Ideal stove for ~800 square foot bungalow?

The length of seasoning time is going to vary with the wood species. At a minimum allow 1 yr after splitting and stacking, but several species require 2 yrs.. This can be accelerated by creating a solar kiln (essentially a vented plastic tent) over the stacks. Invest in a moisture meter and learn how to use it. It'll be about $20. If buying wood, test some random samples - before the wood is unloaded. To test you'll need to resplit the wood, then test by pushing the probes firmly into the freshly exposed face of the wood, ideally with the wood temp around 70ºF.

A pellet stove will go through one to two bags of pellets a day depending on outdoor temps. Pellet stoves have a lot of advantages. Mainly that one feeds it once or twice a day and many can be hooked up to a thermostat for hands-free, even heating. Routine maintenance varies dramatically with the stove design and pellet quality. Some require cleaning every day or two and others can go a couple weeks between cleanings. Annual maintenance takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the stove and is probably not something your mom will want to do unless she also works on the car. Installation is usually easier with a pellet stove, but pay attention to sealing of the joints. The exhaust is under pressure and leaks happen in poorly sealed systems.

The downsides of pellet stoves are a dependency on electricity which can be a problem in areas of frequent, extended outages. Noise is another issue. These are essentially small wood furnaces with multiple blower systems and a roaring fire in them. Some pellet stoves are quieter than others, but they all make noise. Fuel supply can be an issue in some areas. It's not uncommon in areas that don't have a local source to run out at the end of the season. Stock up and store tons of pellets in the summer if possible. Pellet bags weigh 40# so be sure she is up to moving them twice a day in the dead of winter. Pellets must be stored dry. If they get wet they quickly turn to sawdust and are useless. The electronics in pellet stoves is a common area of failure. This is where a simpler design can be better. Always put the stove on a surge protector, this is not built-in to many stoves.

There is a lot more info in the pellet forum here. Just be aware that there will be some that think their stove is the best which it may be, for them. But one shoe doesn't fit all persons or needs. Take time to learn about the differences. Consider stoves that have lower maintenance requirements and have a larger hopper. In the winter it's nice to be able to load 60# + for less frequent reloads.

Yes, a cat stove seems well suited to the home now that it has had the improvements in insulation and sealing. It was suggested at the beginning of the thread.

A cat stove can be great for low heating requirements. When the stove has thermostatic control it can provide low heat for a long time. It is a little more complex and does have a bit more maintenance. How much will depend on how well the stove is run and cared for and the quality of the wood burned. A cat can be wrecked by not following the rules laid out in the manual. Some examples are cat poisoning by burning items besides clean dry wood & thermal shock which can happen when the cat is subject to a dramatic temperature change, say from putting some snowy frozen logs in on a hot fire. If she is burning 6 months of the year then the cat will need to be replaced every 2-3 yrs.. The best cat stove to consider would be the thermostatically controlled BK Princess or Chinook 30.