Science

High-Speed Video Reveals How Cats Lap Up Milk

This is going to make your weekend so much better.  You’ll no longer be plagued by uncertainty about the cat-milk-lap conundrum.

And you can thank Roman Stocker.  He’s an MIT guy.  An expert in “fluid mechanics.” His cat, Cutta Cutta, is the central character in the solving of this mystery.  Roman would watch Cutta Cutta have breakfast each morning.  Eventually he decided to apply his fluid mechanics expertise.  This is what he found:

While dogs use their tongues to scoop up liquid, the cat‘s tongue makes only the briefest contact with the liquid’s surface, before quickly retracting to pull a thin column of milk into the mouth.

The act of lapping is judged so perfectly the cat catches the milk in its mouth before gravity overcomes the liquid’s inertia inducing it to fall back into the bowl.

Turns out the speed of the lap depends on the size of the cat:

High-speed video revealed that domestic cats average about four laps per second, with each lap bringing 0.1 millilitres of liquid into the mouth. Larger cats draw up thicker columns of liquid and so can afford to lap more slowly.

“The amount of liquid available for the cat to capture each time it closes its mouth depends on the size and speed of the tongue. Our research suggests that the cat chooses the speed in order to maximise the amount of liquid ingested per lap,” said Jeffrey Aristoff, a co-author on the study. “Cats are smarter than people think, at least when it comes to hydrodynamics.”

Editor’s note: Video has been updated.

Comments (87)

1 2 3
  • dazyann010501
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:11am

    How vary interesting.

    Report Post » Freedom_fighter  
  • seeker9
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:09am

    Just got a great idea for a cat tunnel. Turtles got a tunnel with stimulus funds, so why not cats?

    Report Post » seeker9  
  • SilentReader
    Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:03am

    You’ve got the wrong video with the story on cats!

    Report Post » SilentReader  
  • seeker9
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:10pm

    I have 0 cats. I remember a Felix the cat from my younger years.

    Report Post » seeker9  
  • Emily
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:49pm

    This isn’t news… this is useless.

    Report Post »  
    • Nvrforget
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:59pm

      That’s what they said about Lasers *crosses arms*

      Report Post »  
    • Catherine A.
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:10pm

      Not as useless as the latest drivel about Nancy Pelosi. >^^<

      Report Post » Catherine A.  
  • shane2813
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:44pm

    Here it is guys sorry. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b28_1289610881

    Report Post »  
    • bobbie22
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:27pm

      If you notice, on your tape in the slow motion the cats tongue curls up like a spoon. I saw something like this on the animal planet a while ago….
      Still is nice to see something like this. Change of pace from daily challenges…

      Report Post » bobbie22  
  • eteme
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:39pm

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/11/cats-cunning-physics-lap-milk here is the video..

    Report Post »  
  • Nvrforget
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:38pm

    This thread is now about awesome cat stuff.

    First bionic cat:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptSjvsP0y0k&feature=related

    Report Post »  
  • JustMel71
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:35pm

    There seems to be a mix up on the video/story. lol.. Well anyway, I thought they conducted this test years ago because I did hear of this revelation at least 10 yrs ago or more. They also concluded cats don’t see in color, their hearing is something like 10 x’s greater than a human. If you‘re a cat owner you’ll know their hearing is impeccable. I have a mouser cat who’s an inside cat and once during a snowy winter a field mouse got in and it was lights out for the small field mouse.

    Well great story for us cat owners. Even if I heard Glenn point out he doesn’t trust a cat owners with more than a certain amount. =)

    Report Post » JustMel71  
  • Rob in Adairsville
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:25pm

    The Cats and the Bees know about Burma!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post » Rob in Adairsville  
  • HillCountryPatriot
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:24pm

    Unfortunately, this isn’t the first cat-tease I’ve had tonight. STOP MESSING WITH MY MIND GLENN BECK!!! :)

    Report Post » Hill Country Patriot  
  • Gray_Lensman
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:03pm

    Might help if they would actually link the correct video to this article. I’m seeing “The story behind Aung San Suu Kyi” instead of a video about cats.

    Report Post »  
    • Catherine A.
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:19pm

      Uh, only about a dozen people have already commented on that.

      Report Post » Catherine A.  
    • OldFlyGuy
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:03pm

      Must be another E. E. (Doc) Smith fan?? One of my favorite series. Just reread that series as well as the Skylark series.

      Report Post »  
  • 123gone
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:02pm

    I can’t help but wonder if a Federal grant is involved in this somehow (?????).

    Report Post »  
  • Sage0925
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:01pm

    Slow news night?

    Report Post »  
  • janddjohnson
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:56pm

    This link may work…

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/11/cats-cunning-physics-lap-milk

    interesting about cats…

    Report Post » Deanna in Missouri  
  • Fear The Voices
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:39pm

    Funny thing is, it can be compared to the speed at which Congress (symbolized by the cat) spends money (milk) before taxpayer (gravity) can earn it.

    Report Post » Fear The Voices  
  • Jezreel
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:38pm

    I have six cats, 4 Manx and a Persian and American shorthair that are fun and entertaining and spoiled rotten.

