Why do cats have such a rough tongue

If you have a cat at home, you may have been lucky enough to get a pussy lick. It is a rare thing to happen, since dogs are usually the most adept at the practice. So much so that we humans are already used to the wet and soft “kisses” of dogs. On the other hand, cat licks are usually rough, as if they were given by sandpaper. The difference lies in the fact that a cat’s tongue hides a secret inside it that makes it something really special.

O awesome.club decided to investigate why cats’ tongues are so rough, and we look forward to sharing with you everything we’ve discovered on the subject.

Everyone knows that cats like cleaning as much as sleeping. And to perform the task of cleanliness well, they resort to their peculiar language. When we look closely at the feline tongue, we see that it is covered in bumps. In fact, what covers the organ is a much more complex structure. We are talking about the taste buds called filiform. Unlike humans, they are made of keratin.

Keratin is the material that forms our nails. And like them, cats’ taste buds are also flexible and firm at the same time. In addition, they have the shape of a hook or thorn. That’s why when a kitten gives us a lick, we get that feeling of rough affection.

Recent scientific research has found that the filiform papillae of cats, in addition to curved like hooks, are hollow. This feature allows the tongue to collect saliva from the mouth and spread it over the animal’s fur, promoting a deep cleaning.

To facilitate understanding, we can say that the cat’s tongue works like a comb or a smart brush. The saliva-filled papillae manage to penetrate the animal’s two layers of fur, undoing knots, eliminating parasites and loose threads. It is not by chance that the fur of our cats is usually so silky, without bad odors.

Considering that a cat can spend up to 24% of its time “combing” its fur, experts have wondered if such behavior meets other needs as well.

The same study mentioned above was able to prove, through thermal imaging, that the large amount of saliva deposited by the animal on the skin with each lick helps to maintain freshness and balance in body temperature.

Experts analyzed the tongues of six different species of felines. And in all cases, the findings were very similar. A lion’s tongue works in the same way as a domestic kitten’s. Such a fantastic work of “engineering” could not go unnoticed by science: researchers soon began to develop a 3D brush with properties as fascinating and practical as those of the tongue of cats.

The brush in question is called TIGR (the acronym comes from English, Tongue-inspired grooming, something like “tongue-inspired brushing”). It artificially mimics feline papillae. The creators of the product hope to use it to apply medicines and lotions directly to the skin of cats, prevent the formation of knots in the fur and even eliminate possible allergens. And for those people who love kittens, but hate the large amount of fur they release, TIGR can even help to end their presence on the couch.

What other aspects of cats pique your curiosity? Is there anything about them that you would like to know in more depth? How is your relationship with cats? Comment!