The Atlantic

An Offbeat Approach to Bonding With Cats

It involves a spiky, silicone tongue.
Source: SasaStock / PixieMe / Shutterstock / The Atlantic

Have you ever wanted to lick your cat?

This is not my question—I can guess the answer—but it’s the one blaring from the packaging of the Licki, in all caps. Lest anyone believe the query is rhetorical, the box provides an answer: “NOW YOU CAN. WITHOUT THE FURBALLS.”

Although I’ve never felt such an urge, I do own a Licki. I ordered it from Amazon nearly a year ago, on a dare from a colleague. As soon as it came, I opened the otherwise ordinary envelope to find a silicone freak of nature.

Most of the Licki consists of a stiff, four-inch “tongue” section covered with 22 one-inch spikes, like the

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