I have so much love in my heart for him - daily he teaches me true joy. By the way, you ask what the intial 'S' stands for - Snugglebuddy Mushbag.

Watching Rossi struggle each day with arthritis broke my heart - it was unbearable! For Rossi walking was difficult and going up stairs was painful if not impossible. It was at the point I needed to lift him each night into bed so he could sleep with me as he had always done. I would have done anything to take away his pain.

One day I invested in a memory foam mattress topper for my own bed. The comfort was amazing! Every morning I awoke without an ache or pain. . . when I dawned on me. . .WHY WOULDN'T THIS WORK JUST AS WELL FOR OUR ANIMALS??! And the concept of Buddy Beds was born.

As a former investment banker and money manager, Buddy Beds became became my passion. I tell people I have the best job in the whole world because I spend my days talking to people who love their animals. Plus, now I can giggle (you cannot giggle when you are dealing with people's money). . . AND. . .I can take my dog Webster with me everywhere and it is not considered ABnormal. (If you want to read more about my background or see a photo of Rossi and I together click here). Back to the story.

It took much work and experimentation before we came up with the perfect combination for Buddy Beds -- which is now PATENTED. That is why Buddy Beds offers this unique product.

Problem #1 - Which memory foam should we use? Of the three qualities (3lb, 4lb, and 5lb) available on the market today which to choose?

After significant testing it was clear -- we will use the best -- the 5lb memory foam. Yes, it is more expensive but it provides better support and lasts longer. Most of our competitors use the inexpensive 3lb memory foam -- which even seemed to lose it's 'memory' over time. Be sure to ask which quality memory foam is being used in the dog bed you are considering -- because believe me if they are spending the money to use the higher quality 5lb memory foam -- they will tell you!! Incidentally, my 105 pound dog Webster was the ideal testing model. Scroll down this page to see his photo hiking at the Grand Canyon.


Problem #2 - If we just used memory foam ALONE in the orthopedic dog bed, the longer your dog rests or sleeps on the dog bed he/she will slowly sink to the floor creating a pressure point -- defeating the whole purpose of the memory foam. This by the way is called 'bottoming out'.

Memory foam is the only material known to man that completely eliminates pressure points. That is why hospitals and burn units for years have used memory foam for us humans -- because our pressure points become bed sores. So we must solve the bottoming out problem so the memory foam will eliminate all pressure points and give the support and comfort it was designed to provide.

It became clear that this was a critical step -- yet an expensive step -- that is why most dog beds do not do this step. We will permanately glue the memory foam to a layer of quality supporting foam. The supporting foam will keep the dog from sinking throught the memory foam of the dog bed, while keeping the dog up off the floor and providing additional support and comfort.


Problem #3 - Memory foam, like all foams is porous and will utlimately absorb drool, goo, odors, urine , and all that nasty stuff which will ruin the memory foam. There goes your investment in memory foam!

Then it came to me. Let's put a PERMANENT waterproof, yet breathable, fabric protective liner around the memory foam to protect it from all those nasty things. Today's technology has introduced numerous high performance fabrics that are waterproof, yet breathable and flexible -- often used in performance outerwear, tents, backpacks, all sorts of outdoor gear - hey, I live in Colorado. That would be perfect. Protects the expensive memory foam yet breathes to maintain the loft for comfort. No other dog bed takes this expensive step. This became part of our patented process.


Problem #4 - Dog beds never seem to last. The stuffing smushes down, the zippers break, the fabric wears out. I was spending $100 plus every 6-9 months (from a reputable dog bed manufacturer) for a new dog bed. Since Webster is a larger dog, the dog bed became as flat as a pancake in no time. Without that critical support, the dog bed was not providing any benefit for him. How do we avoid this in our dog beds?

That is when we made the decision, if we are going to do this. .. and do this well. . .we will use the best quality of EVERYTHING available on the market. We will make the best dog bed -- not he cheapest dog bed! Using cheaper materials is why most dog beds do not last. We insist only the exceptional and hightest quality in all our materials -- fabrics, zippers, memory foam, waterproof/breathable protective liner, you name it!!


After solving these important and critical problems/issue -- Buddy Beds was born. . .and PATENTED.

We know you are paying more for a Buddy Bed dog bed and we want it to last. You know what they say: Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

Just a note: Webster is still 105 pounds and is still on one of the orginal prototypes Buddy Beds we made when starting this company four years ago -- it is the same dog bed, the 'memory' is still like new and he loves it. Yes, I had to replace the fabric cover -- but the rest is fine. The reason you end up throwing away most foam dog beds is they absorb 'stuff' and begin to smell. With our waterproof/breathable liner nothing can get into the foam, as as a result, after four years Webster's Buddy Bed has no odors whatsoever.

Well the happy ending to Rossi's story is: Rossi is now jumping my 6 foot fence in the backyard! I no longer see him suffer from arthritis like he was. Rossi sleeps all day on his Buddy Bed, and he loves it. I am grateful he is not on any medication for his arthritis.

Of course I have to brag about Webster, my 105 pound SnuggleBuddy dog - Webster. Webster's origins are unclear since he is from the shelter. If I was to guess, mostly yellow lab, some shepherd, some huskie. At six, he started to have the hip problems all larger breeds are prone to have. I know his Buddy Bed gives him the relief he needs since I can tell he is no longer stiff in the morning like he was on his regular pet bed.

At his 8 year birthday he had his first veterinary "Senior Exam". The vet came back after looking at his xrays and said for a dog of his age and weight -- it was one of the best spines he has ever seen. I course I cannot make any medical claims -- but just try and convince me it wasn't the years of support from his Buddy Beds

Last, but not least, we at Buddy Beds are committed to issues of animal welfare. We pledge to donate a percentage of our profits to the Humane Society of Denver. Also known in the Denver area as The Dumb Friends League - speaking for animals who are unable to speak for themselves. This 99 year old organization served over 25,000 animals last year with love and respect. This amazing humane society was responsible for nearly 18,000 Buddys being adopted, placed, or safely returned to their owners. We want to support the remarkable work they do. To learn more, check out their web site at www.ddfl.org.

Buddy Beds are a truly amazing dog bed, and we hope that your special Buddy will love and enjoy theirs. We wish your beloved Buddy years of comfort and good health. Thank you for your business.


Sadly I had to put Rossi to sleep last fall (2008) -- he was with us for 21 amazing years. It is said - the last gift we give our animals is to take the pain away from them -- and take the pain onto ourselves.

Another sad note: I lost my beloved Webster this November (2010) -- I miss him so much words cannot say!! He is now an angel among us. Rest in peace my dear sweet boy.