Why do cats have a rough tongue? Difficulties in cats due to the structure of the tongue. Source of taste experiences

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Many people are interested in the question of why cats rough tongue? it multifunctional body. It serves not only to help in chewing food, but also for personal hygiene. Rough tongue due specific structure. Under the microscope, it can be seen that the organ is uneven and covered with small tubercles.

Why is a cat given a rough tongue by nature?

The cat does not have hands to take food or lift containers of drinks. However, without food, the animal will simply die. Thanks to the rough tongue, the cat can lap up water and eat. Liquid and liquid food linger between the protrusions, without rolling back from the surface, they are sent to the larynx.

Capillary papillae give the animal's tongue a characteristic roughness. These are keratinized protrusions, bent towards the esophagus. Many growths cover the entire surface of the tongue and create a feeling of roughness. To the touch, the organ resembles sandpaper.

Cons of the roughness of the cat's tongue

The roughness of the language has its drawbacks. The body does not separate small objects, so the cat has to swallow everything that has got into the mouth - threads, feathers, wool. True, in this case, nature provided for its exit from the body through stool or when the cat vomits.

The second minus is that the animal cannot lick open wounds like a dog does. Rough tongue only exacerbates the pain. The structure of the organ can cause inflammation if food or a splinter gets stuck between the papillae. On their own, a cat will not always be able to get them with its claws.

Despite the many benefits given by nature to cats, a rough tongue can also be harmful. Some of the hair that enters the stomach sometimes forms into large clumps that people have to remove - with the help of laxatives or surgery.

Many of us have cats at home. Some are purebred, some are not. However, in all representatives of the cat family, we take this fact for granted, without even thinking about the nature of this phenomenon. Why do cats have a rough tongue? Why do they need such a language and what functions does it perform? Let's answer these questions.

brush tongue

So why do cats have a rough tongue? It's not just that. Nature provided that the tongue of cats was like a kind of brush. Its entire surface is covered with papillae different size and appointments. They create the brush effect. Such a rough surface allows the cat to lick its fur more thoroughly.

Rough tongue

We all feel that same roughness when a cat licks our hands. This is due to the fact that in the language of cats a large number of papillae. There are 4 types of them:

Filiform (cone-shaped) - it is these papillae that are responsible for the effect of the brush. This is because they grow in the opposite direction to the sky. This helps the animal take care of the coat. In addition, the pet has the largest number of them, since this form of papillae is the most common. They occupy the anterior half of the tongue.
Foliate - These are the largest papillae, which are located on both sides of the tongue.
Mushroom - judging by the name, they resemble mushrooms in shape. They are located on the edges of the cat's tongue.
Gutter-shaped - these papillae are localized on the back of the tongue. By their arrangement, they form a V-row. In front of them are fungiform papillae.

Functions

Functions cat language quite obvious. With its help, the animal takes care of itself by licking the fur. It also removes food debris from the mouth and muzzle. We all saw how a cat washes itself: after wetting its paw, it runs along its muzzle. These manipulations help to clean it.

In addition, with the help of the tongue, the cat tastes the food offered to it and determines its temperature. If these criteria do not suit her, she will not eat the food that you give her.

The peculiarity of the structure of the papillae of the cat's tongue provides her with the ability to drink water and liquid food. Running her tongue over the surface of the water, the cat raises it, creating a trickle, which she drinks.

Swallowing objects

The reason why cats have a rough tongue is their tendency to swallow various inedible objects. Everyone noticed the animal's love for Christmas tree tinsel, laces and other hanging items.

Everything happens because, due to the peculiarities of the structure of the tongue, a cat, having taken an object in its mouth, can no longer get rid of it. And the only possibility theirs is to swallow an object. The papillae of the tongue simply push the object deep into the digestive tract.

This situation is not always harmless. For example, cats love to swallow needles. The animal is interested in the thread on the needle. During the game, it turns out that it does not separate from the language. It becomes simply impossible to extract the thread. Due to the direction of the papillae and swallowing movements, the thread gradually moves deep into the pharynx, dragging the needle with it. And finally, the cat can only swallow them. The needle penetrates digestive tract. In most cases, everything works out well, because the needle is swallowed with a blunt end and also passes to the end. However, this does not always happen, there are cases of injury.

