Cats Lapping: Is Using the Paw a Sign of Deficiency?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jtbell
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
Researchers from MIT, VPI, and Princeton have uncovered the mechanics of how cats lap water, establishing a formula that correlates lapping rate with cat weight. The findings were highlighted in articles from the New York Times and CNN, which referenced complex mathematical equations used in the study. The discussion also touched on a lesser-known behavior in a small percentage of domesticated cats that drink by scooping water with their paws. This behavior raises questions about whether these cats have a deficiency affecting their lapping ability or if they have developed a unique method for drinking. Observations from animal control officers indicate that while this paw-scooping behavior is rare, it does occur in some cats, potentially linked to their physical capabilities or preferences.
jtbell
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Messages
16,023
Reaction score
7,620
Two researchers at MIT and one apiece at VPI and Princeton have discovered the mechanism behind cat-lapping and worked out a formula for lapping rate as a function of cat weight.

From today's New York Times:

Cats Lap With Just Tip of the Tongue, Engineers Find

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/11/11/science/1248069317702/how-cats-lap.html
 
Biology news on Phys.org
The article on CNN made reference to "complicated mathematical equations" and the NYT article says they used "a bunch of integral equations." Anyone got a link to the actual science?
 
Now, at least we have that mystery solved :biggrin:

The science: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/science.1195421"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Monique said:
Now, at least we have that mystery solved :biggrin:

One mystery solved. Very cool !

I have another mystery related to this topic. A very small percentage of domesticated cats drink by scooping water with their paw. I wonder why they do that. Are these cases of handicapped cats that did not inherit the correct lapping frequency formula? Or, are they cat-geniuses that have discovered a superior method?
 
stevenb said:
One mystery solved. Very cool !

I have another mystery related to this topic. A very small percentage of domesticated cats drink by scooping water with their paw. I wonder why they do that. Are these cases of handicapped cats that did not inherit the correct lapping frequency formula? Or, are they cat-geniuses that have discovered a superior method?


Does the cat always use its paw? My cat does that when he can't fit his head all the way to the bottom of a glass.
 
Phyisab**** said:
Does the cat always use its paw? My cat does that when he can't fit his head all the way to the bottom of a glass.

Apparently some cats always use the paw method, but it seems to be a very small percentage. My wife (an animal control officer) has seen 3 of these cats come through the local shelter. She told me this when I showed her this thread.

Another animal control officer (also a neighbor of mine) adopted one of these 3 cats, and it has always consumed water this way.

It's interesting that your cat uses the paw, when it is unable to lap. Maybe these rare cats have some deficiency that prevents them from lapping effectively?
 

Thread 'Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)'

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/body-dysmorphia/ Most people have some mild apprehension about their body, such as one thinks their nose is too big, hair too straight or curvy. At the extreme, cases such as this, are difficult to completely understand. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/other/why-would-someone-want-to-amputate-healthy-limbs/ar-AA1MrQK7?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=68ce4014b1fe4953b0b4bd22ef471ab9&ei=78 they feel like they're an amputee in the body of a regular person "For...
View full post »
Thread 'Did they discover another descendant of homo erectus?'

Thread 'Did they discover another descendant of homo erectus?'

The study provides critical new insights into the African Humid Period, a time between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago when the Sahara desert was a green savanna, rich in water bodies that facilitated human habitation and the spread of pastoralism. Later aridification turned this region into the world's largest desert. Due to the extreme aridity of the region today, DNA preservation is poor, making this pioneering ancient DNA study all the more significant. Genomic analyses reveal that the...
View full post »

Thread 'Warning of new opiod drug (nitazene) on the streets: Question re strength...'

Whenever these opiods are mentioned they usually mention that e.g. fentanyl is "50 times stronger than heroin" and "100 times stronger than morphine". Now it's nitazene which the public is told is everything from "much stronger than heroin" and "200 times stronger than fentany"! Do these numbers make sense at all? How do they arrive at them? Kill thousands of mice? En passant: nitazene have already been found in both Oxycontin pills and in street "heroin" here, so Naloxone is more...
View full post »

Similar threads

Physics What are the steps to becoming a physicist?
Replies
1
Views
3K
What Are Your Favorite Enlightening Quotes?
Replies
14
Views
5K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 231)
Replies
5
Views
3K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 231)
Replies
5
Views
3K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)
Replies
7
Views
3K
Mathematica This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics (Week 236)
Replies
9
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top