Lick mats and enrichment ideas for dogs and cats

Enrichment is anything that gives your pet’s mind, body and senses something to do: licking, chewing, sniffing, foraging, climbing and scratching. A lick mat is one of the easiest places to start. Spread part of your pet’s daily food over the textured surface and they’ll lick it off slowly, which gives them tactile, sensory stimulation. Rotate toys so they stay interesting, supervise new items, and make food enrichment part of your pet’s daily food allowance rather than extra on top.

Why enrichment matters

The RSPCA describes enrichment as mentally and physically stimulating activities that engage an animal’s mind, body and senses. A few points from its guidance stand out:

• Dogs are less likely to get bored with activities that involve chewing or feeding, such as puzzle feeders or toys filled with food.
• Introducing new scents, for example with snuffle mats or scented toys, has been shown to increase dogs’ engagement and reduce stress-related behaviours.
• Giving a dog the same toys every day is unlikely to help, because they get bored. Rotate them instead.
• Enrichment needs some thought. Done poorly, it can have no effect or even cause harm, for example if a dog swallows part of a toy.

Getting started with a lick mat

The RSPCA calls lick mats a simple way to provide sensory enrichment, with a variety of textures to work on. To get the most out of one:

1. Use part of their usual food. The RSPCA says food enrichment should always come out of your pet’s daily food allowance, so take some of their regular meal rather than adding extra.
2. Spread it thinly into the grooves so it takes longer to lick clean.
3. Freeze it on warm days for a cooler, longer-lasting session.
4. Use a holder. A wooden holder keeps the mat flat and stops it sliding around the floor.
5. Supervise the first few goes, and wash the mat after each use.

More enrichment ideas for dogs

• Food puzzles and stuffable toys. Toys you can fill with part of your dog’s meal turn dinner into a job.
• A muffin-tin puzzle. The RSPCA suggests putting kibble or treats in the cups of a muffin tin and covering each with a ball (a ping pong ball for small dogs, a tennis ball for bigger dogs) for your dog to move.
• Scent games. Pets are more likely to engage with a toy that smells interesting. The RSPCA suggests rubbing a little fish, chicken, wet food, banana or boiled pumpkin onto a toy.
• Rotate the toy box. Put some toys away for a week and swap them back in so they feel new again.

Enrichment for cats

Cats need to climb and scratch. The RSPCA explains that cats scratch to maintain their claws, mark territory and let off steam. A good scratching post lets your cat stretch out fully and is sturdy enough to lean against, and cats differ in whether they like vertical posts or flat, horizontal scratchers. If you have more than one cat, provide at least one scratching post each.

• Toilet-roll puzzle. The RSPCA suggests cutting small holes in a cardboard roll, folding and taping one end, and filling it with a little kibble or treats.
• Catnip or silvervine sticks can make a toy far more interesting.
• Lick mats for cats work just like they do for dogs, using part of your cat’s usual food.

Safety first

The RSPCA recommends supervising pets with enrichment, especially when you introduce new items, DIY or soft toys, rope or string toys, chew toys, or anything with small parts. Check toys regularly and replace them when they start to fall apart.

Common questions