Feel

Why do cats have a rough tongue? Because it is dotted with papillae. But this not only gives the animal additional positive characteristics. It also increases the sensitivity of the tongue. If a cat injures the tongue for any reason, then this pain will exceed the sensations that the cat would experience if another part of the body was injured. The tongue is much more sensitive than the paw, tail or ear.

By the way, due to the fact that a cat has a rough tongue, its teeth always remain clean and sharp.

It is also no secret to anyone that the tongue is a storehouse of taste buds. Cat tongue receptors are also responsible for taste discrimination, but in a slightly different way. Firstly, the receptors themselves in a cat are much smaller. If a person has about 9,000 of them, then an animal has only 473. Secondly, despite the smaller number, they distinguish tastes more sharply and strongly.

In addition, due to the peculiarities of the language, cats provide themselves with the function of thermoregulation. You probably often noticed that during hot weather, the pet sticks its unit out. She does this to evaporate excess moisture from the body, because sweat glands that provide this, the cat does not have. In this way, the pet lowers its body temperature.

What language do dogs have?

The age-old comparison of cats and dogs also applies to their languages. As we have already found out, in cats, the tongue serves as a comb, so it should be rough. Dogs are in a completely different situation. They are not so clean and do not take care of their hair so much. Therefore, their language is not so rough. Undoubtedly, the papillae are still present, but they are not bent towards the pharynx. Dogs simply do not need such an arrangement of keratinized outgrowths.

One has only to slightly ruffle the fur coat of the purr, and she immediately begins to put it in order. Most chief assistant mustachioed cleanliness in the matter of bringing beauty and purity - their rough tongue.

If a pet in a fit of gratitude for the caress, he licks the owner’s hand, then this is unlikely to give him a pleasant feeling. Rather, there will be a feeling as if sandpaper was run over the skin.

Why and why is the main tool of personal hygiene of all the purr - so rough and hard?

How is language structured?

In cats, the tongue is flat, elongated and very mobile. Remarkable dexterity in a variety of manipulations - from lapping liquid to combing wool - this organ is provided by several muscle groups. In addition, the entire surface of the tongue is covered with special growths called papillae.

They are what make it rough. As many as four types of these “devices” help the animal retain water in its mouth, move food down the throat, comb its fur, recognize the taste of food and the texture of different surfaces.

Due to its structure, the language performs several completely different functions.

care tool

Thanks to the hard filiform papillae growing in the opposite direction, towards the pharynx, the cat's tongue is a kind of brush. It allows you to comb the wool in the right direction, straighten the hairs that have strayed into lumps and at the same time remove all foreign objects tangled in the fur coat.

However, individual, too lazy or spoiled specimens do not bother with tedious hairstyles, providing this function. caring owner. In this case, it is necessary to regularly inspect and tidy up your pet so that its fluffy coat is not covered with tangles.

caring about hairline the owner must take over his pet even if his breed is thick and long hair. Careful licking of such a rich fur coat is difficult for even the most hardworking cat to handle.

In addition, hard papillae collect faded hair, which the cat is forced to swallow. long hairs form whole lumps in the stomach and intestines of the animal, which often it is not able to burp, as all purrs usually do.

Accumulation of hair in digestive system may cause serious problems with pet health. Therefore, regularly comb out the fallen hairs, especially during molting. By doing this, you will save the animal from unnecessary suffering, and yourself from worrying about the well-being of your pet.

Source of taste experiences

The tongue serves cats not only for caring for their own appearance. It allows them to enjoy food or determine its inadequacy to their own. taste preferences which are highly selective.

The slightest change in the consistency or temperature of the food, not to mention the change in its variety, can lead to a categorical refusal to eat.

In addition, the location of the papillae and the amazing flexibility of the tongue allow the purr to easily capture even liquids and mushy food, using this organ like a spoon.

Natural "refrigerator"

The language for a cat is simply indispensable in hot weather. Licking the surface of the fur coat, the purr reduces the air gap between the skin and the surface of the fur, thereby contributing to a better cooling of the body.

When it becomes completely unbearable, the animal sticks out its tongue and begins to breathe frequently. Moisture evaporating from the surface of the tongue helps to further reduce body temperature.

