A housecat’s nearly 300 papillae hold a small amount of saliva that’s released when the tongue presses on fur, and then they wick up some more. The tongue’s surface is wetter.

The clip, which now has over 4.1 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed how a cat's tongue is covered in backwards facing spines, also called papillae.

Cats have a fantastic reputation when it comes to cleanliness. Their special tongues with a texture that resembles sandpaper ...

Most cat owners get used to the odd rituals of their pets. These habits might seem random, but many have solid roots in instinct, biology, or communication. Here are 15 cat behaviors that seem bizarre ...

All cats — even the big ones — have abrasive tongues. What you’re feeling when a cat licks you are hundreds of spiny structures known as filiform papillae. Humans have a few different kinds of ...

These little structures that line the surface of a cat’s tongue are called filiform papillae. They’re hooked, and they are directed toward the throat.

Cats also stick their tongue out because they’re curious — it allows them to “taste” their environment. "Cats use all senses to explore the world, including taste," Amy Shojai, ...