Final answer:
Cats' tongues have a rough texture due to the presence of filiform papillae, which are mechanical and do not contain taste buds, aiding in grooming.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of lingual papillae responsible for giving cats' tongues their rough, sandpaper-like texture is the filiform papillae. These are long and thin papillae covered in stratified squamous epithelium, and unlike other papillae, they do not contain taste buds but have mechanical and tactile receptors. The filiform papillae create an abrasive surface on the tongue, which is especially useful for cats as it assists with grooming by helping to clean and detangle fur.
Other types of papillae include fungiform papillae, which contain taste buds and cover a large area of the tongue, foliate papillae, leaf-like papillae that contain taste buds within their folds, and vallate papillae, which are wall-like structures also containing taste buds. However, these do not contribute to the rough texture that is characteristic of a cat's tongue.
The rough, sandpaper-like feel of a cat's tongue is due to the presence of filiform papillae. These papillae are thin and long and create an abrasive surface on the tongue, which helps the cat groom itself by removing dirt and loose fur.