A note on fabric. Good polar fleece is the way to go, and it is easily thrown in the wash. The above was cheap polar fleece ($15/m from Spotlight) and it put ink on my hands when I sewed it, and turned the room into a snowy fluff chamber. The fleece I get from Clegs (in Melbourne) is more expensive, but it is amazing! No fluff. Zero. And you can do quick cleans by wiping over with a paper-towel...wella! all the cat hair wiped off!
My decision to make beds and buy human-quality blankets also relates to fabric choices. I just don't know what chemicals/fillings etc are in the commercial cat beds, especially cheap ones.
We have purchased a second Snugglesafe Microwave Heat Pad for Ava. They can cost around $70 - savvy shopping will get it around $40.
They have no power cords or electricity to worry about, and truely do stay warm for 10hours!
We don't seem to have the problem of sliding food bowls, but this issue was in mind when we bought our stainless steel bowls - they have a rubber ring on the underside to prevent meals being chased across the floor. Make sure you get the CAT bowls - the dog dishes are too deep.
We also have the contact details of our vet, and an emergency vet, stuck on the fridge.