Howler & Scratch

What are Howler & Scratch doormats?

Every product we sell under the Howler & Scratch name is a doormat, and the whole range shares the same basics: nylon, a modern style and a place in the hallway. The modern look means a mat chosen with your pet in mind can still sit comfortably with the rest of your hallway. The hallway is usually the stretch of floor a dog or cat crosses on the way in from outside, so it takes the brunt of wet paws and muddy walks.

Which Howler & Scratch colour suits your hallway?

Cream features in most of our Howler & Scratch mats, and beige features in most of them too. Grey appears in many, a few designs are multicoloured, and we stock a mat with brown in its design. By overall tone, most of the range is neutral, while some designs are earthy and a few are muted.

Start with your floor. Cream and beige sit quietly on pale wood, light tiles or a cream carpet, while grey suits cool stone and painted floorboards. If walks tend to end with muddy paws, a grey, earthy or multicoloured design is likely to show the odd paw print less than a pale mat will.

What size Howler & Scratch doormat do you need?

Measure before you choose. Take the width of the door opening and the depth of clear floor just inside it, then compare those figures with the dimensions given for the mat you like. A mat that spans the doorway means feet and paws land on it, and a little bare floor at the edges stops it pressing against skirting boards in a narrow hallway.

Think about how your pet comes in, too. A dog that bounds through the door rarely stops at the threshold, so more depth from front to back gives its paws more steps on the mat. In a tight entrance, a smaller mat laid squarely in front of the door will do more good than a larger mat squeezed in at an angle.

Will a Howler & Scratch mat suit your door and floor?

If your front door opens inwards across the mat, measure the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor, then check the thickness given for the mat. A mat thicker than that gap can catch the door or stop it opening fully.

On a smooth floor such as tile, stone, laminate or polished wood, look at how the backing is described for the mat you like. A rug gripper underneath can help a mat stay where you put it; wipe the floor clean and dry before you lay it so it sits flat.

How to use a Howler & Scratch mat with a dog or cat

Put the mat where your pet really comes in. If your dog comes home through the front door, lay it just inside, squarely in the path of those muddy steps, rather than tucked to the side where it is easy to step around. If your cat uses a flap in the front door, the same spot gives its paws somewhere to land.

A towel kept on a hook by the door makes wet days easier: ask your dog to wait on the mat while you wipe its paws, and the routine soon becomes a habit.

What to check before buying a Howler & Scratch doormat

Check the mat's dimensions against your measurements and its thickness against the gap under your door, then look at how the backing is described if your floor is smooth. Weigh the colour against your floor and against how much mud your hallway sees, since paler designs show it sooner. Lastly, read the care instructions given for the mat so you know how it should be looked after before you commit.

If anything about a particular Howler & Scratch mat is unclear, get in touch and we will gladly help you choose.