 However, with cats, only the tip of their tongue (which is smooth) touches the water, and then the cat quickly pulls its tongue backing into its mouth which soon closes; this results in a column of liquid being pulled into the cat's mouth, which is then secured by its mouth closing.Ruminants and most other herbivores partially submerge the tip of the mouth in order to draw in water by means of a plunging action with the tongue held straight.Cats drink at a significantly slower pace than ruminants, who face greater natural predation hazards.