There is no element, no cable and nothing to plug in. The heat comes from the animal: a reflective layer sewn inside the mat sends body warmth back up instead of letting it drain away into a cold tile or laminate floor. That also means it does nothing at all to an empty mat — it warms up once the cat is on it, over a few minutes, rather than being warm when they arrive.

The top is a deep lamb-fleece pile that a cat can knead and settle into, the middle carries the reflective layer, and the underside is a non-slip backing so the whole thing stays where you put it when a dog turns three circles before lying down. It goes in the machine, which matters more than it sounds: an unwashable mat in a warm corner of the house becomes a flea nursery by February.

• 60 x 45cm
• Soft lamb-fleece top surface
• Built-in heat-reflective inner layer
• Non-slip backing
• Machine washable
• No power, cable or batteries required
• Suits cats and small dogs

On sizing: 60 x 45cm is a cat, or a small dog curled up — a Cocker Spaniel will overhang it and a Labrador is not in the conversation. It is also worth being straight about the arthritis claims made for mats like this. Warmth does genuinely ease stiff joints, and older animals seek it out, but a self-heating mat is comfort rather than treatment and it does not replace pain relief from your vet.

Who it's for: Older cats, thin-coated small dogs, and anyone with cold hard floors who would rather not run an electric pad all winter.