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Why Your Cat Keeps Flicking Its Tongue And What To Do About It!

Although cats can be great pets to keep, they can have some strange behaviors that make their owners wonder exactly what their pet cat is doing and in some situations, it may actually cause their owner to worry about a potential health issue with their pet cat.

Due to this, we see a large number of questions every single month about what you should be doing to care for your pet cat as well as what some of their strange behaviors actually mean.

One of these behaviors that we have seen people asking about recently is why their cat keeps flicking its tongue around randomly.

Depending on the cat, this behavior or symptom may not actually develop until later in life when the cat is old making it obvious that there has been a behavior change or a potential problem with your pet cat causing it to start flicking its tongue around.

It Is Normal For A Cat To Keep Flicking Its Tongue?

Yes, it is actually quite normal for your pet cat to keep flicking its tongue around.

This is a behavior that is often exhibited by young kittens who are trying to learn more about their environment and the world around them by tasting everything.

As they get older, this behavior should start to subside but in some cases, it may continue well into adulthood.

The tongue-flicking behavior is also commonly seen in cats who are trying to groom themselves but are having trouble reaching a certain spot on their body.

In these cases, the cat will often flick its tongue around in an attempt to get rid of any dirt, debris or parasites that may be present on their fur.

If you notice that your pet cat is tongue-flicking more than usual or if the behavior seems to be excessive, it is always best to take them to see a veterinarian as there may be an underlying health condition causing the behavior.

Potential Health Problems

There are a number of different health conditions that can cause a cat to keep flicking its tongue around excessively including:-

  • Oral health problems like gingivitis, stomatitis or tooth decay.
  • Allergies.
  • Respiratory infections.
  • Fever.
  • Kidney disease.
  • Liver disease.

As you can see, there are a number of different health conditions that can cause your pet cat to flick its tongue around excessively so it is always best to take them to see a veterinarian if you are concerned about their health.

What Can You Do To Help Your Cat That Is Flicking Its Tongue?

If you notice that your pet cat is tongue-flicking excessively, the first thing you should do is take them to see a veterinarian so they can rule out any potential health problems.

If the veterinarian finds that there is no underlying health condition causing the behavior, they may suggest some environmental changes that you can make to help your pet cat feel more comfortable.

Some of the changes that they may recommend include:-

  • Providing them with more hiding spots.
  • Giving them access to a scratching post.
  • Changing their diet.
  • Adding some new toys or puzzles.

These are just some of the changes that you can make to help your pet cat feel more comfortable and may help to reduce the amount of tongue-flicking behavior that they exhibit.

As always, if you have any concerns about your pet cat’s health or behavior, it is best to consult with a veterinarian.

Should I Be Worried If My Cat Is Flicking Its Tongue?

No, you should not be worried if your pet cat is flicking its tongue around as this is a normal behavior for them and the chances of the tongue flicking being due to a potentially serious health issue is actually very small.

However, if you notice that the behavior is excessive or if your pet cat seems to be having difficulty grooming themselves, it is always best to take them to see a veterinarian so they can rule out any potential health problems.

This will allow you to get professional advice on how to help your pet cat feel more comfortable and may help to reduce the amount of tongue-flicking behavior that they exhibit as well as what the potential problem with your cat actually is.