An open bed loses heat in every direction. A roofed one does not, which is the entire reason cats abandon the cushion by the radiator in January and sleep in a cardboard box instead. Walls and a lid trap the animal's own warmth around them, and the difference on a cold night in a draughty room is considerable. Add a doorway rather than an open front and you get the other thing a wary cat wants, which is a den with one thing to watch.

The shell is quilted polyester in the style of a down jacket, water-resistant on the outside and padded with PP cotton through the walls and the roof. The roof padding matters more than it looks, because a soft roof holds its shape over the animal rather than collapsing onto them. The cushion lifts out, which is what keeps the bed usable: cave beds get hairy and slightly damp inside, and one you cannot strip is one you stop using by March.

• 52cm long, 45cm wide and 54cm high
• Quilted polyester outer in a down-jacket style, water-resistant
• PP cotton padding through the walls and roof
• Removable inner cushion
• Rated for cats up to 10kg and dogs up to 9kg
• Sold as the bed, the mat alone, or the two together

Check which variant you are buying. Mat is the cushion on its own. And measure before you order, since at 52cm internal length this suits cats and genuinely small dogs curled up, not a stretched-out terrier.

Who it's for: Cats and small dogs in cold or draughty rooms, particularly the nervous ones who sleep better with a roof over them and one doorway to keep an eye on.