Is it normal for a cat to drool? I've never had this happen with a cat before, he's about 4 or 5 he was a shelter cat, just got him yesterday. He was on the bed getting some love and attention from my boyfriend and I and he had a few drops of drool come out. Normal?
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Drooling
- Thread starter pattykat
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- Apr 15, 2016
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There are some cats that drool then they're happy and that's completely fine and there are some cats that drool and it's a health concern.
Since you just got him I would ask the shelter if they know that this is a normal behaviour for him, new drooling could be a sign of health problems.
Are there any other health concerns you've noticed? Is there any way he recently ingested some kind of substance or plant that he shouldn't have?
Since you just got him I would ask the shelter if they know that this is a normal behaviour for him, new drooling could be a sign of health problems.
Are there any other health concerns you've noticed? Is there any way he recently ingested some kind of substance or plant that he shouldn't have?
In the situation you describe, kitty getting pets and purring, and the amount of drool you're describing I would say yes it's normal.
I've had quite a few that when they are very content, purring and getting love that they have been droolers
I've had quite a few that when they are very content, purring and getting love that they have been droolers
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I agree about calling the shelter and asking if this is normal behavior for him. If you are not able to get an answer from the shelter then I would take him to the vet for a check-up.
I have a cat that I adopted as a 7 week old kitten. He is almost two years old now. I had never experienced this before either and called the rescue I adopted him from just to ask about it. For Casey this was normal behavior but I still asked my vet about it when I brought him in for his first vet visit. The vet did not find anything health related that was the cause of this behavior. He just drools when he is happy and it is normal behavior for him. He loves to climb on me and knead on me when I am laying on the couch under a blanket watching tv. He purrs his little head off and drools all over me and my blankets. He is a people cat so when we have company over I warn people about this behavior so they are not surprised by it.
I have a cat that I adopted as a 7 week old kitten. He is almost two years old now. I had never experienced this before either and called the rescue I adopted him from just to ask about it. For Casey this was normal behavior but I still asked my vet about it when I brought him in for his first vet visit. The vet did not find anything health related that was the cause of this behavior. He just drools when he is happy and it is normal behavior for him. He loves to climb on me and knead on me when I am laying on the couch under a blanket watching tv. He purrs his little head off and drools all over me and my blankets. He is a people cat so when we have company over I warn people about this behavior so they are not surprised by it.
As bottledspirit said, sometimes drooling is normal-- as in the case of the kitty who's all purry and happy. Sometimes happy cats drool a little from excitement. Normal. My Schrodie, a Tonkinese, drools when he's happy.
But sometimes drooling indicates a problem: nausea and dental pain are 2 reasons for abnormal drooling. Schrodie was very sad and mopey last week. He wasn't eating well. And when I petted his face-- he was drooling. I took him to the vet. He has stomatitis and a broken fang. Stomatitis is a painful inflammation of the mouth, sometimes from an irritant, sometimes a 'disease process', sometimes a genetic 'bad hand'. He's a Siamese breed and these guys are more prone to the genetic kind-- and he has had fairly mild 'Siamese gingivitis' all his life that we have managed well at home. Sadly, it can progress, though. And well, we know how painful a broken tooth is!
In Schrodie's case, he had a full exam and blood work, which all came back fairly good except for the blood count that showed a possible inflammation or infection: goes right back to the mouth. Now he's on a course of pain medicine and antibiotics for a few more days. He'll have dental work as soon as that's finished to take out the fang and get a better look for the stomatitis and address other tooth issues like resorption, if present. That should help him a LOT. He already feels a little better and he's not drooling so much now. His breath also doesn't smell so awful anymore.
