Buy and Review: LickiMat by Hyper Pet

Mollie, my 18-month-old miniature schnauzer, can’t hold her licker. She licks the carpet, the bedspread, the furniture, leaving wet spots in her wake. On a recent vet visit, we asked our veterinarian why she does this. He answered with two different possibilities. First, stomach issues and second, boredom. We ruled out stomach issues with some tests. That left us with boredom. If you search for reasons why dogs lick you will find that it releases pleasurable endorphins that provide the dog feelings of comfort. Mollie was essentially sucking her thumb. Keeping this in mind, I went on a search for something to replace the furniture and carpet for her to lick and found this dog lick mat called Licki Mat.

This is basically an 8×8 square of food-grade rubber with a raised texture. You simply spread a dog-friendly treat such as peanut butter (make sure the peanut butter you’re using doesn’t contain xylitol), yogurt, pumpkin puree or even a can of wet food. The mat is durable and comes with a 90 day limited warranty for “chewing mishaps”. Since it’s made of rubber, cleaning it is as easy as throwing it in the dishwasher. It’s also made to withstand freezing temperatures therefore you can freeze the peanut butter to make it last longer or use low sodium bone broth on a hot day for a cold treat for Fido.

Go

$14.95

Go

$14.95

We are Amazon Prime members so in two short days Mollie’s new interactive toy had arrived. I washed it first, I didn’t need to but I always feel better if I do. I spread the mat with Natural creamy Jif and tossed it in the refrigerator for an hour. Again, this was personal preference as the natural peanut butter tends to be very soft. After an hour, I took it out and placed it on the floor in the kitchen so it wouldn’t make a mess on the carpet.

Mollie ran over to it immediately and was entertained for an hour. I found that when I freeze it with peanut butter smeared on it I get at least two hours of uninterrupted entertainment for her as she cleans it. I tend to do this most often as you also don’t have to use as much peanut butter.

Mollie will still on occasion lick the carpet or sofa and we immediately redirect her. She has even learned the word “mat”. We tell her “Let’s go get your mat” and she immediately jumps up and hurries into the kitchen to wait for her yummy mat.

If you too are sick of the wet spots on your sofa or seeing your dog licking the carpet, I would highly suggest getting them a licking mat. There are even different textured mats available. Mollie seems to prefer the “Soother” mat to the “Buddy” mat but that’s just her preference. She uses both but as an experiment, we placed them both down and she went right to the “Soother” mat. Good luck helping your pups get over the licking problem.

Frequently Ask Questions

Q: Is this a feeding plate for dogs?

A: Yes. It can be used that way in order to slow down aggressive eaters.
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Q: What is the size?

A: We bought an 8×8. I believe there is an 11×11 as well.
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Q: Can this stick to a wall?

A: Not unless you glue suction cups to it. But that might be risky in case you have a pet who might chew the suction cups.
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Q: Can I freeze the treat and the Lickipet?

A: Yes. That’s a great idea.
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