Mary Allen
The tongue of a cat is an amazing sensory organ, although the sense of taste of the furry nose is not so well developed. The tongue is rough to the touch and its unique structure helps your kitty eat and groom its fur.
So-called papillae ensure that the cat’s tongue is rough. These are small bumps on the tongue that serve various functions, such as taste buds. But tasting is not the main task of the cat’s tongue.
Eating & Drinking With the Tongue of a Cat
In addition to the taste buds, your cat also has filamentous papillae on its tongue. These are very fine spines, the tip of which consists of a layer of horn and which are directed backward. These tiny teeth on the surface make the cat’s tongue feel rough and prove extremely useful when eating.
When your cat drinks water, it creates a column of water by moving its tongue, which it then “bites off” and swallows the water. The thread papillae help her that the liquid does not immediately flow out again, since their structure catches water droplets. Because the cat’s tongue is rough, your kitty can also lick the flesh off bones to the last bit. In addition, the tongue works like a grater and can grind larger pieces of food into smaller ones.
Handy for Grooming
The cat’s tongue is also like a washcloth and comb for your kitty. Tangled cat fur, dirt, loose cat hair, and dandruff can be cleaned away by your velvet paw with its tongue, as can some vermin. At the same time, it is like a massage for your cat when it extensively brushes its own fur or that of other cats. When you wash your cat, your fur nose loses about as much water as when you go to the toilet, so you should always make sure your cat has freshwater supplies.