Cats spend much of their waking time grooming themselves. The stiff papillae of the tongue are great at untangling cat fur and removing loose hair from the coat. When you find a potential dog, approach the cage carefully and calmly so it sniff you. Don’t be alarmed if a shelter dog growls or barks at you – it may be wary of strangers, especially since so many come through the shelter every day. Take the dog out of its cage (with the assistance of the shelter staff, or course) and take it for a walk. Keep in mind that this dog probably has some pent up energy and is raring to go (hey, you would too if you were kept in a cage all day). They discovered that, for optimal grooming, the papillae need to penetrate through the fur layer and reach the skin so that the saliva can get to the root of the hairs. Mountcastle became interested in the brushing potential of cat tongues after reading a scholarly article arguing that a brush modeled on the tongues requires less force than a regular brush to get through a section of hair. He decided to have his students design their own cat-tongue brushes, then test their effectiveness.

Each student group in Assistant Professor of Biology Andrew Mountcastle’s class made a brush modeled on a real cat tongue, as well as a brush with a modification. Eve Cinquino ’19 of Bethlehem, Pa., and Erin Murphy ’21 of North Andover, Mass., chose to change the angle of the papillae. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) In this study, we highlighted one function of the papillae, but it is possible that there may be others. Previous studies suggest that papillae shape may help the cat with gripping food during eating ( 30). The sharp tip may help with tissue deformation and penetration into meat. It may also play a role in stimulating the cat’s own skin during grooming. The family Felidae roamed the Earth for 11 million y before being domesticated 10,000 y ago in Southwest Asia ( 1). Today, house cats can spend up to 24% of their waking time grooming their fur coat ( 2). Grooming helps the cat to remove pesky fleas, loose hairs, and excess heat ( 3 – 5). In the absence of grooming, excess debris can tangle fur, causing painful tugging of the skin and even infection. Grooming a cat’s fur is challenging due to its two layers: an exposed topcoat for protection and a hidden undercoat of down hairs for warmth ( 6).

Not all designer dogs have a well-documented history or any recorded history at all for that matter. However, this popular hybrid is one of the few designer dogs with well known roots. The Puggle originated in the United States in the 1980s. Many believe that the first Puggles were the result of an accidental breeding. However, enthusiasts of this hybrid breed claim that they actually originated from a planned breeding don in the hopes of creating a new dog breed. The first person to have intentionally produced a litter of Pug-Beagle mix puppies was Wisconsin breeder Wallace Havens. He will forever be known as the proud poppa of the Puggle. A study by researchers Alexis Noel and David Hu at the Georgia Institute of Technology published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Atlanta examined cats’ tongues via CT scans, high-speed videos and thermal imaging. First, though, they would need cat tongues. Obtaining samples from deceased domestic cats was straightforward. Getting the tongues of wild cats, not so much.

A recent study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, shed new light on how cats’ scratchy tongues enable them to keep themselves so clean: they’re covered with hundreds of sharp, tiny hooks called filiform papillae. The hooks, which are composed of keratin and give cats’ tongues that scratchy sandpaper feel, have built-in scoops that carry saliva deep into felines’ fur when they groom.There are a variety of watercolor brushes available on the market, each with their own unique benefits. Round brushes are the most versatile, and can be used for a variety of techniques, from washes to detailed lines. Flat brushes are great for creating even washes of color, while filbert brushes are perfect for soft, blurred edges. That’s why we are super excited about a new Roomba-esque robot created by and named Beetl that will roam your yard looking for the dropped deuces and scoop them up for you. Like magic.

By working out how far the spines penetrate cat fur, and measuring the length of fur in different breeds, the scientists also worked out the only cats that can’t groom themselves effectively are domestic Persians, which are typically long-haired. An ideal guard dog for anyone with experience in handling and training dogs, the Dogue de Bordeaux – also known as the French Mastiff or the Bordeaux Bulldog – has the versatility of being a strong, fearless guard but also having gentleness around the house, including with children. Like other guard dogs, it will need to be raised in a way that socializes it with other dogs and with people so that it understands who represents a real threat and who does not. This means cats can lose around a quarter of the total heat they need to lose per day through the tiny bit of saliva in their tongue spines. (We lose heat through liquid by sweating when we’re hot.) Cool for catsPlease note that all gift certificates are non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, are valid for one year from the date of issue, and are only redeemable at www.rosemaryandco.com or by phone.