May 18, 2024 · A cat’s barbed tongue is unlike any other in the animal kingdom. Cats use their tongues to groom themselves—the backward-facing spines serve as a natural hairbrush. A cat uses its tongue like a scoop to drink, drawing water up in a column and into its mouth. Wild cats also use their tongues to scrape meat from the bones of their prey meals.

Mar 8, 2025 · The barbs on a cat’s tongue are extremely effective at removing loose fur. This is why cats with longer coats tend to develop more hairballs than short-haired cats. ... A cat’s tongue feels like sandpaper because it’s covered with tiny hook-like spines called papillae. These special structures serve an important purpose for cats.

The roughness of a cat’s tongue can be attributed to the tiny, backward-facing barbs called papillae that cover its surface. These papillae are made of keratin, the same material found in human hair and nails.

Aug 12, 2020 · Ever wonder what the story is behind the barbed tongue your cat has? Keep reading to find out! The barbs on a cat’s tongue actually have a name, they are called papillae.

Jun 7, 2024 · A cat's tongue is covered in backward-facing, hooked barbs that make the tongue feel rough like sandpaper. The barbs on a cat's tongue, called filiform papillae, help cats eat, drink, groom themselves, and regulate body temperature.

Jun 17, 2024 · Cat’s tongues are perfectly designed to keep their coats in top condition. “The barbs catch and remove loose fur and dirt from their coats,” explains Dr. Amy Attas, VMD, MA, and author of Pets and the City. Grooming helps cats …

Jul 5, 2023 · Cats use these tongue barbs for more than grooming their fur; they also provide valuable insight into their behavior toward humans. In this post, we'll take an in-depth look into why cats have tongue barbs and explore what it means when they lick other cats or us.

Mar 5, 2020 · The sandpaper feeling of your cat’s tongue is due to scratchy barbs, or spines, called papillae on the surface of the tongue. Papillae on a cat’s tongue are long barbs consisting of keratin—human fingernails are also made of keratin!

Jan 19, 2025 · The surface of a cat's tongue is covered with tiny, hook-like structures called papillae. These papillae are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and nails. These backward-facing barbs give the tongue …

Cats’ tongues are rough because they have barb-shaped protrusions called papillae. These barbs help cats untangle knots in their fur and remove the muscles and tendons from the bone when eating prey.