It’s not news that, unlike dogs who are drawn to us for nearly all their social and functional needs, cats are pretty independent creatures. Now though, scientists at Georgia Tech know one reason why.
Maybe our dogs don’t love it when we groom them, but the truth is they need it. Cats, however, figured this out on their own. At least, they evolved to. Using cameras that capture 500 frames per second, scientists were able to see cats’ tongues more clearly and watch them in action.
The high-speed cameras revealed that the tiny keratin spikes that cover the surface of cats’ tongues are u-shaped, hollow, and tilt back toward the throat. Their unique shape lets them carry saliva to whatever spot your cat is cleaning.
Understanding more about our cats is always helpful, but this knowledge can help engineers design ways to better transport and apply fluids, like cleaners or medicine.
But even though cats don’t need us to brush and bathe them, they’re still happy to let us serve them their favorite cat food.
nelson
I just learned something today is a good thing, when you learn something every day you become smarter that day.
andrea dunlap
this is very interesting sand I didn’t understand all that…I have dogs.very educational also.
Barbara J Anderson
Love kitties, they are really amazing..thank you
WRT
Once again Halo feels the need to ad advertising to information. THUMBS DOWN on this Halo practice!
KatWrangler
Halo does so much good – please focus on that
Marti Debandt
Fantastic video! I learned so much and it was fun watching all the cats! Great job!!!
cherryblueberry
Cool video…interesting to watch and learn why cats’ tongues are the way they are!
Liz
An excellent and informative video. I am a zoologist/cat custodian and I didn’t know some of the facts presented here! I don’t know what WRT is referring to–what advertising? Good video; recommended.
Linda G
thanks for the cat tongue explanations; makes sense to the way they chuck hairballs.