Cats often spend up to one-quarter of their wakefulness time licking their hair, and I believe many owners have been licked by them. In fact, cats have a tiny and sharp mastoid structure on their tongues, which is what we often call barbs. barbs can...
Cats often spend up to one-quarter of their wakefulness time licking their hair, and I believe many owners have been licked by them. In fact, cats have a tiny and sharp mastoid structure on their tongues, which is what we often call "barbs".
barbs can remove fleas and lower body temperature. Researchers have recorded high-resolution images and videos of tongue tissue movements after death from domestic cats to lions. A CT scan of cat tongues showed that they were not covered by solid cones, but claw-shaped hooks. They lay flat and face backwards, and they found that the tips of the barbs were particularly well shaped and could bring saliva deep into all the fur to help clean.
Their barbs are actually some U-shaped grooves in which saliva is stored by capillary action. When cleaning hair, the barbs stand up. As the tongue presses down the hair, the upright barbs just happen to touch the skin under the hair. The saliva on the surface of the skin can effectively remove dirt and cool the body.
