A cat's tongue is rough because it is covered with tiny, backwards-facing spines called papillae made of keratin, the same material as human nails. These hook-shaped structures give the tongue a sandpaper-like texture and serve multiple purposes for the cat's grooming, eating, and drinking needs.
Benefits of a Rough Cat Tongue
- Grooming: The papillae act like a comb or brush, detangling fur, removing loose hair and dirt, and distributing natural oils to keep the coat healthy and shiny. This grooming also helps cats regulate their temperature through saliva evaporation.
- Eating: The rough texture helps scrape meat off bones, enabling wild cats to consume as much nutrition as possible from prey.
- Drinking: The papillae help cats lap up water by catching and drawing liquid into their mouths efficiently.
- Survival: These adaptations help wild cats stay clean, avoid parasites, and maximize nutrient intake during hunting.
Overall, the rough tongue is a highly specialized evolutionary adaptation for cats' predatory and grooming needs, shared by both domestic cats and large wild cats like lions and tigers.