Why Do Cat's Tongues Feel Like Sandpaper?

Have you ever wondered why your dog's tongue is soft, like your own, yet your cat's tongue feels rough, like the hook side of hook and eye tape? The reason goes all the way back to the cat's first appearance on the Earth.

  1. History

    • Cats have been fellow inhabitants of the Earth for around 70,000 to 100,000 years. In all that time, they have not changed very much in appearance.

    Function

    • The cat's tongue has hundreds of tiny papillae, or hooks, in order to help remove the flesh from the bones of prey, as well as aid in grooming. This is why you don't need to bathe a cat as often as you do a dog.

    Significance

    • Most house cats have no need to hunt prey, yet the instinct remains, as well as the tools provided by nature for this purpose: claws, fangs and papillae.

    Effects

    • When grooming, the papillae pull off loose hair from the cat's coat. Eventually, this loose hair can build up in the cat's digestive tract and must be expelled--usually in the form of a hairball.

    Considerations

    • It's a good idea to brush or comb your cat periodically to assist in the grooming process. Regular grooming will help to reduce the number of hairballs your cat spits out. Cats with longer hair, especially, need human-assisted grooming, or their fur can mat.