Rather a pleasant sensation when my cat licks my arm. Not sloppy, either.

“WASHINGTON (AP) — Cat lovers know when kitties groom, their tongues are pretty scratchy. Using high-tech scans and some other tricks, scientists are learning how those sandpapery tongues help cats get clean and stay cool.

The secret: Tiny hooks that spring up on the tongue — with scoops built in to carry saliva deep into all that fur.

A team of mechanical engineers reported the findings Monday, and say they’re more than a curiosity. They could lead to inventions for pets and people.

“Their tongue could help us apply fluids, or clean carpets, or apply medicine” to hairy skin, said Georgia Tech lead researcher Alexis Noel, who is seeking a patent for a 3D-printed, tongue-inspired brush.

Cats are fastidious, spending up to a quarter of their waking hours grooming. Noel’s interest was piqued when her cat, Murphy, got his tongue stuck in a fuzzy blanket. Scientists had long thought cat tongues were studded with tiny cone-shaped bumps. Noel, working in a lab known for animal-inspired engineering, wondered why…”

https://apnews.com/666ac4d65f464524bd6fd32094d17195

I believe i saw on some documentary that tigers tongues are rough to help peel back skin on dead animals. Now that doesnt translate to house cats so much but thier close relatives.

quote:

Originally posted by Deqlyn:
I believe i saw on some documentary that tigers tongues are rough to help peel back skin on dead animals. Now that doesnt translate to house cats so much but thier close relatives.

Don't feed'em for two days and go sit on your couch.

A cat's mouth is one of the dirtiest (germ and bacteria wise) in the animal kingdom, right after a human's.

Learned that after getting bit by the neighbor's house cat and nearly losing a finger due to the ensuing infection.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
A cat's mouth is one of the dirtiest (germ and bacteria wise) in the animal kingdom, right after a human's.

Learned that after getting bit by the neighbor's house cat and nearly losing a finger due to the ensuing infection.

It's down to teeth. Cats have smaller, sharp teeth and their bites tend to be deeper puncture wounds that can leave bacteria in some nasty places, like in a finger joint or tendon.

MIT did a study years ago about the mechanics of how cats drink.

My cat likes to lick:
My range bag.
My Cordura gear bags.
My bathtub.
My bathroom sink.
Cardboard boxes.
My face.
The bathroom sink and tub are quite strange. A first for me!

I have one that climbs to the top of my lounge chair and grooms my thinning hair up there. Others want to groom my beard.

flashguy

quote:

A team of mechanical engineers reported the findings Monday, and say they’re more than a curiosity recovering nicely from being scratched to shreds.

FIFY

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I have one that climbs to the top of my lounge chair and grooms my thinning hair up there. Others want to groom my beard.

flashguy

I had a Maine coon that would sit on the back of the couch and do that. Felt weird, but if I turned around he would get a hurt look.