Photo: A cat’s tongue magnified up to fifty times its usual size. The World Of Wonder 1932
RESEARCH

Cat Tongue Formations

Finding inspiration in our pets

Cats tongues are surprisingly rough – often being compared to sandpaper. All cats, domestic and wild, exhibit these velcro-like tongues, with formations of tiny barbs of keratin, called papillae, allowing them to strip flesh and aid in their meticulous grooming routines.
This grooming is vital to cats – they groom for survival and comfort, cleaning themselves from evidence of a kill so as not to attract predators, and to keep themselves cool and to relieve stress.