Why do cats only lick water? What is the process of drinking water?

Cats choose to lick water rather than absorb water because carnivores such as cats have much less facial muscles than humans. After weaning, they can't seal their mouths to generate suction, and they have to rely on their tongues to send water into their mouths.

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech and Princeton University repeatedly played the pictures of domestic cats drinking water taken by high-speed cameras, and found that unlike people's previous understanding, the cat's tongue was not completely immersed in the water, but quickly retracted after the tip of the tongue touched the water surface, so that a tiny water column would be formed between the moving tongue and the water surface.

The water column flies to the cat's mouth with the cat's tongue. At this time, the cat will close its mouth and drink the water delivered to the door without wetting its chin.