Furniture takes the worst of living with a pet: claws on the arms first thing in the morning, fur worked deep into the weave, and the occasional spill nobody owns up to. A smooth-surfaced cover over the seat catches all three and comes off for a wash. This one is ice silk, which has the useful side effect of feeling cool to the touch, so pets choose to lie on it through the summer rather than avoiding it.

Ice silk is a smooth, densely woven fabric that gives claws very little to catch on, and it sheds fur with a shake rather than gripping it the way chenille or velvet do. The frilled, scalloped trim is there so it reads as a deliberate piece of soft furnishing rather than a sheet thrown over the seat in a hurry. Sizes are 70cm wide in lengths of 70cm, 120cm, 180cm and 210cm, in beige, green, grey or blue.

• Smooth ice-silk fabric that feels cool to the touch
• Frilled, scalloped decorative trim
• 70cm wide in 70, 120, 180 and 210cm lengths
• Beige, green, grey and blue
• Shields upholstery from hair, claws and spills
• Breathable, so pets settle on it in warm weather

On what this actually is. It is a sofa cover rather than a cooling gel mat. The coolness comes from a smooth, breathable weave that does not trap body heat, not from any active cooling. It also lies over the seat rather than fastening to it, so on a leather sofa it will need straightening now and then.

What the options mean. Sold in sizes from 70X70cm to 70X210cm — £11.99 to £26.99.

Who it's for: Anyone whose cat or dog has claimed the good sofa and wants it protected without covering the whole thing in plastic.