A Drooling Cat

Discussion in 'Pets & Critters' started by William DeFox, Apr 18, 2019.

  1. William DeFox

    William DeFox Very Well-Known Member
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    One of my cats, a large male, likes to jump up on me in bed and rub against me while I pet him. This is fine, but I found it disconcerting that the cat would often drool as he did so, droplets of cat spit pattering down on my covers. -- What was going on? -- Was he preparing to eat me?! So I asked my vet about the behavior...

    Once he had established the context in which the drooling occurred and I reassured him that the saliva wasn't bloody, the vet felt that the drooling was a manifestation of arousal of the cat's pleasure center. This is an individual distinction, and not all cats do it. It was just an involuntary way that he showed his enjoyment of our interaction.

    So I keep a tissue handy, and wash my covers often...and I'm glad that the human species doesn't manifest pleasure in interaction by drooling! :)
     
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  2. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    My cat is like that. When you brush her, it just pours. You have to lay out an old rug or something on the floor. And then she won't stand still. I've never had a cat like that before.
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Cats don't generally drool as dogs do, but cats are individuals, for one thing, and there may also be variations within the specific breed that might lead to that. For example, not all dogs drool.

    I would think that if the cat drools only while being petted, that would probably not be a sign of a health problem. Perhaps the cat simply relaxes so fully that he drools. I haven't had cats who drooled while being petted but I have had a couple of cats who relax to the point where they would fall off of my lap if I didn't hold them. I don't see that in the literature, but that would make sense to me. That seems to be your vet's opinion, and I'd go with that.
    • More serious causes of drooling include:
    • Heat stroke
    • Poisoning
    • Respiratory infections
    • Rabies
    • Pseudorabies
    • Inflammation of the lips
    • Gingivitis or other dental problems
    • Mouth inflammation
    • Foreign bodies in the mouth
    • Tumors in the mouth
    • Salivary gland tumors

    The only cats that I have had who drooled were Cutie's mom, but when I brought her into the vet to ask about the drooling, he found that she had a tumor in her mouth. She was 24 years old. Cutie doesn't drip when she drools but I do have to wipe her mouth sometimes, but she has dental problems that the vet won't correct because of her age (28).

    However, your cat has seen a vet and s/he isn't concerned about it, so I wouldn't worry.
     
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  4. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    A catnip toy always made my cat drool something fierce.
     
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