Check your kiddo's breath-- it should smell neutral or sort of like cat food if he just ate. If his breath is so bad it could strip the paint off a Chevy... that's a big sign of a possible dental issue, particularly if you aren't seeing vomiting, diarrhea or excessive hairballs. If you suspect a problem, dental or otherwise... get it followed up sooner rather than later. Dental issues are painful for cats, but our brave little warriors hide their pain until it's just unbearable. That's no fun at all, and it could make finding a problem while it's still early a lot harder. I also suggest getting your cat used to having his mouth handled so that you are able to look inside periodically to spot redness, gingivitis and broken teeth, and also be able to begin a regular home dental care routine. Pets have teeth, too, and they need care just like ours. So to steal an old C.E.T. advertising slogan (which, ironically, even they say isn't enough to detect periodontal issues... but it is a good thing to do at home as part of an oral care routine): "Flip The Lip" once in a while.
There is even a new diagnostic screening tool for periodontal disease: the CET Ora-Strip. It's a simple in-office test strip that your vet can use during a wellness visit to check for periodontal disease even in a seemingly healthy looking mouth. http://www.virbacvet.com/pdf/product_pdfs/CET-OraStrip-Dental-Diagnostic-Test-Detail-Aid.pdf
I know, this is a lot about a seemingly simple question, but it is in my area of special interest! as a "retired" vet assistant
Short form: If the drooling is only a few drops and it only happens when your kitty's happy and purring, I would say it's just excitement. But if it continues when he's just quiet or if he seems to have any problems eating or he seems mopey-- it might be a dental issue or some nausea.
Hope that helps.
~Mackie
But sometimes drooling indicates a problem: nausea and dental pain are 2 reasons for abnormal drooling. Schrodie was very sad and mopey last week. He wasn't eating well. And when I petted his face-- he was drooling. I took him to the vet. He has stomatitis and a broken fang. Stomatitis is a painful inflammation of the mouth, sometimes from an irritant, sometimes a 'disease process', sometimes a genetic 'bad hand'. He's a Siamese breed and these guys are more prone to the genetic kind-- and he has had fairly mild 'Siamese gingivitis' all his life that we have managed well at home. Sadly, it can progress, though. And well, we know how painful a broken tooth is!
In Schrodie's case, he had a full exam and blood work, which all came back fairly good except for the blood count that showed a possible inflammation or infection: goes right back to the mouth. Now he's on a course of pain medicine and antibiotics for a few more days. He'll have dental work as soon as that's finished to take out the fang and get a better look for the stomatitis and address other tooth issues like resorption, if present. That should help him a LOT. He already feels a little better and he's not drooling so much now. His breath also doesn't smell so awful anymore.
Check your kiddo's breath-- it should smell neutral or sort of like cat food if he just ate. If his breath is so bad it could strip the paint off a Chevy... that's a big sign of a possible dental issue, particularly if you aren't seeing vomiting, diarrhea or excessive hairballs. If you suspect a problem, dental or otherwise... get it followed up sooner rather than later. Dental issues are painful for cats, but our brave little warriors hide their pain until it's just unbearable. That's no fun at all, and it could make finding a problem while it's still early a lot harder. I also suggest getting your cat used to having his mouth handled so that you are able to look inside periodically to spot redness, gingivitis and broken teeth, and also be able to begin a regular home dental care routine. Pets have teeth, too, and they need care just like ours. So to steal an old C.E.T. advertising slogan (which, ironically, even they say isn't enough to detect periodontal issues... but it is a good thing to do at home as part of an oral care routine): "Flip The Lip" once in a while.
There is even a new diagnostic screening tool for periodontal disease: the CET Ora-Strip. It's a simple in-office test strip that your vet can use during a wellness visit to check for periodontal disease even in a seemingly healthy looking mouth. http://www.virbacvet.com/pdf/product_pdfs/CET-OraStrip-Dental-Diagnostic-Test-Detail-Aid.pdf
I know, this is a lot about a seemingly simple question, but it is in my area of special interest! as a "retired" vet assistant
Short form: If the drooling is only a few drops and it only happens when your kitty's happy and purring, I would say it's just excitement. But if it continues when he's just quiet or if he seems to have any problems eating or he seems mopey-- it might be a dental issue or some nausea.
Hope that helps.
~Mackie
