Why Does My Cat Drool When Petted
See files for Cats
Like us, cats can drool for different reasons and in response to different stimuli. Salivation is a normal and healthy phenomenon in their body, although it can be worrisome when it occurs excessively or suddenly.
Did you ever indulge your cat with pampering in their favorite body parts and observe how a small fountain of slime was born from their little mouth? Then you’ve probably wondered: why does my cat drool when petted? If you want to discover the answer, we invite you to continue reading this AnimalWised article.
Lay A Drool Rag Down While Cuddling
Those co-cuddle sessions are your favorite way to end the night. Instead of washing your blankets every few days, lay a special drool-proof blanket in your kittys favorite cuddle destination. These fleece blankets will stop the drool from soaking into your mattress or couch without forcing Fluffy to sleep on the bare couch un-burrowed.
Why Does My Cat Drool *recap*
As you can see, other than being relaxed and satisfied, your cat may be drooling for a variety of reasons.
The most important thing is to note that all of them are treatable if discovered on time.
Thats why its important to monitor your cat and pay attention to its behavior.
Youll surely notice when something is wrong not only by the drool but other movements or changes in behavior as well such as sneezing.;
These other reasons do require a visit to the vet because only a professional can help with infections or other diseases.
However, if your little furball is drooling only occasionally when you pet it, feed it, or while it is sleeping, you have nothing to worry about.
You should actually be glad that your pet is healthy, relaxed, and happy.
Read Also: How Many Years Is 1 Year For A Cat
Cat Drooling While Purring
Drooling is sometimes seen in healthy cats. For instance, some cats drool while very relaxed and receiving positive stimulation like petting. The drooling is often accompanied by purring. Sometimes cats may drool and purr while kneading a blanket or other soft material.
The reason for this is largely unknown, but it appears to be behavioral and not a medical problem. If your cat has always been a drooler when relaxed and purring, but seems fine at other times, its likely not a problem.
Why Is My Cat Drooling Excessively
Given the above explanations, it is completely normal for my cat to drool when I pet her. Next time you notice a little slobber during a petting session, especially if your cat is drooling when purring, you can relax knowing theyre happy. Even if your kitty is drooling due to stress, this will subside once the stressful situation has ended.
However, if you notice your cat is drooling excessively and not only when you pet her but all the time it can indicate injury or illness. In these cases, your cat will often be suffering from oral pain which naturally causes excess saliva production. These conditions may also make it more painful for your kitty to keep her mouth shut, meaning she lets her jaw hang and starts to drool.
Other times, illness can cause cats to feel sick in their stomach. As already mentioned briefly, cats naturally produce more saliva when they feel nauseous. This is because the saliva can help to dilute to vomit so it can be expelled more easily. Besides, when cats feel sick they may swallow less, leading to an accumulation of saliva in the mouth and excessive drooling.
Some of the illnesses linked with drooling as a symptom include the following:
Aside from these diseases, there are also several more severe underlying health conditions that can cause nausea and drooling. A few examples include diabetes, kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism. These diseases can impact the quality and length of your cats life, so an early diagnosis is important.
Read Also: Why Was Cat Crazy In Victorious
Why Is My Cat Gagging
- Fact Checked
When a cat moves around his environment, he generally makes very little noise. Hopping up on the back of a couch, stalking a cricket across the kitchen, eating, and drinking its all done with relative silence. Thats why a sudden feline noise can send a loving cat owner into a panic, who may become worried about their companion and how they can help them feel better.;
In addition to the chirps, meows, and purrs a cat uses to express himself, gagging, choking, and hacking are the sounds that signal varying levels of distress. If your cat keeps gagging, you should seek assistance from a medical professional as soon as possible. Its up to his owner to determine the cause, and to get to the bottom of it quickly to prevent further health concerns. So what is the difference between a harmless cat cough and a more serious gagging reflex? The answer lies in logic, observation, and a little process of elimination.
Your Cat Is Feeling Anxious & Stressed
There is also a possibility that your cat is drooling when you pet him as he is feeling anxious and stressed. Just as increased salivation is a normal and uncontrollable response to pleasure, it is also a natural response to fear. So, how can we tell the difference?
The best way to tell if your cat is feeling scared or anxious is to assess the situation. Here are some examples of situations where your cat may be stressed:
- Traveling: Are you traveling with your cat and stroking them on the journey? Many cats hate traveling and may feel scared. In fact, this is one of the biggest stressors for cats! Additionally, several cats suffer from motion sickness. Nausea is known to increase salivation further, making drooling even more likely.
- Loud Noises: When your cat started drooling, were you having a house party, or was it bonfire night? These are just two examples, but any loud noises can scare your cat! If you went over to pet and comfort your kitty during a stressful event and noticed them drooling, its probable that they arent enjoying the scary noises.
