Yeah, get rid of that heating pad and cat litter. Newspaper, Cypress mulch, Aspen, or Coconut husk is your best options. Make sure you have a water bowl and a hide, if they don't have a hide they will become stressed and sometimes rufuse meals and have bad sheds. Check on a Herpstat or a Helix thermostat also. Not sure about this information you were given by Steve, but it seems a little off.