Blep!

June 3, 2025

What is a blep?

Do you ever see your cat with their tongue sticking out a little bit? The internet seems to have named this behavior the blep, and it is undeniably cute! You all know I can't resist a cute cat, so this week I wanted to look a little more into the cat blep!

Why do cats blep?

Cats.com lists several reasons for the blep cat. The first one is that they may be investigating an interesting scent. As I mentioned in my article on cats sense of smell, cats have an extra organ on the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson's organ. This extra organ gives them the superpower of being able to be able to detect pheromones. They activate this organ using the Flehman response, where they curl their lips back to direct the scent to that extra sense in their mouth. This pulling back of the lips might also cause them to stick their tongue out, and they might forget to pull it back in if it is a particularly interesting scent!

A blep often happens if a cat is interrupted while grooming. They hear a noise or see a bird out the window and leave their tongue out in mid-lick. They forgot what they were doing and forgot that their tongue was out!

Another reason for a cat tongue out is that they are relaxed or falling asleep. They relax their jaw a little and their tongue can just slip out! Catster.com says this can be common in flat faced breeds like Persians. Their flattened faces leave less room for their tongue, so as they relax, their tongue can start to slip out.

Your cat might also know that you like it! Cats.com says if you react positively to seeing a blep, they will pick up on it. If you give them some attention like a chin rub, some pets or even a tasty treat after seeing a blep, you may have trained them to stick their tongue out in order to get that attention again.

Catster.com says another reason you might see a blep is if your cat is tasting something new. If you have changed to a different food, or even different treats, sometimes your cat might blep while they're trying to figure out the new taste or texture. They mention that mixing in the new and old foods can help your cat transition to the new food.

Another reason you might see a blep is if your cat is missing teeth. The teeth help to hold in the cat's tongue so if some are missing, particularly the larger fangs, then their tongue might slip out of the gap.

All the above reasons are pretty common and not a cause for concern, but there are other reasons a cat might stick their tongue out that might require a visit to the vet. One of these is if they have a sore mouth. Cats.com says this could be due to gum disease, licking something that irritates them, or that kidney disease could cause ulcers in the mouth. If a cat has a painful mouth, they might be sticking their tongue out to try to be more comfortable.

Nausea can also cause a cat blep. Catster.com says if your cat is blepping in the car, it could have travel sickness and it should go away after the trip. But, there are other medical reasons for a cat to feel sick. So, if they are not traveling and they are sticking their tongue out and drooling or vomiting it could be nausea that is causing the blep.

If your cat has suddenly started sticking their toungue out when they didn't before, or if their are other changes like they are drooling, vomiting or not eating, then it could be that they have a sore mouth or are feeling sick and they should see a vet.

Another reason your cat might stick their tongue out is that they are struggling to breathe, and this one is an emergency! Unlike dogs, it is unusual for cats to pant, so if you see your cat breathing with their mouth open, this could be a respiratory issue and life threatening, and they need to get to the vet right away!

In conclusion the cat blep is a common (and cute) cat behavior, but when it comes along with changes in behavior or if your cat is struggling to breathe, it's time to get it checked out!

And since you made it this far, I compiled some photos of cats blepping just for you!

A sleepy blep!