Rough Texture: A cat's tongue feels rough because it's covered in tiny, backward-facing spines called papillae.
Self-Cleaning: Cats are meticulous groomers, and their tongues are designed to self-clean.
Taste Buds: Cats have taste buds on their tongues, but not as many as humans.
Painful Licking: A cat's tongue can feel abrasive when they lick your skin. It's not meant to be painful, but it's due to the backward-facing papillae.
Heat Regulation: Cats pant through their tongues to help regulate body temperature. When they're too hot, they'll lick their fur and then pant to cool down.
Drool Control: Cats don't slobber like dogs because they have a U-shaped crevice on their tongue's back that helps control saliva.
Directional Licking: Cats usually lick in the direction from the tip of their tongue towards the throat.
Water Uptake: Cats use their tongues like a ladle when drinking water. They curl their tongues backward to scoop up liquid, allowing them to drink without getting their whiskers wet.
Tongue as a Sensor: Cats use their tongues to assess the texture and temperature of objects.
Barbed Papillae: The papillae on a cat's tongue act like barbs when catching prey.