FACT! Cat Tongues Are Genius

Evolution, Science, Genetics - it's all part of the cleverness behind a cat tongue. Pet Set Juliet explains...

If you've ever felt like you needed aloe vera after your cat licked your face, you're not alone. Cats have very scratchy tongues. And thank goodness...

First, a little science: A cat's tongue is designed to act as a sort of sandpaper. The "papillae", those tiny little bumps on Fifi's tongue, are actually spines. They face backwards, which allows Fifi to do all sorts of cool things.

For instance, a cat's tongue is so powerful it can actually strip meat entirely off a bone. (Yeah, that aloe vera's no joke!) It's not only cool to watch, but it's also healthy for Fifi: it allows her to get the maximum nutrients from the meat.

Ever watched a cat drink? Instead of putting her whole mouth in the milk bowl, the backwards-facing papillae allow Fifi to use just her tongue, which pulls up the liquid, creating a sort of pipeline that the cat's mouth then enfolds. Clever, yes?

And of course, the roughness, to them, feels like a brush. Which is why you often see them licking themselves. It's like a personal spa day, twenty times a day! Nice deal. But it's also magnificently ingenious: because cats are generally asocial, they don't have to rely on their friends to do the brushing for them. I love evolution, don't you?