A rough tongue is not always a blessing

In addition to benefits, the unusual structure of the tongue often brings inconvenience to the animal. During the game or cleaning the fur coat, any small foreign object which the cat is unable to extract on its own. Such unwanted particles of the purr can be swallowed, and left in the mouth, they often cause an inflammatory process.

Because of this structure of the tongue, the cat cannot lick its wounds, as dogs and many other animals do.

A hard and rough surface causes even more irritation and even pain.

But on this we do not say goodbye, come again!

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Representatives of the cat pride are very clean creatures. At the slightest touch to their fur from the outside, they try to process this place with their tongue as quickly as possible. This property is possessed by both domestic cats and wild ones. Such thorough hygiene is facilitated by the special structure of the tongue of these graceful creatures.

Features of the structure of the language

because of constant need maintaining a feline image, the structure of the language has undergone significant changes in the process of evolution.

This muscular organ, on its surface has many keratinized papillae, which are bent towards the animal's esophagus. To the touch, the tongue is extremely rough, so some people feel like sandpaper. Therefore, the manifestation of the caress of a domestic cat is sometimes very strongly felt by its owner. The special structure of this muscular organ gives it many functions necessary for the life of cats.

Positive aspects of having a special language in the process of hygiene

The special structure of the language is very helps greatly facilitate the process of hygiene. Cats usually lick themselves in two cases - when they want to get rid of foreign smell and when they want to put in order the soiled, in their opinion, wool. There are many such cases, so these creatures are licked quite often. The keratinized small ridges on the tongue help with this process, acting like a hairbrush.

As you know, most cats, especially their artificially bred breeds, are not adapted to the climate of northern latitudes. But they are not comfortable with too hot temperatures. Like humans, these creatures also suffer from heart disease, so fever for them can be not only harmful, but also dangerous.

The special structure of the tongue, namely the rigid protrusions on it, helps to create “ diffusion” hot air flow environment. That is why, in intense heat you can see cats with open mouths. The special structure of the tongue helps cats to maintain thermoregulation at an acceptable level for them.

The structure of the tongue and nutritional features of cats

All representatives of the cat family are predators, even cute domestic cats and kitties. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the most desired dish for these creatures is meat. Often cats want to eat the remains of meat from the bone, and the special structure of the tongue again helps to fulfill this desire.

With the help of this organ, as if with sandpaper, you can very carefully get all, even hard-to-reach, pieces of meat.

If you pay attention to how a cat drinks liquid, you can be very surprised at how quickly and deftly the animal sends drops of moisture into the esophagus. This ability is also provided due to the structure of the language. It is the roughness of this organ that helps drops of liquid, accumulating on its surface, not to roll back, but to enter the stomach.

AT wild nature, representatives of this family, prefer to hunt for prey. After the object of hunting is caught, it is required to butcher it. With this operation, sometimes cats lack claws and teeth, then the tongue comes to the rescue. Its hard surface allows it to handle skin or feathers of prey, more carefully divide it and get to hard-to-reach, but desirable pieces of meat.

Licking each other as an indicator of empathy

It can be said with full confidence that the rough tongue for cats is the most important communication body. With it, animals express their sympathy and affection. If a cat living at home begins to lick its owner, it means that she has accepted him into her cat family and by this expresses her tenderness and affection.

Difficulties that the special structure of the tongue creates for cats

Unfortunately, apart from good points, the special structure of the tongue of cats, can negatively affect the health of animals.

Due to the presence of ossified protrusions on the muscular organ, bent towards the esophagus, cats are forced to swallow licked hairballs. Ideally, they should either go naturally or regurgitate a cat. But sometimes, due to the large volume of wool, these lumps are pressed together, which may cause obstruction of the stomach or intestines. In this case, only a laxative or surgery can help.

Therefore, the owners of long-haired cats should special attention treat your pets to regular brushing.

Another danger, due to the special structure of the tongue of felines, is that they are not able to spit out small smooth objects back, as they seem to be glued to the ledges bent back. For example, if a cat accidentally swallowed a shiny and eye-catching festive rain, the animal will not be able to expel it back without help, and under unfavorable circumstances, the rain can injure the intestines.