    Report Post »  
    • Catherine A.
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:06pm

      I wouldn’t be making public acknowledgments that I had six cats, Jezreel. You know what they say about people like that. :)

      Report Post » Catherine A.  
    • AUTHOR22
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 9:28am

      No what do they say about people like that?

      BTW I have 7. 4 males and 3 females. All fixed.

      Report Post »  
  • Okpulot Taha
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:38pm

    Cats are smarter than dogs, cats bury what dogs love to eat.

    Okpulot Taha
    Choctaw Nation

    Report Post »  
    • Parkeralan
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:42pm

      OKPULOT TAHA purrrred, “Cats are smarter than dogs, cats bury what dogs love to eat.”

      Haha Taha! And dogs make humans clean up after them, I think dogs are smarter than us!

      Did you hear about the dyslexic atheist insomniac? He’d stay awake all night wondering if “Dog” existed…

      Report Post » Parkeralan  
  • Sledgehammer
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:33pm

    My cat’s a lush, oh he’ll drink milk ok, but don’t crack open a Bud around him, it could cost you your hand!

    Report Post » Sledgehammer  
  • FaithHopeCharity45
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:30pm

    Wrong video…..they are not cats.

    Report Post »  
  • RushRevisited
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:29pm

    Video is showing something about Burma, not a cat.

    Report Post »  
    • Nvrforget
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:36pm

      Burmese cats maybe? They’re supposedly very sweet.

      Report Post »  
  • bbquizzle
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:26pm

    That’s pretty cool, myself being a cat owner.

    Report Post » bbquizzle  
  • RobertCA
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:26pm

    Mixed stories ??????????????

    Report Post » Robert-CA  
  • dressseller
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:24pm

    You’re right. This made my weekend so much better. Really.

    I don‘t have a cat but I’ve often thought to myself that they are very good at hydrodynamics. You can just tell.

    Report Post »  
    • Nvrforget
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:32pm

      Also, they’re pretty good at Thermodynamics. My cat Schopenhauer and I have several discussions about that topic every week. It’s very enlightening.

      Report Post »  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 1:51am

      I can relax now – and stop worrying about how my cat drink water. This has kept me up for hours of my life worrying about it – but alas, the answer has been found!! http://wp.me/pYLB7-l4

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
  • thepatriotdave
    Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:23pm

    Aw c’mon, not Cats.

    PatriotShops.com

    Report Post » thepatriotdave  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 9:45pm

      Video technical malfunction has occured; wrong one is being shown…how long until a conspiracy of cats involved with the tea parties is declared by the left?

      My cat strangly detests straight milk, yet has a fondness for small tastes of ketchup and mustard. Go figure with cats! Also she is smarter than a whip as well; in my oppinion.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • eteme
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:29pm

      Snowlepor does your cat also like brats??

      Report Post »  
    • BlazingPatriot
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:35pm

      Profound !!

      Report Post » BlazingPatriot  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:41pm

      @Eteme

      I am not sure if you meant to say ‘Rats’ or ‘Brauts’; in the case of ‘rats’ a resounding yes. for the Brauts, sometimes she will nibble on a very small piece.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • T.JeffersonWasTheBest
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 10:50pm

      The Research was probably paid for by stimulus funds.

      Report Post » T.JeffersonWasTheBest  
    • Nvrforget
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:16pm

      Implying that the stimulus funds aren’t long gone, probably spent on something even less useful.

      Report Post »  
    • adjams
      Posted on November 13, 2010 at 11:16pm

      Glenn Becks website baselessly accuses the Burmese of being cats.

      If the video gets repaired my post wont make sense anymore :(

      Report Post »  
    • ANewActivist
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 12:49am

      Let’s see… at .1milliliters per lap and 4 laps per second it would take 2.5 seconds to lap just 1 milliliter of milk or 250 seconds to lap up 1 cubic centimeter. Is this “study” as flawed as I think it is?

      Seems to me there was, some years ago, a high speed photographic study showing that a cats tongue actually curls underneath and back forming a little cup. It is in that little cup that they actually get their drink. In fact, I think if you look closely at the video you can actually see it.

      What do you think?

      It must certainly have been a government study, how else could Mr. Stocker have gotten it so wrong? Years ago high speed photography revealed that, as cats lap their drink, they form a little cup on the back side of their tongues. (Yes, it actually curls up backwards) It is in that little cup that they actually get their drink. In fact, if you look closely at the video you can see it.

      Report Post »  
    • rebel
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:15am

      thank god america doesn’t do stupid studies like this….oh wait.

      Report Post » quiet little lamb  
    • Dustyluv
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 4:22am

      Great news BLAZE…I mean really, is this news BLAZE?

      Makes me want to go get stimulus money and film my dog drinking water to see if it is the same process…What a waste of time.

      Report Post »  
    • stoutj
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 7:35am

      Gosh I hope my tax money is paying for that.

      Report Post »  
    • BernieKittyCat
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 8:57am

      April 15, 2009 at my first TEA party rally in Lansing, MI featured my sign that read, “Even my cat knows you can’t spend your way out of debt!” Don‘t tell me cats aren’t smart! ; )

      Report Post » BernieKittyCat  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on November 14, 2010 at 10:09am

      I knew it, from watching this video and it’s narrative, I believe my cat is a racist.

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
1 2 3

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love