What’s That 5
Cat Tongue
This is a clear photograph of a cat cleaning itself. You can see the tongue is covered with little tiny barbs.
These tiny barbs are called papillae and are actually made out of the same stuff as your fingernails! For many years there was alot of argument about what exactly these barbs were for.
Most scientists now concur (agree) that the barbs serve a few different functions. The most obvious one is for grooming themselves. The little teeth act like a comb and your cat can effectively clean little bits out of thier fur. If I had fur I know I wouldn’t want it getting dirty!
Some housecats have very long hair and even though they carry a comb around with them in thier mouth they may need your help keeping thier fur managed. If you have a long-hair cat you should brush it regularly to help prevent matting and other complications. MOst cats love being brushed anyway so they will like you better if you do it.
A cat’s tounge is also specialized to help them eat and drink liquids. In the wild the backward facing barbs help keep small prey like mice in thier mouths. The barbs also help them sense temperature and texture as well as help them lap up liquids.
