Besides the ears, eyes, nose, and organ of Jacobson, the cat tongue is also a sensory organ with which the cat can distinguish sour, bitter, and salty. Therefore, a cat cannot perceive sweetness. The tongue of a cat is very sensitive. In case of damage (notorious is, for example, a herpes virus infection -no disease), the animal can stop eating and drinking, because of the painful blisters on the tongue. The spines (papillae) directed backward to ensure that the cat has a rough tongue. These papillae contain keratin. Taken together, this makes the cat’s tongue an excellent tool for grooming her coat. The tongue of a female cat is rougher than the tongue of a male cat. So a female cat can take better care of her young.
A cat with tongue problems is therefore easily recognizable because a mothy, unkempt coat is noticeable within a few days.