The spiky tongue of a cat is determined by heredity and evolution. This special physiological structure can help cats eat, drink and groom their hair better. For example, when a cat eats fish, the barbs can help the cat remove the fish bones and assist in chewing, which is more conducive to the cat's digestion and absorption of food. However, this special structure of cats is also the reason why cats are prone to hairballs. Therefore, it is recommended that owners groom their cats regularly to reduce the chance of hairballs.

1. In order to eat better

Cats are felines, and the spines on their tongues grew out of natural evolution to adapt to the environment. The main purpose is to better shave off the meat from the bones or skin of the prey after catching it, so as to eat up the food as much as possible. Therefore, toys for cats must not contain various threads, ropes and other materials to prevent cats from accidentally eating them and getting stuck in their stomachs.

　2. In order to have better drinking water

The barbs on a cat’s tongue can increase the contact area between the tongue and water, allowing more water to adhere to the barbs, thereby increasing the amount of water that can be drunk each time the tongue is extended. Therefore, when cats drink water, they will not spread the water everywhere like dogs.

　3. In order to better organize hair

Cats are very clean animals and often have the habit of grooming their hair. The barbs on their tongues can help cats groom their hair better and untie knotted hair. However, this unique structure of cats has advantages and disadvantages. Because cats have barbs on their tongues, they often swallow wool, hair and other foreign objects into their stomachs. Over time, this can easily cause intestinal blockage.