16 October 2026 · 5 min read · Snuffle Society
Lick mat vs snuffle mat
How lick mats and snuffle mats differ, which dogs and cats they suit, and what to buy first. No scores, no invented prices.
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Lick mats and snuffle mats both slow a meal down. They do it with different body parts. A lick mat is for the tongue. A snuffle mat is for the nose. If you only remember that, you will buy the right one more often than not.
This is a practical comparison of the formats, not a ranking. We do not score products, and the cards on this site say “Check price” because shelf prices move.
Lick mats
A lick mat is a flat silicone or nylon surface with a pattern. You smear a thin layer of wet food, pâté or another food they already eat, and they lick it out of the texture.
Silicone is the common high-street version. The LickiMat Soother has a fine surface that suits soft food. The LickiMat Buddy is bone-shaped, with suction cups and deeper pockets, so it can stick to a tile or the bath. The SodaPup eMat is nylon, for dogs who would chew a soft mat to bits. Nylon is tougher. It is not a free pass to leave them alone with it.
Lick mats are quiet. The dog or cat stays roughly in one place. That makes them useful after a walk, during a bath, or in a room you are trying to keep low-key, including on Bonfire Night if they already know the mat. They are a poor choice for a dog whose idea of fun is sprinting.
Cleaning is the silicone mat’s best feature. Most of them rinse clean. Check the listing before you put one in the dishwasher. Nylon needs a look at the tongue: if the surface seems to bother them, stop.
Snuffle mats
A snuffle mat is a pile of fleece or felt. You hide dry kibble or treats in the strips and the dog finds them by smell. The Paw5 Wooly is the fleece mat a lot of UK owners mean when they say “snuffle mat”. The Trixie Snuffle Mat adds a firmer base, which helps it lie flat.
Sniffing is absorbing, and it suits dogs who vacuum the floor for crumbs anyway. It also suits a dog who gets frustrated by sliders and lids. There is no puzzle to solve. There is only dinner, hidden.
The catch is the fabric. Puppies, and dogs who dissect toys, will eat the mat. Loose strips are a swallow risk. Wet food is a washing disaster. Supervise, and retire a mat that is coming apart.
Side by side
| Lick mat | Snuffle mat | |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Slow licking in one spot | Sniffing out dry food |
| Food that works | A thin smear of their usual wet food | Kibble or dry treats |
| Typical material | Silicone, or nylon | Fleece or felt |
| Washing | Usually the easier of the two | Check the label; fabric holds smell |
| Noise and movement | Quiet, mostly still | More shuffling and snorting |
| Poor fit | Dogs who chew soft rubber and will not lick | Dogs who shred cloth |
| Cats | Some will lick pâté off a mat | Many flip the mat and walk off |
| Free version | A frozen smear on a plate | A towel roll |
Dogs
Choose a lick mat if they gulp wet food, if you want them to stay on a mat while you do something else in the same room, or if you already know they enjoy licking. Choose a snuffle mat if their kibble vanishes in seconds and they like to hunt for it.
You do not need both on day one. A dog who destroys soft things should not be handed a fleece mat “to see”. A dog who has no interest in smeared food will stare at a lick mat and then go to the sofa. That is information, not a failure.
If they need a bowl rather than a game, look at slow feeders instead. A maze bowl is duller and often more useful for a fast eater.
Cats
Cats are not small dogs with worse manners. A lot of them will lick a smooth smear of their usual pâté, especially if you put the mat where they already eat. Fewer of them will work through a deep fleece mat. For cats, a puzzle feeder such as the Catit Senses Digger or a Trixie Poker Box is often the better first buy. A snuffle mat is worth trying only if your cat already bats toys around and you are happy to supervise.
Use a small amount. A lick mat piled with food is just a messy plate.
What to buy first
- If you feed wet food and want a quiet game, start with a silicone lick mat.
- If you feed dry food and your dog forages rather than chews cloth, start with a snuffle mat.
- If they destroy everything soft, skip both and look at a rubber dispenser sized from the maker’s chart.
- If you are not sure, try the towel roll once, supervised, before you spend anything.
Then check the live price. Listings change size, colour and what is in the box. Our product pages link to an Amazon UK search for that product, with our affiliate tag on the link.
Safety, for both
- Stay in the room for the first sessions, and any session where they are wound up.
- Use food they already eat.
- Skip grapes, raisins, onions, chocolate, and anything sweetened with xylitol.
- Take the item away if pieces come off.
- Do not leave a fabric mat in a crate “to keep them busy” while you are out.
Neither mat treats fear, boredom as a diagnosis, or a medical problem. They are food games. If eating itself is the worry — weight, an upset stomach, a food they must avoid — ask your vet before you change how meals are served.