- New People/Animals: Having new people or animals in your home can make cats feel stressed out. If youre petting a cat youve never met before and notice they drool, it could be that theyre nervous about you.
Also Check: What Is A Male Cat Called
What Is Cat Dribbling Or Drooling
Well it is exactly as the title says! Our cat is a major dribbler and always in the worst place. You see Nipper is like an open tap when you give it too much stroking or brushing.
This would not be so much of a problem if Nipper was not a total house cat that has taken up residence in our bedroom. Boy is it a lazy cat! It just chills out on our bed all day and then when we decide to go to sleep it decides to wake up. What a life
Usually its routine will be to start kneading on us as we try to get to sleep and then if you give it a few strokes it just dribbles. This more than usually lands on the bed sheets and then they have to be cleaned. So now we know what dribbling is in cats as Im sure you did anyway, thats how you ended up on this webpage. Lets now have a look at why it happens and what causes it.
Why Do Cats Drool When You Pet Them
You probably already know this feeling of excessive salivation when you see, smell or just think of a tasty food that “makes your mouth water”, or you already perceived a small stain of slime on your pillow when you woke up from a nap. In these cases, the drool appears as a positive reflex against stimuli and situations that we like or relax. Much like what happens with us, a healthy cat can drool when they perceive a stimulus they like and when they experience pleasurable, fun or relaxing moments.
If your cat drools when you pet them, purrs and rubs their cheeks or head on your hands or feet, they are saying that they enjoy being with you and receiving your coddling. Your cat can also drool when smelling or experimenting with catnip or malt past, and sensing the smell of some of their favorite food. Although the percentage of cats that experience this phenomenon is not very high.
Read Also: Hp Lovecrafts Cats Name
Something Is Stuck In Their Mouth Or Throat
If your cat has something stuck in its mouth or throat that it cant swallow it will drool. This could be anything from part of a plant to an element from one of their toys. If your cat is pawing at its mouth or trying to vomit these are other signs that this might be the case.
If you think this has happened do check in your cats mouth. If the item doesnt come loose with some gentle prodding do see your vet immediately.
Do be careful when trying to extract a foreign body from inside your cat. Firstly, your cat may damage you whilst you are trying to extract the item. Secondly, you may easily damage your cat so it is often best to visit your vet sooner rather than later if this situation arises.
Getting a new kitty? Check out my guide to How to Look after a Kitten, 6 Best Kitten Wet FoodOptions and 8 Best Kitten Dry Food Options
If you see a string coming out of your cats mouth do not pull it out. The string may well have gone further inside your cat and be interacting with its organs. Take it to the vet immediately.
Has He Been Given Medicine
Topical flea, tick, and worm medications are common for cats, who tend to put up more protest than dogs when it comes to pill-format medication. These medicines are usually sold or prescribed by vets in single-use vials, which are opened and applied between a cats shoulder blades to prevent them from licking it off. If a cat is gagging, drooling, or foaming at the mouth after being given a topical medication, but looks otherwise alert, there may be nothing to worry about.
The way topical medication interacts with a cat can sometimes cause them to drool or foam a little at the mouth, but if it looks to be excessive or the cats movement is impaired, a vet should be called immediately.;
When using topical medication for a cat, an owner needs to:
You May Like: How To Apply Terramycin To Cats Eyes
We Asked 2 Vets Why Cats Drool And The Answer Is Very Simple
While it seems like it’s super common to hear about dogs drooling, believe it or not, cats drool, too, it’s just less obvious and generally not as often. Cats sometimes drool when they’re being held or pet, largely because they’re so happy you’re giving them attention! Don’t sweat it, though, if your cat doesn’t drool, because not all of them do. If you’ve noticed your cat drooling in other situations, though, it could very well just be a normal reaction. We spoke with two vets to get their take on why cats drool when you pet them and if drooling is ever a problem.
Why Maine Coon Cats Drool And When To Worry
If you have a Maine Coon, you might have noticed that they drool quite a lot sometimes, and people often mistakenly believe that there is something wrong with their health which is quite far from the truth!
Why do Maine Coons drool? Most of the times a drooling Maine Coon is a happy or relaxed Maine Coon. Especially when being petted a Maine Coon tends to drool. It can also happen while playing. However, if the drooling won´t stop it can also be a sign for oral health problems or other health problems like heat strokes or respiratory infections.
How do you tell the two situations apart? Well, they will do the drooling more often and you will definitely feel the wet patches everywhere, on your clothes and the couch too! Let us go about it in detail and get more answers.
Quick Navigation
Don’t Miss: Why Do Cats Hold Their Mouth Open
Two Of Our Cats Drool A Lot When Theyre Happy
Both Chase and Kali drool when theyre happy and purring . Chase will drool extensively if hes wool-sucking that is, if hes nursing on a blanket like he would have on his mother when he was a kitten. He purrs the whole time.
