xadamhudsonx Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 The way cats drink water turns out to be a more complex process than we thought, according to a paper published in Science on Thursday. When a group of researchers used high-speed imaging to capture video of cats drinking water, they found that cats are, among other things, using only the tip of their tongue to pull water into their mouths from the surface. Once there, they exploit inertia and gravity to hold onto it, and maintain proportionate lapping and swallowing cycles. It might seem that cats would take advantage of the grain of their tongue that serves them so well in grooming, but the imaging showed that the cats used only the smooth tip to drink. And, unlike dogs, which use their tongue to scoop water, cats' tongues don't even penetrate the surface. Instead, they get water into their mouths using an almost gecko-like process: their tongue tips shoot out, contact the water surface, adhere to it, and pull up to draw the water into a column that moves into their mouths thanks to sheer inertia. Cats then take advantage of their head orientation and gravity to hold that water in a cavity in their palate, just behind their front teeth. They swallow after somewhere between three and 17 laps. According to the researchers, it's the cats' lack of cheeks, and the resulting inability to create suction, that restricts them to lapping. Still, cats have managed to adapt pretty admirably, and the authors note that further study of their tongues could be helpful in developing robots with flexible parts and biomechanical models for understanding the behavior of soft tissues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 CATS DONT HAVE CHEEKS?! my cat is the loudest drinker of water. i always make fun of her for it. i think she knows, and subsequently takes it out on me by shitting on my stuff occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xadamhudsonx Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share Posted November 12, 2010 CATS DONT HAVE CHEEKS?!my cat is the loudest drinker of water. i always make fun of her for it. i think she knows, and subsequently takes it out on me by shitting on my stuff occasionally. She knows.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 This is adorable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjustinxschwierx Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 take THAT god! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flood Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 my cat will only drink running water... so anytime anyone heads to the bathroom they have to run the faucet for her.. or else she shreds your legs while yer shitting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokithelion Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 CATS DONT HAVE CHEEKS?!my cat is the loudest drinker of water. i always make fun of her for it. i think she knows, and subsequently takes it out on me by shitting on my stuff occasionally. Both my guyos are drink really loudly. Like hear them across the apt in another room loud. Of course one of them also lays down whenever she drinks, but I think that's because she's lazy as hell. Or retarded. When she's happy she head butts the floor. God I love my retardo cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericheartsu Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 i really don't like cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srcvinyl Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 my cat will only drink running water... so anytime anyone heads to the bathroom they have to run the faucet for her.. or else she shreds your legs while yer shitting Your kitty needs a cat water fountain!!! http://www.amazon.com/Drinkwell-FWB-RE-Original-Pet-Fountain/dp/B00063446M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fixedfrequencies Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 no opposable thumbs, no cheeks - suckers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkfoster8 Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 Could this explain why my cat likes to play with his water before he starts drinking it? I always thought it was the weirdest thing in that he wouldn't drink water that was still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circlingvultures Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 Im eating tomato gouda bisque using tostitos jalapeno scoops. Fuck you, cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patron Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partysmasher Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 amazing. i fucking love cats, getting one was the best thing i've done in years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steventangent Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 no opposable thumbs, no cheeks - suckers! I make fun of my cats for not having thumbs. I'm all, "you want to go outside? well, if you had thumbs, you could open the door and let yourself out, huh? yep. evolution has not been kind to you my friend." "Oh, you want to get some turkey out of the fridge? I bet you could use at least one of these bad boys about now." Making fun of creatures that are smaller and weaker than I am gives me a really nice sense of self-worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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