What do cats lick themselves with? - briefly
Cats use their rough, sandpaper-like tongue to groom themselves. The tiny papillae on their tongue act like miniature brushes, efficiently removing dirt and loose hair.
What do cats lick themselves with? - in detail
Cats are meticulous groomers, and their self-cleaning habits are well-documented. This behavior serves multiple purposes, including maintaining body temperature, distributing natural oils, and removing dirt or parasites. To understand what cats use to lick themselves, we need to delve into the anatomy and physiology of their grooming tools—specifically, their tongues.
A cat's tongue is a unique and specialized organ designed for efficient cleaning. It is covered in tiny, backward-facing hooks called papillae. These papillae are composed of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and nails. The hooks on a cat's tongue serve as a natural comb, effectively removing loose fur, dirt, and debris from their coat.
In addition to the physical structure of their tongues, cats also produce saliva that plays a crucial role in their grooming process. Feline saliva contains enzymes that help break down oils and odors, further enhancing the cleaning effect. As cats lick their fur, these enzymes work to dissolve any accumulated dirt or grease, making it easier for the tongue's papillae to remove them.
Another fascinating aspect of a cat's grooming behavior is the distribution of scent markers. While licking themselves, cats also spread pheromones across their fur. These pheromones serve as a form of communication and territorial marking, signaling to other animals that they have been in contact with a specific cat. This scent-marking behavior can be observed not only during self-grooming but also when cats rub against objects or other cats.
In summary, cats use their tongues, specifically the backward-facing hooks called papillae, along with enzyme-rich saliva to clean and maintain their coats. This combination of physical structure and biochemical processes enables cats to be highly effective at self-grooming, ensuring they stay clean, healthy, and scent-marked.