You have probably noticed that cat tongues are quite unique. They are rough and somehow scratchy. It seemed weird to American biologists and therefore they decided to look deeper into it.
You have probably noticed that cat tongues are quite unique. They are rough and somehow scratchy. It seemed weird to American biologists and therefore they decided to look deeper into it.
If have you have already been licked by a cat, you definitely know that its tongue is different from that of a dog for example. Have you been thinking about its reason? American biologists have come up with a possible explanation. They have found out that cat tongue has a very specialised function.
Cats spend up to one third of their awake time taking care of their fur. That is why the surface of the cat tongue is adjusted to cleaning and combing the fur. The surface of the tongue consists of a lot of small backward-facing hooks that are called filiform papilae. They look similar as shark teeth and remind some kind of a velcro. They are firm because they contain keratin.
When the hook of the tongue gets to entangled fur, it gets stuck in it and helps to disentangle it. Unlike the combs, the hooks are mobile. When the cat does not use them, they lie on each other. They straighten up during licking and therefore can perfectly disentangle the fur and comb out loose hair and dirt from the fur.
The scientists created an enlarged model of the cat tongue and have found during its testing that not only can this structure perfectly disentangle the entangled fur but it is also easy to clean. They even got the technology simulating the cat tongue patented because they believe it could be useful in medicine or cosmetics.
But there is another benefit of this structure of the tongue. It helps cats with drinking. The hooks enlarge the surface of the tongue so the cat can catch more water in it (the cat do not create a cup from their tongue while drinking like dogs do). It also serves as a kind of scraper to get meat from bones (after all, cats are still carnivores). The way the hooks are turned toward the rear (deep into the mouth) also helps to move the food in the right way. But it also moves the loose hair into the throat and when you do not comb your cat enough, there can be flocks in its stomach. These can be dangerous if it fails to vomit them.
So what do you think, it is not such a big surprise as a function of the cat tongue, right? :-)
According to the data published at the end of last year, more than half of the people from around the world lives with at least one pet. The most numerous dog population is in the United States (70 million dogs), followed by Brazil (36 million) and...
When I travel, I'm always interested in what is the view of the given country upon the keeping of pets. And generally, how animals are treated there. The position of cats, dogs and rodents varies significantly in different countries, so there’s...
People often confuse the grey wolf with the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. This shepherd’s and today a very popular breed was bred from the German Shepherd by crossbreeding with the Carpathian wolf. Even though the dog and the wolf are very similar in...
The golden hamster, sometimes referred to as hamster-teddy bear because of its appearance, was first captured less than a century ago by zoologists in Syria. Hence also its second name – the Syrian hamster. Over time, it became a popular pet throughout...
The cloning of dogs or cats is slowly becoming a completely normal reality. For now, you can encounter it mostly in Asian countries. It’s the companies in South Korea that are most famous for their business plans focusing on the grieving dog and cat...
It would probably entirely unnecessary to describe the appearance of the German Shepherd. Probably everyone, even non-dog-lovers, have seen the German series Inspector Rex. Apart from the most famous colouring with black or golden marks, it is bred...
Getting a cat doesn’t mean only buying a cat toilet, bowls, a bed and a couple of toys. You also have to realise that the animal will also need certain care and count with this already before getting it. Each breed has its own specifics. While some are...
The Persian Longhairs, which have most likely descended from the Turkish Angoras, were bred in England at the end of the 19th century. Since then, they have undergone great changes, and today they have a much more compact body in comparison to the...
The desire for your own dog friend can also lead to a great disappointment. Since a lot of people fall for scammers when buying through an ad. Getting a dog this way is a risk not only from the money point of view, but also with respect to the mental...
Traveling with a dog in the city is stressful for many dog owners. One of the reasons may be the fear of riding escalators. If the dog is not accustomed to them since young age, he can have issue with it as an adult. Even in the case that your dog aces...
For the majority of dog breeders, winter is the period that has to be waited out somehow. But this time of year provides ideal conditions for the musher sport. And if you found pleasure in summer trainings with the dog, don’t hang the dog harness on an...
Most owners consider pets kept at home to be full-fledged family members. And year after year, they invest more and more money in them. Just for dog and cat food, Czechs spend around eight billion crowns a year. The business around pets is experiencing...
