Most cat owners rarely, if ever, see their cat drooling. They aren’t the type of animal to start salivating viciously while imaging chewing on some food. This is why it can be concerning when you suddenly see your cat has started to drool. Drooling can actually be a sign of a serious problem with a cat’s health. However, it can also be something fairly minor.
If you notice your cat has started to drool, it is behavior you need to keep an eye on. It is rarely normal for a cat to drool. This means that when you notice it, you should start to pay attention to how and when they are drooling. Knowing more about the context of your cat’s drooling can help you get to the bottom of why they’re doing it. A cat that has started to drool while sleeping will have a different reason for their behavior than a cat who has started to drool while being played with.
In most cases, drooling is a sign that something is wrong with your cat’s mouth. Investigating why they’re drooling can help you take steps to solve the problem. However, it is important to keep in mind that a vet trip might be your best option. These trained professionals are a lot better at figuring out why a cat has a certain condition going on, so it is often good to trust their judgement. First, you’ve got to look at when your cat is drooling and try to rule out the simpler reasons for this behavior.
Is a Cat Drooling Ever Normal?
A cat drooling is a bit of a strange sight, and you might be concerned that it is instantly a sign of a large health problem for your pet. You can usually work out whether this is the case or not by paying attention to your cat’s behavior. It is rarely normal for a cat to drool, but there are exceptions to this. Cats do drool for perfectly normal and mundane reasons in quite a few cases.
Some cats will drool quite a bit while they’re being petted and having attention given to them. This is strange but it is a behavior that some cats do. This isn’t much of a sign for concern.
In cases like these, the drooling is largely not a cause for concern. The cat is just drooling because this is a strange quirk of their personality. If you’re particularly worried about it, you can bring it up to your vet. But relaxed drooling when being stroked can probably wait until their next check-up.
Nervousness and Stress
Some cats can drool simply because they’re nervous. Stress and nerves will affect animals just as much as it affects humans. In these cases, you might notice your cat begin to drool in a stressful situation, like having a lot of visitors to the house.
The best things to do is to make sure your cat is feeling comfortable. You can also try to help them with their stress. Their stress might be causing their drooling, so addressing the root cause is the most important thing to do. Keep an eye on your cat in the days that follow and make sure their drooling does not return. If it was a one-off occasion, it was likely just caused by stress rather than a larger health problem.
Kittens
Drooling is considerably more common in kittens than it is in cats. Kittens kneed their mothers to get milk when they’re nursing. When they’re fully grown, they repeat this behavior when they’re relaxed. The milk that they previously got when nursing will cause them to drool. Relaxing can invoke similar feelings of comfort, causing them to drool. This means it isn’t uncommon for a kitten to start to drool when they are just relaxing.
In kittens, drooling isn’t the most worrying thing compared with an adult cat. While you should still mention excessive drooling to your vet, it is much more common in kittens and not necessarily a cause for concern like it is with adults.
Abnormal Drooling in Cats
Those sources of drooling in cats are all fairly normal. This doesn’t mean that they are all that common, but it does mean these sources are less worrying. Abnormal drooling in cats is the type of drooling that isn’t just a general part of behavior. This is drooling that is a cause for concern.
If your cat is drooling and you can’t attribute it to one of those ordinary (if rare) types of drooling, then you have to consider that this might be a sign of a health problem in your cat.
Drooling Because of Oral Problems
Oral hygiene and teeth health is just as important to cats as it is to us. However, pets usually have their teeth and mouths neglected considerably more than humans do. These are some of the main reasons why a cat might drool because of their oral health
- Tooth Decay – This can lead to a cat drooling at random and likely some pain as well.
- Mouth Disease – Mouth disease can lead to drooling in your cat’s mouth, this can become a real problem for your cat if it goes on for quite a while.
- Tartar Build-up – A build-up of tartar on your cat’s teeth can rub against the inside of their lips. This is irritating and will eventually cause them to drool quite a bit. This is one of the easier causes of drooling to take care of.
- Mouth Sores – A sore in your cat’s mouth can cause drooling in a similar way to tartar build-up. The sore can irritate their lips and cause them to drool.
- Serious Oral Problems – More serious oral problems like cancer or throat disease can also cause drooling.
- Injuries – A cut or small injury if your cat’s mouth or throat can cause them to drool.
It can be difficult to tell which of these oral problems is actually the cause of your cat’s drooling. Understandably, this might be worrying since some unclean teeth have the same symptom as oral cancer. This makes it important for you to treat the cause of the drooling as soon as possible.
What to do When Your Cat is Drooling from Oral Problems?
If your cat is drooling from oral problems, the best thing you can do is seek specialist advice. Take notice of when your cat is drooling, any of their other symptoms, and anything else that could help you figure out what their exact problem is. Make sure to take your cat to the vet as soon as possible so they can determine what type of oral problem is causing your cat to drool.
Drooling Because of Health Problems
The link between oral problems and a cat drooling is quite understandable, an oral problem would cause an oral symptom like drooling. However, it could be an overall health problem. General health problems can also cause drooling, and it can be an early warning that something is wrong. These are some of the main reasons why your cat might be drooling because of their overall health.
- Something They’ve Eaten – Your cat can end up drooling because of something they’ve eaten by mistake. Obviously this shouldn’t be happening just from a new food. However, it could be a sign they’ve eaten something they shouldn’t. In these cases, you should try and find out if they may have eaten something toxic and take them to a vet.
- Organ Problems – Your cat might be drooling because of a problem with their organs. Issues with their liver and kidneys can cause a cat to drool, and this is one of the easiest symptoms of these problems to catch.
- Repertory Problems – A cat drooling can be a sign of an upper respiratory problem. You should be mindful of this if your cat is drooling and has some difficulty breathing.
- Allergies – If your cat is coming into contact with something they’re allergic too, drooling is a common problem.
- Stress – A cat can drool because of small stresses and upsets. However, if your cat is drooling because of stresses too often it can become a real problem. If this is happening often instead of isolated incidents, you’ll need to look into reducing your cat’s stress overall.
What to Do If Your Cat is drooling from a Health Problem
If your cat is drooling because of a bigger health problem, the main thing to do is take them to a vet. This is by far the best option, watch out for other symptoms and get everything checked out. While drooling can be a bit of a random behavior or the result of something simple, like swallowing some string, it can also be a warning sign of a major health problem. Taking them to the vet is the best course of action.
Why is Your Cat Drooling?
Those are all possible reasons for your cats to be drooling. However, it can be hard to tell if your cat drooling is actually a problem. If you don’t know if your cat has swallowed something, has a sore lip, or it is a symptom of a larger problem, then the best solution is to take them to the vet. This is especially true if your cat is older since these health conditions are going to be much more common in older cats.
As long as you know the possible causes of drooling, you should be able to deal with the problem when your cat starts to drool.
