How many taste buds do cats have and what are they called?

Question

How many taste buds do cats have and what are they called?

Answer 1

They must not have any. If they did they wouldn't eat that crappy cat food

Answer 2

Cats have 473 taste buds (compare to human average of  9000).  As for what they are called, I am unaware of any other special name for taste buds, but the cells that make up taste buds are called receptor cells.  The bumps that taste buds sit on are called papillae, and the microscopic hairs on them are called microvilli.

http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2003...