At some time or another, you may have noticed your cat staring off into space with their tongue sticking out, looking completely zoned out. What is this and why do cats stick their tongue out?
A cat sticking their tongue out is also known as a “blep”, which is a slang term that describes an animal sticking their tongue out.
If you have ever saw your cat sticking their tongue out, it can signal a number of different things about your cat and it’s surroundings. It can also be a negative sign where an illness is responsible for this action. Everything will be revealed inside of this article.
Why Does My Cat Stick Out Its Tongue?
Taste And Texture
Cats have a very strong preference when it comes to both texture and taste. They maybe leaving their tongue sticking out due to some lingering taste or foreign body stuck in their mouth. They may also stick their tongue out repeatedly.
Curiosity
We all know that cats are very curious creatures who like to know everything you are doing around the house. A cat sticking their tongue out may be a case of them stopping what they were doing, and forgetting to put their tongue back in.
There is a scientific explanation for this behavior which is used by many animals as part of social behaviour. It is called the Flehmen response and is used to pick up chemical signals which happens when a cat is curious about something such as a scent.
The scent enters their mouth and is flicked up into a special organ called the vomeronasal organ by their tongue. This happens a lot when they are picking up on pheromones of other cats.
Food Stuck Between A Cats Teeth
Food lodged between your cats teeth could also cause them to stick their tongue out, but more often you will find the tongue moving in and out repeatedly. Always remember to do regular checks of your cats teeth, because dental hygiene is very important.
Poor dental health can lead to other and more serious health complications.
Extremely Relaxed
Similar to how a humans mouth can open during sleep, a cats jaw can also loosen if they become very relaxed. A relaxed or loosened jaw can cause the tip of the tongue to poke out of their mouth.
Medication
If your cat is on some kind of medication for anxiety or stress, this may cause their tongue to stick out. The reason for this being that this kind of medication can cause relaxation.
As stated in the previous point, relaxation can loosen a cats jaw, causing the top of thier tongue to start sticking out.
Problematic Health Conditions
So we have covered some of the reasons why a cat sticks their tongue out. In this section we will show some of the more serious reasons why your cat may be doing this behavior.
- Dental Issues: Includes abscess, gum disease, and tooth decay.
- Infections: Infections and inflammation can cause your cats tongue to stick out.
- Senior Dementia: Also known as cognitive dysfunction system (CDS). A tongue sicking out is one of the signs of senior dementia.
- Respiratory Infections: As well as sticking their tongue out repeatedly, other signs of this include difficulty breathing, sneezing, coughing, and drooling excessively.
- Stomatitis: Other symptoms of stomatitis include drooling, and loss of appetite.
- Heatstroke: This is why it is important to never leave your cat in a car or a room that is going to make them overheat. Cats naturally have a very low thirst-drive. If this is the case, try using a cat water fountain.
Conclusion
The next time you notice your cat staring into space with the tip of their tongue sticking out, remember that this cute behavior is perfectly normal and more than likely due to curiosity or some kind of taste going on in their mouth.
It’s also wise to be aware of the more serious reasons that could be causing this action. If you are worried or uncertain in any way, always seek the advice of a professional veterinarian.
