The fur that grows between the pads is the first place mats form and the reason a lot of dogs skate across laminate flooring. Trimming it flush is a two-minute job with the right tool and a wrestling match with a full-size clipper, which is loud, wide and built for taking down coats rather than working into corners.

This one runs quietly and charges over USB, and there is an LED in the head so you can see the webbing you are cutting into rather than working by feel. The blade head is washable and lifts off for cleaning, and there is a choice of tips depending on the job: a narrow knife tip for tight corners, a widened blade for covering more ground, and a replacement head if you want a spare.

• USB rechargeable, with no batteries to buy
• Built-in LED to light the area being trimmed
• Washable, removable blade head
• 18mm blade width on the widened tip
• Around 16cm tall and 3cm across, so it sits in one hand
• Cleaning brush and charging cable included

Two things worth knowing. Quiet is not silent. It still makes a sound, and a cat who dislikes the vibration will dislike this too, so introduce it switched off and let them investigate it first. And a trimmer this size is for paw pads, faces and tidy-up work between grooms; it will not take a full coat down, and asking it to will only blunt the blade.

Who it's for: Owners doing their own between-groom tidying around paws and faces, particularly on pets who will not tolerate a full-size clipper.