ESSENTIAL the LICKING MAT
An everyday brainwave?
Delicious recipes for dogs and cats
A great meal is a show of love and care.
An exceptional lifestyle is not only about what goes in the bowl, but also about how it’s served.
It’s about stimulating the senses and creating little daily rituals that promote balance and contentment.
What is enrichment?
It’s when we give our dogs and cats the opportunity to follow their natural instincts.
Enrichment can be achieved in many ways, and that variation is what makes the difference:
Social enrichment: New people, places and interactions
Physical enrichment: Play, exertion and challenges
Sensory enrichment: Sounds, scents and sights
Skills enrichment: Puzzles and brain games
Nutritional enrichment: Working for food, such as with a lick mat
By combining multiple stimuli, you will not only be supporting behaviour and balance, but also contentment and bonding.
The LICKING MAT – a daily brainwave?
The licking mat from ESSENTIAL FOODS makes it easy to combine enjoyment with nutrition.
With a a dollop of topping in the grooves, your dog’s meal is transformed into an enrichment experience that aids digestion, activates the senses, settles and soothes.
Our licking mat is ideal for
That ‘leaving-the-house’ snack
Slow feeders
Entertainment
Relieving anxiety and stress
Distraction from thunderclaps and coat and paw grooming
Promoting oral hygiene for healthy teeth and gums
Minimal effort for maximum effect
Lick mats and enrichment activities are not just for special occasions.
They are easy ways of supporting well-being and mental balance, and of creating mindful moments on hectic weekdays.
Because it’s not just about serving meals.
Enrichment for dogs
For dogs, enrichment is typically about relieving stress, and stimulating and engaging the brain.
- Soothing during coat grooming or vet appointments
- Transforming meals into a sensory experience
- Activating puppies and young dogs who bore easily
- Giving senior dogs meaningful breaks and stimuli
Benefits for dogs:
- Releases soothing hormones
- Increases saliva production for improved oral hygiene
- Reduces the risk of overeating
- Boosts concentration and aids self-reliance to keep them happily occupied
- Makes training, home-alone time and travelling a more positive experience
TIP: Use the mat to aid crate training or as a cue to ‘settle’.
Delicious spreadable pâtés to dogs, perfect for the licking mat
BALANCE PÂTÉ, 400G
salmon & psyllium husk
BALANCE PÂTÉ, 400G x 6
salmon & psyllium husk
Enrichment for cats
Cats excel at concealing both unease and boredom, but they are far happier when allowed to express their natural behaviour in a reassuring setting.
This is where a lick mat serves as a gentle but effective way of:
- Offering special formulations without any
struggle - Avoiding whisker stress/fatigue from
conventional bowl-feeding - Providing mental stimulation for indoor cats
- Creating daily breaks for mindful calm
Benefits for cats:
- Promotes slow feeding
- Stimulates the senses and natural foraging behaviour
- Supports improved oral hygiene
- Prolongs meal enjoyment, even for picky eaters
- Provides a soothing daily ritual
TIP: Use the mat before bedtime or when your home life gets hectic – licking soothes and calms your cat.
Delicious gravies with succulent bites of meat to cats – perfect for licking mats
Enrichment starts with the right content. At ESSENTIAL FOODS, we have carefully selected products that are ideal for lick mats, freezing and those little daily rituals.
THE LITTLE LION PÂTÉ, 12 PCS
chicken, liver, salmon
3 delectable recipes – for both dogs and cats
Recipe #1
Nordic Delight
A silky smooth blend of fish, veg and healthy oils – created to soothe, enrich and pamper.
Ingredients:
• Sardine or salmon
• Cooked carrot
• ESSENTIAL the OMEGA 3 OIL
• A sprinkling of fresh parsley
Mash until soft and smooth and spread on the lick mat. Enjoy!
RECIPE #2
Golden Calm
Soft, mild and gentle – a favourite for sensitive tums and mindful moments.
Ingredients:
• Boiled pumpkin or sweet potato
• Boiled chicken
• A teaspoon of coconut oil
• Grated carrot
Mash until soft and smooth and spread on the lick mat. Enjoy!
RECIPE #3
First-Class, Ready-To-Serve
A delicious treat and perfect for deserving enrichment.
Ingredients:
• ESSENTIAL DOG PÂTÉ or ESSENTIAL CAT PÂTÉ
Garnish with:
• The LYNX
• ESSENTIAL the OMEGA 3 OIL
Pop in the freezer for longer-lasting enjoyment and enrichment.
How much enrichment is enough?
Dogs, and many cats, benefit from spending about 20% of their waking hours on stimuli.
That means 1–2 hours daily, spread over short sessions to activate mind and body.
It's not about doing more, but about doing it right: variation, balance and encouragement to follow their natural instincts.
Why it works
Promotes natural behaviour
Provides longer-lasting enjoyment
Promotes oral hygiene for healthy teeth and gums
Calms by providing natural stimuli
Add flavour and texture with toppings for both dogs & cats
THE OMEGA 3 OIL 500ML
salmon. An incredibly rich source of omega-3 & match made in heaven for fussy eaters
ESSENTIAL the MOBILITY BLEND 500ml
Magic in a bottle. Top the kibbles with golden drops of Collagen, MSM & Vitamin C
THE LYNX
cod & haddock from Iceland. Tiny bite-sized treat packed with pure fish goodness