Why does a cat breathe with its mouth open, sticking out its tongue in the summer? - briefly
Cats often breathe with their mouths open and stick out their tongues in the summer as a means of regulating their body temperature. This behavior helps them expel heat through panting, similar to how dogs cool down.
Why does a cat breathe with its mouth open, sticking out its tongue in the summer? - in detail
In the heat of summer, cats often exhibit an unusual behavior: they breathe with their mouths open and stick out their tongues. This phenomenon is not merely a feline quirk but rather a sophisticated physiological response designed to regulate body temperature.
Cats, like many mammals, do not sweat in the same way humans do. While cats have sweat glands on their paws, this mechanism alone is insufficient for effective heat dissipation during extreme temperatures. Instead, they rely on a more efficient cooling method: panting. When the ambient temperature rises, a cat's body temperature can also increase to dangerous levels. To combat overheating, cats employ a process similar to evaporative cooling, which is observed in dogs and some other animals.
When a cat pants, it takes shallow, rapid breaths through its mouth rather than its nose. This allows more moisture from the lungs to be expelled as vapor, which then cools the body as it evaporates. The tongue, with its rich blood supply and extensive surface area, plays a crucial role in this process. By extending the tongue and breathing through the mouth, cats maximize the exposed surface area for heat loss.
Additionally, the unique structure of a cat's tongue enhances its ability to dissipate heat. The rough, sandpapery texture of the tongue is covered in tiny, backward-facing hooks called papillae. These papillae not only aid in grooming and food manipulation but also facilitate evaporative cooling by increasing the surface area available for moisture to escape.
Moreover, cats have a higher body temperature than humans—typically around 100.5°F (38°C) compared to the human average of 98.6°F (37°C). This elevated baseline temperature makes them more susceptible to heat stress in hot environments. Therefore, their panting mechanism is essential for maintaining a safe internal temperature and preventing heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
In summary, cats breathe with their mouths open and stick out their tongues in the summer as an adaptive response to regulate body temperature. This behavior leverages evaporative cooling, utilizing the tongue's surface area and the moisture from the lungs to dissipate heat efficiently. Understanding this physiological process underscores the sophisticated mechanisms cats employ to survive and thrive in various environmental conditions.