Aperitivo Activity Toy

Aperitivo is the lick mat for cats that get bored fast. It offers three different surfaces, deep grooves, lifting flaps, and a textured field, so wet food, dry food, or treats can be hidden across it in ways that keep a cat working and interested. The grooves are cut shallow enough that sensitive whiskers stay comfortable.

The licking itself calms cats down, which helps at stressful moments. It is molded from food-grade silicone, BPA and phthalate free, and it grips the floor with a non-slip base. Freeze it with food inside for an extra long challenge.

A German design house

MiaCara is a family run German label from Herzogenaurach, started by Sebastian and Barbara Zweig. It began with their Labrador, Cara, who turned her nose up at a cheap foam cushion, and grew into a full design house that launched its cat line in 2015. The credo is form follows function, innovate rather than imitate, so every piece is drawn to work first and then to sit quietly in a room.

Design that earns its place

The point of a MiaCara piece is that it does not read as pet gear. A feeder looks like a considered object on the floor, a bed reads as a piece of furniture, and the cat's needs are solved inside a form that a design-led home would keep anyway. Nothing is loud, nothing is disposable, and each object is meant to stay in the room for years rather than be hidden away.

Made in Europe, made to last

Most of the range is manufactured in Germany and the rest of Europe from hand-picked suppliers, under fair conditions and short transport routes. The materials are chosen to age well: solid and engineered woods, powder-coated and recycled aluminium, molded felt, and porcelain for the bowls. Pieces are built to be cleaned, refilled, and re-cushioned rather than replaced, and spare cushions and covers are kept in the range for exactly that reason.

Recycled by default

MiaCara leans on recycled materials wherever it can: felt spun from recycled PET bottles, recycled aluminium, recycled foam, and fabric made from upcycled ocean plastic through the Seaqual initiative. Packaging is FSC certified or recycled, and the workshop has run on certified green electricity since 2021.

The designers, and the awards

Every piece is credited to the studio or designer behind it, among them Hans Thyge and Co, Regina Mol, Studio Nooi, and the MiaCara design team. The work has been recognised with a German Design Award and a Red Dot, which is rare for cat furniture and tells you the bar it is held to.