Rectangular Cat Water Play Mat

She'll sit at a dripping faucet for ten minutes just watching the water move, and she'll do it again tomorrow. That instinct has nowhere to go indoors, so put a pond on the floor instead.

This rectangular cat water play mat is a sealed layer of water with sea creatures floating inside it, under a clear panel she can hit as hard as she likes. They move, she chases.

What she is batting at:

• Floating figures: they're loose in the water rather than printed on, so they drift away from her paw and settle somewhere new
• Inflatable border: the raised rim holds the water in the middle and keeps the panel flat on the floor
• Thickened PVC: a heavier film than a child's play mat, so ordinary pawing doesn't go through it
• Rectangular shape: 27.2 by 19.7 in (69 x 50 cm), enough for a cat to stretch out on rather than only stand over
• Empties and folds: drain it, let the air out and it goes flat in a drawer at the end of summer

This is the part owners don't expect. After the hunting stops, the water layer is cooler than the room and cats flop straight onto it. Fill it from the cold faucet on a warm day.

The film is heavier than it looks. Thickened PVC, leak proof at the seams, so ordinary pawing doesn't get through and the water stays where you put it.

Octopus or tropical fish, both on an ocean background inside the same blue border. Pick whichever one you'd rather look at under the coffee table all summer.

Setting it up

Inflate the border, fill the center through the valve, seal it and lay it flat. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth after use.

Specifications

• Size: 27.2 x 19.7 in (69 x 50 cm)
• Material: Thickened PVC, leak proof
• Fill: Faucet water through a valve, no pump needed
• Inside: Loose floating sea creatures over an ocean print
• Prints: Octopus or Fish
• Storage: Drain, deflate and fold flat

Safety note: Supervise play, since claws can puncture it eventually.

Fill it from the cold faucet, lay it where she naps, and the dripping faucet stops being the best thing in the house.