Have you ever been thinking about your cat’s tongue and its anatomy? It is the amazing organ of the cat’s body. Even the scientists didn’t have much data about this organ, but not long ago there were the first observations and conclusions developed about a cat’s tongue.
The Structure of the Cat’s Tongue
Many of the vets and cat owners compare the cat’s tongue with sandpaper due to the texture.
If by any chance you’ve been touched by your cat’s tongue on your skin that definitely is a sign of big love and affection.
A cat’s tongue is covered with spines. The scientific term for these spines is papillae. A papillae is a long barb that consists of keratin. These spines or papillae are helpful to a cat because they help the animal remain healthy and clean.
Papillae are positioned backward in the direction of the cat’s throat. This very specific anatomy of a cat’s tongue helps your cat catch the fur. This way the cat uses its tongue as a brush.
It is also helpful for your cat while eating. Long ago when cats used to live in the wild, they were hunting to survive. The predators would hunt prey and they used their tongues to clean the meat from the bones.
The papillae on the cat’s tongue are made to help cats feel the taste of the food, except for the sweet taste. The cats probably taste something different than sweetness when they are eating sweet food.
Purpose of the Papillae on the Cat’s Tongue
Cats spend hours taking care of themselves. Grooming is their favorite activity. Some scientists think that half of the time when cats are awake, they use to groom themselves. It is amazing when you take a close look at a cat’s tongue. You can easily google it on the net. It is put under a magnifying glass and the spines are clearly seen.
The papillae or hooks or spines, you name them, help the cat remain clean. Made of keratin they have the same structure as our nails. Being strong they do act like a perfect brush for your cat’s fur.
Axel Noel from Georgia Tech was the first to come to this conclusion. His cat was grooming itself and all of a sudden, its tongue was stuck on the cover. The cat has easily removed its tongue but it was well enough clear to Axel that the papillae have very sharp ends that act like claws.
Just recall that a few lines above I have mentioned that cats use the papillae to feed themselves and there is another very important role of the cat’s tongue structure.
The third benefit from their tongue anatomy is drinking. Rarely mentioned, but very important. It happens very fast for you to catch the moment when your cat drinks water.
But once you focus on the action you will see that not a drop falls when your cat gets a sip.
Cat’s mouth is wide and if it wasn’t for their unique technique to flick the water on the tip of their tongue, they would not appear neat drinkers.
Grooming Mechanism
Cats have several reasons why they groom themselves. It is innate and they have learned it from their mothers. It is an instinct. A cat is a very flexible animal and it can reach any part of its body while grooming.
Grooming helps cats preserve their fur and remove the loose hair. The sebum contained on their tongue makes their fur waterproof and shiny.
By grooming themselves cats cool off on a hot day because if you give it a second thought it is clear enough that when perfectly groomed the hair will be fluffy and let the air through it.
As you make a strong bond between you and your cat during the grooming session, the same way one cat grooming another is an act of socializing. As you see there are numerous benefits from a cat’s tongue in the process of grooming.
Feeding and Drinking
The only way a cat can properly eat and finely catch the food from the food bowl is by using its tongue. The papillae help it touch and grab food and then the tongue rolls backward and the food gets directly to the esophagus.
Its tongue helps it feel the taste. Scientific evidence says that there are 470 taste buds on a cat’s tongue. The only taste that cannot be tasted by cats is the taste of sweetness.
Drinking water is neat and not a drop falls from your cat’s mouth because it flicks the water with its tongue. Although its mouth is wide the tongue is very precise.
Health Implications
Take a close look at your cat’s tongue and what you notice is that it is pink and almost dry. Not only the tongue but also the gums have to be pink and that means that these organs are well-oxygenated.
Vets do check your cat’s mouth and especially the tongue when you visit them.
Another important thing that you must know about your cat’s tongue is that it gives you overall info about the animal’s health.
Differences in the color of the tongue of your cat may imply many health conditions.
In case when your cat is drooling an immediate visit to the vet is necessary.
In some situations, your cat’s tongue becomes pale, swollen, yellow, or blue. You may notice that the cat’s tongue is inflamed or there is a sore on the surface. All these situations require a visit to your vet.
The cat’s tongue is normally kept inside the mouth. They may occasionally keep it outside for a while, especially after a meal.
A cat’s tongue outside its mouth for longer than usual is a sign of concern and you should visit the vet for consultation or some helpful advice.
