Do cats have the cleanest mouths in the world?
Emma Johnson
Updated on May 04, 2026
Both humans and dogs have mouths filled with bacteria. Not so surprisingly, the cat actually seems to have a cleaner mouth than a dog. Unlike humans, the microbe inside a cat’s mouth is more easily compared to a dog. About 50% of the bacteria that lives in the mouths of dogs are also found in the mouths of cats.
Whose mouths are cleaner dogs or cats?
You’ve probably heard the expression “a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth” at least once in your life. Most of us have just accepted this as fact, when we think about it at all, but have you ever wondered if it is actually true? Here’s a hint: the answer is no.
Is cat saliva safe for humans?
The rabies virus is the most dangerous saliva-borne germ a cat or dog can bestow on a person. Thankfully, rabies in people is very rare in the U.S. (only 47 cases were reported between 1990 and 2005), and most of those cases are attributed to bites from wild animals such as bats and raccoons.
Do cats mouths have germs?
In their mouths, all cats carry a large number of bacteria that are capable of causing tissue infections in bite wounds. One of the more common is highly pathogenic bacteria known as Pasteurella multocida.
How dirty is a cat’s tongue?
There are rumours that a cat’s mouth is actually more hygienic than a human’s. It is true that the bacteria in a cat’s mouth is quite similar to that of humans. As such, at any point in time, a cat’s mouth may be no dirtier than ours.
Can I eat food my cat licked?
In most cases, eating or drinking something after a cat licked it shouldn’t cause any concern. Honestly, the chances of you getting sick from a cat are very slim. Our immune system is very good at detecting most zoonotic diseases and protect you from them by eradicating them.
Are cat’s tongue clean?
A recent study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, shed new light on how cats’ scratchy tongues enable them to keep themselves so clean: they’re covered with hundreds of sharp, tiny hooks called filiform papillae.
Are human mouths dirtier than cats?
Myth: Pet Mouths Are Cleaner Than Human Mouths So unless you brush your pet’s teeth more than you brush your own, the total number of bacteria in your mouth will be lower.