An animal soothing system including an animal bedding structure having a pocket formed therein, and a soothing device for generating soothing rhythmic vibrations disposed in the pocket of the bedding structure to communicate the soothing vibrations to animals lying on the bedding structure is provided. In one embodiment the bedding structure is a mattress or pad, and the soothing device is a battery powered heartbeat simulator with a pressure sensitiye switch to activate the simulator when an animal lies upon the bedding and deactivate the simulator when the animal rises from the bedding.