LickiMat is an Australian-designed range of textured lick mats, slow feeder mats and oral-health bowls for dogs and cats. The idea behind all of them is the same: spread a soft food across a patterned surface and your pet has to lick rather than gulp, which slows a meal down and gives an anxious or bored animal something absorbing to do. PeekAPaw stocks 26 LickiMat products across the cat and dog ranges.
Choosing the right one
Start with the surface. The Soother has the gentlest pattern and suits thin spreads like yoghurt, so it is the one to reach for when the goal is settling a dog rather than feeding it. Buddy and Playdate have more open patterns that hold a full wet or raw meal. Slomo adds a raised rim so wet and dry food stays on the mat instead of on your floor, and the Slodog takes the opposite approach to a maze bowl - food sits in shallow channels rather than behind obstacles, which suits dogs that get frustrated fighting an obstacle feeder.
Then decide between Classic and Tuff. Classic mats are soft food-grade TPR and are designed for licking, not chewing; a determined chewer will take a corner off one. The Tuff and Tuff Pro versions set the same surface on a rigid base and are dishwasher safe. Either way, these are supervised products - take the mat away once it has been cleaned off.
Two practical things people discover late. A loaded mat slides on tiles and floorboards, which is what the Keeper tray solves; the outdoor Keeper adds a water moat that keeps ants off. And freezing is what turns a spoonful into a real session - an unfrozen smear is gone in about a minute.
For cats, the Casper and Felix are the whisker-friendly shapes, narrower and lower than a bowl so a cat can crouch to eat. The OH Bowl works differently again: raised rubber tips clean the tongue while your pet eats, which is where most mouth bacteria actually sits.
