Strange Affection Reaction.

[MistyDawn]

This isn't a problem or anything, but I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this just because it's so darn odd!

My neutered three year old Maine Coon/Siamese mix tom's tail and to a smaller degree back fur will puff up when he's getting pets/cuddles and is getting really into it. Even stranger, his nose runs -- no, it isn't drool. I've watched it come out of his nose, plus it's too cold and watery to be saliva. He gets just super wound up in the affection and his hairs stand on end and nose starts dribbling water. As far as I know, he's done this his whole life and no one has ever been able to explain why.

This is, by the way, the same tom I posted about a few years back in a thread called "Hex: Serial Baby Snuggler", about his odd adoration for kittens, so he's a pretty interesting guy in general.

So, anyone else ever seen these weird reactions to TLC? I thought cats' fur only stood on end when they're afraid, but he clearly isn't, and the runny nose is just bizarre.

 

[MistyDawn]

For reference, his tail is like this normally.

 

[MistyDawn]

Here's another puffy example that literally just happened. I had to share because it's just too funny not to.

He also has a penchant for jumping on backs. You can never bend over around him for fear of him hopping up.

 

[jcat]

I've seen that reaction to affection in kittens (who get excited about anything!), but rarely in adults unless they were originally ferals. That said, our last cat's tail used to "wag" pretty much constantly, even when he was cuddling and drooling with ecstasy. He was part Maine Coon, too.

 

[MistyDawn]

Huh. Well, he's never been feral. He was an "oops" kitten from an irresponsible breeder who accidentally let her Maine Coon boy spend too much time around her Siamese girl. She was giving the babies away. She may not have been the best breeder but she did raise the kittens underfoot and he was loving and affectionate from the day I brought him home.

He did get a lot of the MC personality. His vocalizations are all trills, chirps, and clicks if he sees birds outside, and he's a very social cat, hence his love of nurturing kittens. He really still acts a lot like a kitten himself, even at three years old and fifteen pounds. He is very loyal to me, and knows some commands. From what I know of Maine Coons, that's all common.

Maybe it's a breed quirk? Can any humans belonging to Maine Coons confirm? Or maybe since he is, as I said, an overgrown kitten in personality, maybe he just gets really excited? Still doesn't explain the runny nose, though. (and I've checked a million times to make sure it's not spit and I'm not just seeing things because I had trouble believing it myself)

 

[jcat]

Jamie, our last cat (half MC), would drool and often get a runny nose when he was in a lovey-dovey mood, so it doesn't seem like anything to worry about. He really used to soak me!

Mogli, our current cat (Domestic Short Hair), is almost 5, and was trapped as a feral kitten. He "puffs up" when he's playing a hard game of catch the mouse or DaBird, or when he's watching animal documentaries on TV.

 

[di and bob]

In my 50 plus years of having cats, I have had several do this, it's just that they get so excited and into their affection time. I had one that would get on your back and rub your hair, drooling the whole time, his tail got big too. These were all cross breeds, so no breed in particular. I wouldn't worry about it, it's just their way of giving affection, but tehy do get you wet!

 

[krazykatjenn]

Alice does this! She's my first cat so it didn't even occur to me that it might be abnormal. She'll get all puffy when I pet her, rub her drooly face all over me, then bolt to go attack a scratcher. She does get worked up really easily. Sometimes when I come home she runs up to see me then gets so excited she needs her scratcher again. She's the reason there are so many scratchers! She's such a good cat, she's only ever clawed a human by accident, but she does need to attack something every time she gets excited. She also still has the kitten zoomies, despite being three years old! Maybe some cats are just extra energetic and excited. Oh, and she's a DSH. Adopted her from the shelter when she was a bit over 1 (probably? She'd had kittens then been in the shelter for a year, but she still appeared very young), so no idea of her background.

 

[MistyDawn]

In my 50 plus years of having cats, I have had several do this, it's just that they get so excited and into their affection time. I had one that would get on your back and rub your hair, drooling the whole time, his tail got big too. These were all cross breeds, so no breed in particular. I wouldn't worry about it, it's just their way of giving affection, but tehy do get you wet!

That's almost just like him! He loves a person's back, and he'll come and rub his face in our hair. . . Or sometimes he kneads on the butts of our blue jeans and rolls around on the butt. Haha, I know exactly how silly that sounds, but he's a silly boy.

It does seem like, from other answers, MC mixes tend to be lovable boxes of quirks, and his particularly odd crossing could be responsible for just how unique he is. When I told my vet he was half Maine Coon and half Siamese, she looked at me with some joking pity in her eyes and said "Oh wow, he must be a handful", because it's a pairing of two breeds that are known for being quirky.

He can puff up when playing too. He's got a heck of a prey drive.