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• A cat's tongue is rough on top and smooth underneath.
• The rough upper surface is covered in papillae, or small bumps.
• There are 4 kinds of papillae.
  1. Conical papillae -- the most numerous, large, and backwards-pointing. They give the cat's tongue its rasping quality.
  2. Flattened papillae -- found at the root of the tongue.
  3. Fungiform papillae -- along the sides of the tongue.
  4. Circumvallate papillae -- the least numerous, found at the back of the tongue
• A cat uses its tongue for tasting and to move food into the mouth.
• The tongue also can rasp mosels of meat from bones.
• It is used to lap up liquids.
• It also is important for grooming. The tongue is used to clean the fur and to smooth the fur when its ruffled.
• The tongue also will dry the fur if it gets wet.
• Cats use their tongue to greet their close companions with a little lick.
• And cats will pant, drawing air over their tongues, to help cool themselves.

Source: Cat Breeds of the World, by Desmond Morris, Viking, New York, 1996, p.24.