A dog uses more energy sniffing out a scattered meal than walking for it, which is why ten minutes of nose-work will settle a restless dog when a lap of the park does not. This mat turns dinner into exactly that job. Kibble drops down between the fabric folds and into the flower-shaped feeders, and your pet has to work each piece back out with their nose rather than their teeth.

The plush pile is deep enough that food genuinely disappears into it instead of sitting on the surface where it can be hoovered up in one pass, and the flower feeders add a second kind of hiding place with a different shape of problem to solve. At 56 x 38cm there is enough area to spread a full meal thinly, which is the whole trick. A pile tipped into one corner defeats the point of owning one.

• Measures 56 x 38cm
• Plush fabric folds plus flower-shaped feeder pockets
• Suits cats and dogs
• Available in blue, green or grey
• Doubles as a calming or training exercise

One thing worth knowing. A snuffle mat is not a chew toy. Some dogs decide the fabric is the more interesting part of the arrangement, so use it while you are in the room and lift it once the food has gone, rather than leaving it down as furniture.

Who it's for: Dogs and cats who bolt their food, and anxious or under-stimulated pets who need a job that tires the brain rather than the legs.