Snuffle mat Appel made of soft fleece with a non-slip base. Hide hay, herbs or treats and let your rabbit, guinea pig or rodent go searching. Read more.
Sniffing, searching and foraging come naturally to every rabbit and rodent. In the wild they spend a large part of the day finding their food. The Duvo+ Snuffle mat Appel brings that search back. The mat is shaped like an apple and made of soft fleece. You hide something tasty between the flaps and layers, and your pet uses its nose to find it all.
Searching is relaxing and challenging at the same time. Your pet is rewarded for its effort, and that helps to prevent boredom. You will see your pet push its nose between the flaps, find something and immediately move on to the next spot.
Using it is easy. Put the mat on a flat spot in the enclosure or the run. The non-slip base keeps it in place, so it does not slide away when your pet digs into it with its paws. Fill the mat with a handful of hay, a few dried herbs or a small treat. Start simple: the first time, put a few pieces on top so your pet understands there is something to find. After that, hide it deeper between the flaps.
At 32 × 22 cm, this is a generous mat. That suits rabbits and guinea pigs: there is enough room to search with the whole nose, and two animals can use it at the same time. Rats are clever searchers and often figure it out quickly, so keep hiding the reward in a different spot. For degus, only use sugar-free treats or herbs, as degus are sensitive to sugar. Hamsters and gerbils enjoy searching too, but because of its size the mat will not fit in every enclosure. If you have a dwarf hamster, do not use sweet treats.
To combine the game with our own brand, hide a few Zooply treats for rabbits or Zooply treats for guinea pigs in the hay on the mat. Keep the amount small: treats are an extra on top of unlimited hay and pellets, never a replacement. Fleece is fabric. So at first, use the mat while you are around and check that your pet does not chew the fabric. If you see it biting off or swallowing pieces of fabric, take the mat away.
For rabbits and guinea pigs, a handful of hay with some dried herbs works very well. You can also hide part of the daily pellets in it, so you are not feeding extra. For rats, hamsters and gerbils, use a few pieces of their own food. Treats are fun as a reward, but keep them small and limited.
Make it very easy at first. Put a few tasty pieces on top of the mat so your rabbit smells and sees them straight away. Most animals get the idea after a few tries and then start searching enthusiastically on their own.
Yes, at 32 × 22 cm there is room for that. Do spread the food over the whole mat, so one animal does not claim everything in a corner. If they start pushing or squabbling, add a second foraging spot with some hay, so each has its own place.
Shake the mat out regularly to remove bits of hay and crumbs, and brush out loose hair. Do not put it in a damp corner or near the toilet spot, so it stays dry. Also remove any fresh food that is left behind, so nothing stays in the mat.
Knaagplaza is the web shop of 't Knaagplein in Bodegraven, a store that is all about rodents and rabbits. Every day we see how animals respond to toys and enrichment, and we only choose accessories we feel are a good fit. A snuffle mat like this is easy to combine with hay, herbs and treats from Zooply, our own brand.
