Claw marks all over your doors are unsightly, although they also make the neighbours imagine you have keep a pet tiger chained up in the back garden, which can be a plus, believe us.

Still, you don't want your beloved pet dog, cat, monkey, alligator or mongoose out in the bitter British climate any longer than it needs to be, do you?

All your pet has to do is to use the handy paw-shaped button, which should be a cinch for all but the dumbest of pets and the buzzer sounds, alerting you to their presence at the door.

A torrential downpour that's mysteriously gone unnoticed by you? No problem. Now Fido, Trixie, Tinkerbell, or Dave can signal their desire to be allowed back into the house in no uncertain terms.

Just pray your pet isn't bright enough to devise its own four-legged version of knock-a-door-run, however.