When cats lick us, we will notice that the cat's tongue is very rough. You can see the uneven tongue.
This is because the cat's tongue is a strong muscle with multiple uses. They are covered with small backward barbs called filamentous nipples. They are shaped like hooks, making the tongue feel as rough as sandpaper. The lengths of the barbs vary, and the barbs in the middle of the tongue are longer. Not only domestic cats have this sandpaper-like tongue, but also larger cats, including lions. Mastoides are made of keratin, a strong protein found in hair and nails that make them hard and tough.
1, Eat
cats are obligate carnivores, which means their main dietary needs depend on animal protein. Due to this tendency to eat meat, a thorny tongue is useful, licking meat from the bones can also fix food. Most of our cats prey on small prey, such as voles , mice and birds. They may eat whole, but occasionally there will be larger prey.
Big cats like lions obviously don't eat their prey whole, their rough tongues are great for peeling off the flesh from the bones, effectively consuming nutrients and not at risk of being blocked by indigested bones, beaks, wings and feathers. These within reach papillaries also play a role in detecting taste and texture.
2. Drink water
When a cat drinks water, it will not put its mouth into the water, but will lick the water quickly with its tongue. The tongue itself is shaped like a spoon, and the papillary on the tongue pulls water into the mouth continuously and swallows it.
3, comb
The roughness of your cat's tongue is like a natural comb. When your cat licks itself, the hook-like barbs will pass through the fur. The tongue separates the coat to remove tangles, dead hair, debris or dirt. The filamentous nipples also irritate the sebaceous glands of the skin around the roots of each hair, allowing natural oils to spread onto the hair, keeping it in good condition.
However, due to the backward pricks on the tongue, these hairs cannot be spit out again, which may cause intestinal blockage or discomfort.
4, heat dissipation
Cats are the offspring of wild cats living in the African desert and are very adapted to the hot weather. However, since their sweat glands only grow on the paws, they do require some other methods to regulate body temperature. In hot weather, the hollow spikes fill up saliva and transfer it to the skin, helping the cat cool down as the saliva evaporates.
Summary: Cat tongue can be used to drink water, control body temperature and comb hair. As a species that often lives alone, all these functions are very necessary for cats because they need to be self-sufficient in these things.
