Anyone who's been licked by a cat can speak of the sandpaper-like surface of their flexible tongues. But according to new research, the tiny hooks responsible for this roughness are the secret behind cats' expert grooming, acting like'heat-seeking missiles' for tangles. By capturing these features with macro and high-speed videography, researchers have now 3D-printed a cat tongue at 400% scale, and they say the technique could be used to improve soft robotics systems and wound cleaning materials. By capturing macro and high speed videos of cats grooming, researchers found that the features on their tongues are like tiny claws in both shape and sharpness. These, they say, act like heat-seeking missiles for tangles.