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Cat Drooling – Cats are one of the most popular animals to own amongst pet owners. They are different in their disposition from pets like dogs and thus require a completely different care routine. While dogs wag their tails when they’re happy, cats like to purr. Similarly, a dog drooling has completely different connotations than a cat’s drooling. Dogs drool because their saliva content is very high, and they need the drool for proper digestion of the food they consume. This makes their drooling completely normal.
However, cats drool for entirely different reasons. It could be because they are entirely relaxed and sleepy, and it could also be because they are in pain.
Let us find out more about what makes these furry creatures drool and what you as cat owners do to control them.
Why is your Cat Drooling? – 6 Reasons
Cat drooling is not as common as drooling in dogs. It is crucial for you as cat owners to know what is causing your cat to drool, whether it is harmless or a reason to worry. Prevention is always better than cure. Early observation of an unusually high cat drooling should never be ignored. Visiting your cat vet at the right time shall save your cat from more significant discomfort and pain.
The following are the 6 significant reasons for cat drooling-
#1 A sign of relaxation
Some cats drool when they are completely relaxed and content. This could be when they are really happy about something or are just in a deep sleep. This happens to kittens when they knead their paws on their mothers before nursing from them too.
Such cat drooling is entirely normal and is usually temporary. You do not need to rush your cats to the emergency room for this.
#2 Stress
Yes, cats can get stressed too! Stress is a major cause of cat drooling. It could happen when they are in an uncomfortable environment, like going to the vet or traveling in a moving vehicle. Most of the time, stress is also not a cause of concern, and you do not need to rush to the vet for this.
#3 Dental diseases
Cats are susceptible to various oral issues that generally go unnoticed. It is only when it causes them extreme pain that it comes to the notice of cat owners. Excess dental pain causes cats to hyper salivate or drool. Dental issues like ulcers, gum infections, cuts, and other toot injuries are some of the causes of cat drooling. Such problems require immediate medical attention.
#4 Vomiting and Nausea
Motion sickness as a result of traveling in moving vehicles causes cats to drool. Apart from this, problems like gastrointestinal issues, infections, and kidney problems also cause nausea and vomiting in cats. This results in hypersalivation. It is not a usual problem to occur in cats, and you should immediately take your cat to the vet.
#5 Consumption of foreign things
Cats, being domestic animals, often end up eating things that are not meant to be edible. This could be anything from leaves and grass in the garden to a plastic cap or a toy part lying around in the house. Such things get lodged in the cat’s mouth, causing it to drool. If not given immediate medical attention, it can lead to severe problems.
#6 External Trauma
There are a lot of causes that affect a cat’s mouth that leads to abnormal cat drooling. A cat could suffer trauma as a result of a fight with another cat or animal. It could also be because it has been hit by a cycle or car, causing its jaw to break. Such types of external trauma cause cat drooling. You need to rush to a vet immediately if such a thing happens to your cat.
Check out this method to heel your cat from trauma.
Is it Normal for cats to drool?
As discussed earlier, most of the time, cat drooling is not an everyday occurrence. Cats do not salivate as frequently as dogs do, making it a reason for cat owners to worry. It is vital to get an opinion of a medical expert to be sure if this hypersalivation is a cause to worry or not.
The following primary 6 are symptoms are the ones that come along with a drooling cat and are the ones you need to watch out for:
- Weakness
- Blood in the drool
- Pawing the mouth
- Difficulty in breathing
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
How to stop your cat from drooling?
If the cause for cat drooling is non-medical, then it generally stops on its own in some time. However, if your cat continues to drool for hours at a stretch, it is a reason to worry.
Here are a few steps you can take in such a case-
#1 Visit a vet immediately. Instead of figuring out the medical issue on your own, it is best to take your cat to a vet immediately. The drooling could be happening due to a serious underlying condition like a broken jaw, and you do not want to make things worse for your cat by taking the wrong step at home.
#2 Often a cat drools when it is happy or is waiting for its food to arrive. Prevent your cat from drooling by feeding it on time. If your cat is still drooling at the sight of the food, place a towel under its food dish to prevent the cat drooling from spreading around since it shall lead to the spreading of germs in your house.
#3 Bitter medicines also cause cat drooling many times. This occurs because the cat does not like the taste of the medication given to it, and it tries to rid itself of the flavor by salivating excessively. You can give your cat a little water along with the medicine to prevent this from happening and cancel out the cat drooling effect of the bad taste. You can also crush the pill in your cat’s food and feed the medicine indirectly.
#4 Motion sickness as a result of traveling excessively in a car also causes cat drooling. Cats do not like the feeling of being inside a moving car that too one that is moving in a high speed. This causes your cat to vomit and also to feel nauseous. Avoid traveling for long durations with your cat to prevent this from happening. You can also consult your cat’s vet and ask him to prescribe a medication to help him travel to distant destinations comfortably without drooling.
#5 Gingivitis and other dental care problems are also among the top reasons that result in cat drooling. Make sure to take good care of your cat’s oral hygiene by brushing its teeth regularly at home to prevent it from drooling. It would help if you also took your cat to a dental care expert every once in a while to get its oral health examined.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is cat drool harmful to humans?
Cat drool is unhygienic in general. It is also a significant contaminant that facilitates the spread of the rabies virus from cats to humans. This makes it harmful to humans. However, most individuals usually get their cats vaccinated for the virus; it can still cause humans to fall sick. Cat owners who have small children or babies need to be cautious about cat drooling as it can cause the child to fall ill. However, cat drooling is not death-inducingly harmful to humans in most cases.
Check out the benefits of cucumber water.
Q2. What are the different types of diseases that a cat can contract, and what are its symptoms apart from cat drooling?
Some of the major diseases that a cat can contract are as follows.”
- Oral Cancer: Bad breath, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting
- Kidney Failure: Bad breath, weight loss, increased urge to urinate, and increased thirst
Q3. What are the different types of poisonous plants that a cat should stay away from?
There are a few plants that cause cat drooling, and cats should stay away from them. This includes plants like-
- Calla lily
- Peace lily
- Umbrella plant
- Elephant ear plant
- Dieffenbachia plant
Q4. Why do kittens drool?
Kittens mostly drool a lot during the teething process. This is because it is a challenging time in a cat’s life, causing it significant discomfort. This makes the kitten salivate excessively to help with the pain that teething causes. Kittens like to knead their paws on their mother’s body and face while nursing from them. In this state of complete relaxation, too, kittens tend to drool.
Q5. Do cats drool when they sleep?
Cat drooling is not an uncommon sight to observe when a cat is sleeping. Drooling is also associated with a state of complete relaxation and happiness. Sleeping cats drool because they are completely relaxed and content. It is also an indication of a happy cat.
Conclusion
Going through the article shall help you as cat owners know everything about cat drooling, what causes it, and what you can do to help your cat well in advance with any serious problem that this drooling could sign.
Cats are quiet animals. They are not lively like dogs. One has to take more care of their pet cats because of their complete inability to tell their owners about any severe discomfort that they are experiencing.
This is why it is essential to pay attention to a drooling cat. There could be a significant underlying issue that is causing cats to drool, and when unnoticed, it could affect the cat’s life. In most cases, however, it could also be not a reason to worry and can be completely harmless. Still, as responsible cat owners, one should notice even the slightest change in their behavior.
