Cats share critter catch to express love to you
By Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadifori
Q: Why do cats bring dead mice and birds into the house?
A: Lovers bring chocolates, cats bring mice. We all have our own way of saying, "I love you." And consider this: Cats don't bring you any old dead mice. No! These are mice they have hunted and killed themselves, Godivas baby!
There's something about the thrill of the hunt that stirs even the best-fed cat to stalk, chase and pounce. But only love will inspire her to share.
If you're not understanding enough to realize that the occasional headless mouse in bed is a gift of true respect and admiration — not to mention a tasty treat your cat wants you to eat! — well, we're not sure you're truly cat-lover material.
Dead critters are bad enough, of course, but what about those cats who bring in the mortally wounded? Then you have a cat who really, really loves you. Not only is she making sure you don't starve, but she's trying her best to make sure you understand how to feed yourself — and are entertained as well. It's your turn to play with the prey. Don't you just love a cat who shares her toys?
Your mother taught you to say thank you, didn't she? Now give your cat its just rewards by smiling and making a big deal out of carcass. But before you get rid of that mouse or finch, put some gloves on. You never know what vile disease that critter may be harboring.
Q: Why is a cat's tongue like sandpaper?
A: If you look at a cat's tongue with a magnifying glass (and good luck trying to do that, by the way!), you'll see it's covered with row after row of barbs. For you scientific types, these little structures that line the surface of a cat's tongue are called filiform papillae. They're hooked (like the wirery half of Velcro), and are directed toward the throat.
These barbs help to hold prey while eating, and they also help a cat keep her fur in perfect (or should we say purrfect?) condition, pulling out dead and dying hairs along with any debris picked up in the day's travels. Cats can actually feel when a few hairs are out of place, so that tongue is also a convenient, built-in hairbrush.
It's the start of an assembly line for some mighty fine hairballs, as well. Since the hooks direct items down the throat — like an auger — it's difficult for cats to expel fur objects (or yarn, fishing line, or other things that rightly ought to be expelled) from their mouths. This is one reason cats swallow rather than spit out fur, and then hack it up as hairballs.
Other papillae of the tongue are involved with taste detection. The filiform papillae can't taste food, but they do hold food in contact with the tongue long to enable the cat to taste it.
Cats can function with no teeth, but they must have at least half their tongue to survive.
