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Do you remember the first time a kitten licked your hand? He was certainly surprised by the feeling of "sandpaper" that the cat's tongue provoked as it rubbed over his skin.
The cat's tongue is very long and flexible and has a very rough surface that sometimes makes its guardians confusing. Don't worry, it's perfectly normal and all cats have their tongues like that.
To clarify your curiosity, PeritoAnimal wrote an article about because cats have a rough tongue.
Tongue anatomy
Before we explain to you the exact reason why a cat's tongue is rough, it's important that you know a little about the anatomy of the tongue.
language is a muscle organ which is part of the digestive system. It is mostly located within the oral cavity and its caudal portion extends to the beginning of the pharynx. The tongue is very important as an aid to chewing and, in addition, it is completely covered by a keratinized stratified squamous epithelium that has sensors that allow taste and sensitivity.
The language is made up of three distinct parts:
- apex or apex: Most rostral part of the tongue. In the ventral part of the vertex there is a fold that fixes the tongue to the oral cavity, called the lingual frenulum.
- tongue body: Central part of the tongue, which is closest to the molars.
- tongue root: It is almost entirely beside the pharynx.
A very important component of the language is the lingual papillae. These papillae exist on the edges of the tongue and on the dorsal surface. The types and quantities of papillae vary according to the species of animal.
Also the shape and anatomy of the tongue is slightly different depending on the species (you can see examples of pig, cow and horse tongue in the image). For example, in the case of cows, the tongue plays a very important role in catching food! They have a tongue lift called "lingual torus" (see image) that presses the food against the hard palate, which is a great help with chewing.
It's the cat's taste buds that make it so exquisitely palatable. You've probably noticed that your feline is very awkward when it comes to choosing food. Cats taste their food very accurately. For them everything is important, from the smell of the food, the texture and flavor. You cats, unlike most dogs, they only eat what they really like.
Rough tongue of cats
Cats have a genus of "spikes" that make their tongues very rough and sandpapery. In fact, these spikes are nothing more than the keratinized filiform papillae (Keratin is the same material that makes up our nails and hair).
These thorns have a essentially mechanical function. They serve as a comb, helping to sanitize the hair. When he's licking his fur or his hair, in addition to washing, he's also combing.
Another important function of the papillae, in addition to helping to remove dirt from the fur, is to help loosen the flesh from the bones of the prey. Cats are excellent hunters. If your cat goes outside, you've probably seen it hunt a bird.
Did you know that the tongue is not the only organ of the cat that has thorns? Males also have spikes on their penises.
Cat Tongue Functions
THE cats tongue have several functions in addition to those already mentioned:
- Drink water: Unlike humans and other mammals, cats do not use their lips to drink water. Cats need to drink a lot of water each day. When they want to drink water, they place the tongue in a concave shape, creating a "spoon" that takes the water to the oral cavity.
- taste the food: the taste buds allow you to distinguish flavors. Cats generally prefer salty foods.
- Control body temperature: Cats expel heat by the moisture they produce in the mucous membranes of the tongue, throat and mouth. For this reason, we sometimes see cats with their mouths open. Cats have sweat glands on their paws, chin, anus and lips, which is where cats sweat.
The cat ate your tongue
You've probably heard the expression "the cat ate your tongue" when you're quieter or for some reason you don't feel like talking.
According to legend, this expression originated in the year 500 BC! The story goes that they had the soldiers' languages losers offered them to the animals of the kingdom, including the king's cats.
Some people believe that the expression originated in inquisition time and that the languages of witches, for example, were cut and given to cats for them to eat.
