The Puzzle Mats That are Better than Lickimats
Lickimats are super trendy and have skyrocketed in popularity in the last few years. Kona finds licking to be very soothing and I’m always on the lookout for puzzles that add variety to our selection, so when I first learned about them, I was super excited to try them out! Last summer, I ordered a Buddy and a Soother, and they disappointed me almost immediately, especially the Buddy.
Why Lickimats are Irksome
They deform easily.
One of them was delivered warped and never flattened out. Now I’m careful about how I store them to prevent further issues.
They are hard to clean.
They aren’t dishwasher safe, and their little nooks and crannies hold onto food and never let go. I soak them in warm soapy water, take multiple passes with a toothbrush, and blast them with the sprayer. It takes a ton of time and water, and even with all that, I still can’t get the Buddy version fully clean.
This is what my Lickimat Buddy looks like after 5 minutes of scrubbing.
It’s hard to get spread food thin.
The grid on the Buddy is very rigid, which makes it hard to spread food around the surface of the mat. If you want to feed your dog a large quantity, no big deal. But if you want to make the 100 calories in a tablespoon of peanut butter last more than a couple minutes, it’s a problem.
The nubs on the Soother are flexible, so this issue doesn’t apply to that style.
My dogs aren’t into them.
My dogs don’t seem to like them very much, which I can tell because they give up while there is still a fair amount of relatively accessible food on them. Especially the Buddy, which could be that the rigid material and sharp angles are hard on their tongues.
One of the main reasons I got them was that I though Kona would find licking them soothing, but she doesn’t. She can lick a Kong or her Squirrel Dude for an hour or more. They work wonders to calm her down after a scary or exciting event. She spends no more than 15 minutes working on her Lickimat and doesn’t close her eyes, roll onto her hip, or show any other signs of relaxation while she’s working.
I still use the Lickimats on occasion because I paid for them and they do add variety to my dog’s busy projects, but they are my least favorite busy projects in our stash. I wouldn’t recommend buying one.
Why Outward Hound Fun Feeder Mats are Better
What I prefer for a similar experience is Outward Hound Fun Feeder Mats. Lickimats are marketed as an enrichment tool to help you’re your dog and Fun Feeder Mats are marketed a portable slow feeder bowl to keep your dog from eating their kibble too quickly. But while the companies talk about them as if they are very different, they actually have a lot in common.
Fun Feeder Mat on the left and Lickimat on the right
Both are soft, low profile mats.
Just like Lickimats, Fun Feeder Mats are a flat and soft with lots of surface area for licking and a small lip to keep runny treats from dripping out.
The Fun Feeder is gentler on tongues.
They have rounded edges that are gentle on tongues, much gentler than the Lickimat Buddy.
Fun Feeders are easier to clean.
For starters, they are dishwasher safe. Even better, they are a great size to fit in with plates, which means they take up minimal space. And they come out fully clean.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, they are much easier to fully clean with hand washing.
Fun Feeders are also great for meals.
They are big enough to feed entire meals and work well with dry dog food, which Lickimats can’t do.
My Dogs Like the Fun Feeder Mat.
They aren’t the longest lasting puzzles in our stash, but my dogs look relaxed while working on them and take the time to get them fully clean.
Option 3: Fun Feeder Slow Bowls
While doing research for this video, I discovered that Fun Feeder Mats aren’t currently available, which is such a bummer! If you can’t get your paws on one, I recommend trying a Fun Feeder Slow Bowl instead. They are bulkier and made of hard plastic but otherwise work in a very similar way. If anything, they could be better for dogs who might chew up a softer mat. We did a review of them a while back, if you want to check it out!
Gracie is a fan of Fun Feeder Slow Bowls.