The mess around a cat's bowls is rarely dramatic, but it is relentless. A splash of water by the fountain, a few biscuits nosed out over the rim, a smear of pate where a paw went in first. Wiping the floor twice a day is the alternative to putting something underneath, and one wipeable mat is a great deal less work than mopping tile grout every evening.

This one carries a large Meow across the surface, so it reads as the cat's corner rather than a stray bit of kitchen kit, and the build is a printed PVC face over an EVA backing. That pairing does two jobs. The PVC gives a smooth, non-absorbent surface a cloth clears in a single pass, and the EVA underneath adds grip and a little cushioning so bowls stay where they are put on a slippery floor.

• 29.2 x 48.3cm, only 0.2cm thick
• Weighs 60g
• BPA-free PVC and EVA construction
• Wipe clean in seconds
• Meow lettering design
• Non-slip backing
• Slim enough to lie completely flat

On what a thin mat can and cannot do. At 2mm this is a splash mat, not a tray with a raised lip. It catches what lands on it and stops biscuits rolling far, but a knocked-over water bowl will simply run off the edge. If your cat regularly tips the water over, look for something with a rim instead of this.

Who it's for: Cat households wanting a tidy, wipe-clean feeding spot that looks deliberate rather than improvised.