❓ why
Why do cats have rough tongues?
catsbiology
Quick Answer
Cat tongues are covered in tiny hollow spines that act like a comb and wick saliva deep into fur.
The Full Story
A cat’s tongue is lined with hundreds of backward-facing spines called papillae made of keratin. A 2018 study by researchers at Georgia Tech found these papillae are hollow and scoop-shaped, drawing up saliva and delivering it down to the skin as the cat grooms. This helps clean and cool the cat, since evaporation of saliva removes heat. The spines also detangle fur and help strip meat from bones. The same research inspired a 3D-printed grooming brush based on the cat tongue design.
Key Facts
1.Spines are called papillae and are made of keratin
2.Papillae are hollow and wick saliva
3.Grooming helps cats cool down
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"A cat’s tongue is a precision-engineered comb"