Why does my cat stick its tongue out? Absent-mindedness, smells and when to worry
It is almost always a harmless slip: the cat is so relaxed that it forgets to pull the tip of its tongue back in after grooming or when dozing off. But if it keeps its tongue out for a long time, drools, breathes with its mouth open or has bad breath, it may point to a dental problem, nausea, breathing difficulty or poisoning.
Tongue out by accident
It is one of the sweetest sights a cat offers: lying down, relaxed or half asleep, with the little pink tip of its tongue peeking out between its teeth. It often happens after grooming, after eating or on waking from a deep nap. The explanation is simple: the cat is so relaxed that the muscles of its mouth go slack and it doesn’t quite pull its tongue back in. Sometimes the tongue also catches on a tooth or lip. It passes as soon as the cat notices or moves. It means nothing at all and is no sign of anything wrong: if anything, it shows the cat is calm and comfortable. On social media this gesture even has its own name, the blep, and photos of cats with their tongues out run into the millions. If you want to take one, don’t wake your cat: it usually lasts only a few seconds.
The sniffing grimace: the vomeronasal organ
Another situation in which a cat may sit with its mouth half open, its upper lip slightly raised and an expression that looks like disgust is known as the Flehmen response. It usually appears after the cat has sniffed something with great interest, such as another cat’s urine, a piece of your clothing, a shoe that has come in from outside or a plant. With this gesture, the cat directs scent molecules towards the vomeronasal organ, also called Jacobson’s organ, which sits in the roof of the mouth behind the incisors and detects pheromones and chemical signals. It is a way of smelling more thoroughly. It lasts a few seconds and is completely normal.
A tongue that works like a brush
A cat’s tongue is a sophisticated tool. It is covered in hundreds of tiny, stiff, backward-facing keratin spines, the filiform papillae, which work like the bristles of a brush: they detangle the fur and remove dirt and dead hair. A study published in 2018 in the journal PNAS by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in the United States, showed that these papillae are shaped like hollow scoops and hold saliva, which the cat spreads right down to the skin rather than just over the surface of the coat. That is why its tongue feels rough and why, when grooming, it swallows so much hair, which it may later bring up as hairballs.
Breeds and cats that do it more
Some cats stick their tongues out more often because of their anatomy. Flat-faced breeds such as the Persian, the Exotic and the Himalayan have a shortened jaw and palate, and sometimes the tongue doesn’t quite fit or is more exposed. Cats with missing teeth also do it more, especially those without their lower canines, as these are the teeth that keep the tongue inside the mouth; this is common in older cats that have had teeth removed because of dental problems or gingivostomatitis. In these cases, if the cat eats and grooms normally and doesn’t drool, it is not usually a problem.
When a tongue out is a warning sign
There are situations in which a tongue sticking out should worry you. If your cat is breathing with its mouth open and its tongue out while at rest, it is an emergency: cats don’t pant like dogs, and doing so may indicate heatstroke, asthma, a heart problem, fluid in the chest or extreme stress. If it keeps its tongue out for a long time and drools as well, it may have nausea, mouth pain, an ulcer on the tongue, like those caused by calicivirus, or a foreign body, such as a thread caught under the tongue. Never pull on a thread coming out of a cat’s mouth: it may be wound around the intestines.
Poisoning and bitter tastes
A cat that suddenly sticks its tongue out, drools heavily, shakes its head or pulls faces may have licked something irritating or bitter. This happens with plants such as pothos, dieffenbachia or philodendron, which contain crystals that irritate the mouth, with cleaning products that stay on its paws and are then licked off during grooming, or with flea treatments applied where its tongue can reach. Some medicines and tablets also cause heavy drooling because of their taste. If you suspect your cat has touched or licked something toxic, rinse its mouth with water if it will let you, keep the packaging and call the vet. The permethrin in dog flea treatments is especially dangerous.
Dental and mouth problems
Dental disease is very common in adult cats and often goes unnoticed. A cat with a sore mouth may leave its tongue out, drool, chatter its teeth, chew on one side or drop its food, have bad breath or refuse dry food in favour of wet. The most common causes are tartar and periodontal disease, tooth resorption, in which the tooth is gradually destroyed from the inside, and chronic gingivostomatitis, a very painful inflammation of the gums and mouth. A dental check at every annual visit and, when needed, a clean under anaesthetic prevent a great deal of suffering.
What to do if you are unsure
If the tongue out is an occasional slip in a cat that eats, drinks, grooms and plays normally, there is nothing to do; take a photo, if anything. If it happens a lot, look inside its mouth in good light, if it lets you: check for very red or bleeding gums, broken teeth or tartar, wounds or ulcers on the tongue and any thread or foreign body. If it also drools, breathes with its mouth open, has bad breath, has stopped eating or seems low, see the vet. And if it is struggling to breathe or its gums are pale or bluish, go to an emergency vet straight away.
A cat with the tip of its tongue out is almost always relaxed and has simply forgotten about it; a half-open mouth after sniffing something is the Flehmen response, which is normal. Flat-faced cats and cats without canines do it more. It is a concern if the cat also drools, breathes with its mouth open, has bad breath or stops eating: it may be dental pain, nausea, poisoning or a breathing problem.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.