A drink of water for a cat

This is a very interesting study. My question, of course, is who funded it? I could not have imagined this method, but then again, I am not a cat. I had one cat who continued nursing a bathroom rug for quite a while.

Wow! I knew my cat could drink fast but never realized exactly how fast and how involved it was. My female sometimes likes to dip her paw in her water and then she licks the water off her paw. My male sometimes moves his water bowl with his paw a little, looks in and then drinks. I think he is trying to determine exactly how far the water is

Some people just have too much time on their hands...

That is really interesting Elic. I've often wondered it myself but assumed that with their wet tongue is how they got their water, a little at a time. I watched them all the while laughing because they don't like to get one drop on their furry bodies (their majesty.... lol) but yet they like to drink it. lol

So...technically, they actually bite the stream of water/milk/spaghetti sauce, whatever. What I wonder is, why do they lose the ability to suck? It seems more efficient, to me. Especially when it takes so long to lap instead of sucking. I mean, feral house cats always have to be on the lookout for danger. I would think that getting more fluid down in a hurry would make them safer. Anyway, I've watched them lapping, so I'm curious as to why the scientists can't make out how they do it without high speed photography. Why not? I mean, it's perfectly obvious to me! Four times a second isn't that fast, really. Pianists can hit a note that swiftly. I love how they cat-agorize the lapping method cats (as opposed to dawgs...) use as "more elegant." But of course! They're cats, after all--always "more elegant" than dogs! Maggiepie "When you're right you're right, & when you're wrong you're left." ~ Anonymous

yep. we do these days. most older buildings dont i noticed. so im glad you are being safe with it. used to be, you could use a chain lock to check but these days they will just crash right through those

Yeah, there is so much to explore in the nature, that we humans will need an eternity to find out how it all works. As we were created to live forever, our Creator made so many interesting things for us so we would never get bored. Looking forward to the future paradise when we have time to admire all the wonders of the earth! I wrote a poem about it: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/373615_to-all-my-friends

That's fascinating! I'd always assumed that the hairs or bristles on a cats tongue helped the cat to pull the water up into it's mouth. I've seen my cats though using the side of a bowl to help them to get the water up. So I don't think that they use this method all of the time.

OMG that's incredible. The act of drinking may seem like no big deal for anyone who can fully close his mouth to create suction, as people can. But the various species that cannot do so — and that includes most adult carnivores — must resort to some other mechanism.

hi elicbxn that is fascinating and I had known about the tip of the tongue.But I had not known that they lap so fast wow.I know its really hard to watch them as they drink so fast.They are a very elegant creature that is as fastidious as any thing. I have always loved watching a cat eat and drink.thanks for the educating us this is really fascinating.

I cannot believe how complex the process of discovery has been for this! It is fascinating, really...I have always thought that felines were so much classier than canines I have wondered how one of my cats manages huge gulps of water from his bowl in a split second! Cats are so extremely fascinating creatures!

What a waste of time! It was interesting, but there are more important things to study. It is good that it didn't cost anything though. I didn't know that cat's can't close their mouths completely. It just seems funny that they needed engineers and lab tests to see how animals drink. We all know they lap their drinks and they are more elegant than dogs at everything!

LOL...Well, at least knowing they are earning those big salaries with such important research must be a comfort to their parents who probably paid their college tuition. I have a cat who likes on occasion to dip her paw daintily into the water and lick it off. I get such a kick out of her!

This is so amazing, I never knew that! Is it why many cats seem to like drinking from the faucet, because it's less work for them?

Hi Elic, that's awesome how they can lap that way. I have a photo of a cat drinking...it's in one of those power point presentations on my other lap top. When I dig it out I will send it to you. Oh, btw....Happy Birthday sweety!

Tis a bit like a sponge isn't it! That 'rough' soaks the wet right up.

Hi Elic, Very interesting and to think, someone was as curious to find that out, love the big black cat. I have a little bowl of water on my coffee table where Tom my cat loves to drink and I have often watched him drinking his water but never thoght about how fast or how he is drinking it, food for though? Tamara

what will they think of next.

I could not get the message behind this post. Is it about a cat or engineers?

My cats lapping is a bit fast, as it seems to drink down a half gallon of water in 5 minutes sometimes. I wonder if cats have different levels of enigma, that makes some more fast at lapping water. Its a close call, but cats may find lapping better for their digestion.