The animals use their tongue not only mechanically, but also their saliva, according to researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
The enzymes contained in the saliva dissolved blood and impurities, and the saliva has a cooling effect. With the help of video recordings, the scientists were also able to show that the rough tongue removes dirt and matting like a damp comb. To clean the under coat as well, cat tongues have hundreds of tiny spines, the engineers write in the journal PNAS.
