Cats look like adorable, little, cuddly creatures that often give you the hot and cold treatment.
They're usually seen cleaning themselves at any given moment and most people usually wouldn't think twice about it.
However, you might reconsider letting a cat lick you the next time they get close after seeing what their tongue looks like.
At a glance, it might seem to be an ordinary appendage, however, when you see it up close it takes on a horrifying appearance.
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Vet Peter Carlos recently posted a video of a cat's tongue on Instagram and it has left people feeling very unsettled.
One person said: "That looks terrifying."
Another added: "I love cats. more than humans even. but don't show me this nasty ish again."
A third wrote: "So that's why they say cat tongues are rough. That makes sense, considering I've been licked on the cheek by a cat."
Cat tongues are covered in backward-facing spines called papillae and each one apparently has the stiffness of a human fingernail.
According to Cats Protection, papillae helps felines strip meat from bones, allowing them to extract the maximum nutrition from their prey in the most quick and efficient way.
They also play a major part in how cats drink water. The papillae scoops up water up from the surface, creating a column that the cat then closes their mouth around.
They're used for grooming too, with the backwards facing positioning acting as a comb.
Pretty clever, eh?
However, if you thought this was impressive on a domestic cat, wait until you see larger animals in the same kingdom.
According to Exploration Junkie, a lion has approximately 50 times the roughness on its tongue compared to a domestic cat and it can often feel like sandpaper when you touch it.
The outlet claims these papillae are essential for removing the fur, feathers and skin of recently obtained prey.
They can strip the outer layer before sinking their teeth on the meat underneath.
The spikes also help it tenderise the flesh.
Lions can also get rid of excess fur with their tongues when they need to.
Hopefully you don't find yourself in a situation where you'll need to avoid a lion, but you'll definitely want to steer clear of their tongue because it might be pretty painful if they use it correctly.
Stewart Perrie