Kali drools when she purrs, and while she doesnt engage in wool-sucking behavior, she does touch her muzzle to her favorite kneading pillow while shes going at it, and shell soak that pillow. Two cats drool when they purr in this house, and its something that has always baffled me.
According to Canidae, its possible that cats drool when theyre happy because theyre so relaxed their mouths fall open just a little bit, and the drool machine turns on because theyre not swallowing like they should. However gross you may find it, this kind of drooling is a compliment.
The Nest agrees that cats drool when theyre happy because they just dont think about swallowing when theyre in the bliss of cuddles, pets, strokes and scritches. Your cat may also be drooling because hes being reminded of when his mama would feed him and wash him. Cats spend a lot of time reliving their kittenhoods through affection.
Has His Environment Changed
Humans gag when they smell something unpleasant or overpowering its a species instinct designed to prevent toxins from entering the lungs. The facial expressions associated with gagging also send a clear visual message to any nearby humans: something is wrong, be on alert, and dont come closer. The same is true of cats, which is why if a cat is gagging constantly, its a big red flag that his environment needs to be checked for harmful changes. Some common gag-causing issues include:
- Essential oil diffusers: These home fragrance items have become especially popular in recent years, as they spread a pleasant smell quickly throughout a home. Unlike scented candles, they do not need to be attended the user simply plugs them in and fills a reservoir with essential oil. The diffuser then atomizes the oil through heat, sending tiny particles out to fill the air.;
The problem: What goes up, must come down. All those tiny droplets of misted oil may smell good, but theyre also covering his fur. Disliking the strong fragrance, he will attempt to groom it away, and in the process ingest the essential oil. As any ethical essential oil label will plainly state, the concentration of essential oils are harmful to humans and deadly to pets.;
You May Like: Is Croton Poisonous To Cats
Purring And Droolingis There A Connection Here
Dreamstime.com
Q: Over the years, our family has lived with a number of cats. Each was certainly unique in his or her own way, but quite a few of them shared the same trait: They drooled sometimes while you were petting them.
To clarify, it often appears like drool, but sometimes its a single droplet that seems to come from their noses. Its obviously not a health concern, but just an interesting behavioral thing that I would like to understand better.
Elaine Best
A: Many cats drool when you are petting them. In the ecstasy of the moment, their eyelids flutter, they purr and they drool. Why drool, you ask, and thats a good question. Heres my theory. When cats are really content, they release feel good neurotransmitters in the reward centers of their brain. Endorphins and encephalin are natures own morphine-like chemicals that are part of this neurochemical deluge. Endorphins seem to activate the mechanical act of purring.
We have noticed that cats immediately begin to purr when given high doses of opioid painkillers while recovering from painful surgery. The question is, do endorphins also cause salivation, too and the answer is that they do. If my theory is correct, blocking opioid systems in a cat with a drug like Narcan would abolish this reaction. No more fluttering eyelids, no more purring and no more salivation while being petted until the drug wore off.
Nicholas Dodman, BVMS
My Cat Drools When He Purrs
Reasons Why Cats Drool And What To Do About It
Old Pets Are Like Sad Beautiful Music Is It Selfish To Enjoy
Do Ragdoll Cats Drool 10 Causes And What Will Help Purr Craze
Why Does My Cat Drool When Petted The Answer
Cat Drooling Should You See The Vet Catster
Erika Moen On Twitter He Only Drools When He S Purring It S
Why Do Cats Purr The How Why Of Cat Purring
This Is My Newest Neighbours Cat She Adopted Me She Drools When
Why Do Cats Drool The Conscious Cat
Why Cats Drool Trupanion Pet Care
Is Cat Drooling Normal Care Com
Qozap6urmptoom
My Cat Drools When She S Purring Mildlyinteresting
Every Night This Guy Comes On The Bed Kneads My Butt And Purrs
My 6 Month Old Kitten Drools In The Morning When He Is Purring And
Cats Are Happy Because They Don T Read Beauty And Health Magazines
Here S Why Your Cat Gives You Love Bites Meowingtons
Reasons Why Cats Drool And What To Do About It
Psa Don T Ignore A Drooling Cat
Why Does My Cat Drool When He S Snuggling He Purrs Away And
My Cat Suddenly Started Drooling So I Took Her To The Emergency
Cat Dribbling Why Does My Cat Dribble Is This Anything To Worry
Best Kitteh Album On Imgur
Thick Cat Drool
Vet Explains Why Cat Always Drools When Happy Miami Herald
Why Does My Cat Drool Cat Drooling Cat Behavior Cats
Why Is My Cat Drooling Everything You Need To Know
Why Do Cats Drool The Conscious Cat
Cat Drooling Sick
Recommended Reading: Cat Ages In Human Years