Our Cat Drools

[Lochdale]

My SO asked me to post this question. We have two cats, Chloe and Presley. They are sisters and are longhairs. Chloe is about 14lbs whereas Presley is 7lbs. The fat one is ornery and just no fun. The little one, however, is a fun little cat who comes when you call her name and is generally just very sociable and cute. I never liked cats before but this one has grown on me

Here’s the question (issue). Every morning she wakes up my SO by eating my SO’s hair. Presley loves to eat her hair and knead and purr loudly. Doesn’t bother me as I can sleep through anything. The problem is, the cat has started to drool while she does this. It also drools when you pet her. She’ll then shake the drool like a dog!

Has anyone else come across this before? I don’t think it is a medical issue but it’s still fairly gross.

[Oregon_sunshine]

Our extremely friendly and wonderful longhair cat Lucky does the same thing. I wonder if there is a genetic component? We’ve had her for 9 years and she’s drooled like that since kittenhood. I haven’t even thought about it for a while, because over the years it’s just become matter of fact: “she drools” -it’s not that much, you just wipe it off and keep going. She’s so friendly and sweet that it overrides the grossness of the drool. Oh, and she chews hair and ears of sleeping people too. She prefers to sleep draped around the top of my daughter’s head on the pillow.

If your cat’s anything like Lucky, you’re very fortunate!

[Valgard]

My cat used to drool when she was really happy. What I’ve read is that the loud purring and “happy feet” (kneading you with her claws) is left-over from kitten nursing behavior, so drooling may just be your cat thinking back to when all this love and patting meant that a meal was coming.

[danceswithcats]

Kitty-drool is a happy-kitty-love thing. Enjoy.

[Jillyvn]

Hey, found some info for you:

From vetinfo.com

Drooling can occur for a number of reasons in cats. Probably the most commonly identified reasons are gum or teeth disorders. Oral ulcers can sometimes cause excessive salivation. Problems that lead to nausea, such as renal failure or gastrointestinal disease also cause excessive salivation. Some cats salivate excessively when they are nervous or stressed. This is a common reaction to oral medications and application of flea control products, too. Your vet can help sort through these possibilities and hopefully find a treatable cause.

From pets.ca

Occasionally adult cats will drool while they are being petted, massaged or while nuzzling into fabrics. This drooling is usually accompanied with the kneading of the cat’s paws. This paw kneading action is identical to that performed by nursing kittens and it is this behaviour that the cat is reproducing involuntarily in adulthood. Those adult cats that do drool/knead, often choose sweaters, coats or other clothing reminiscent of their original suckling environments. There, the nursing kittens kneaded their paws on their mothers, to stimulate milk flow from their teats. The anticipation and smell of the milk caused the kitten to salivate and drool.

Even though the reason cats drool and knead is in response to the warmth and good feeling they’re getting off of the petter or sweater, some people find that this is a behaviour that they’d like to correct. This is difficult since it is so primal and involuntary. It would be like trying to correct a human being for salivating at a summer barbeque. If the cat drools on you, get or wear older clothing or place a dishtowel on your lap. It would be best in this situation, to keep valuable/cherished clothing items AND/OR the materials that the cat finds ‘droolable’ locked away safely.

If your cat is not a drooler/kneader as described above, then sudden drooling normally indicates a problem. The problem can range from to a chipped/cracked tooth or gum infection (the more common reasons), to poisoning or a foreign object lodged in the throat. Try gently checking your cat’s mouth and look to see if you can spot the problem. Maybe there is a splinter or foreign object you can see and easily remove it without hurting the animal. If not, then it’s time to visit the vet and diagnose the severity of the condition.

Hope that helps

[Anaamika]

@Valgard

My cat used to drool when she was really happy. What I’ve read is that the loud purring and “happy feet” (kneading you with her claws) is left-over from kitten nursing behavior, so drooling may just be your cat thinking back to when all this love and patting meant that a meal was coming.

:eek: These cats are going to *eat * you.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[pokey]

When I was a teen my cat drooled because of a tumour in her mouth. She got worse and worse over a period of about 5 or 6 years, and then she died. I don’t remember how old she was when she first started to drool, but she always sucked knit fabrics and would get them very wet. It was gross, but she was a little sweetie. It seems we had her about 12 years, but she was a stray, so I’m not sure how old she was when we got her. The point being, she had a long life.

I would mention it to the vet but don’t worry.

[Reeder]

I have read…no cite though…that it’s because they were weaned to early.

[Lochdale]

@Anaamika

:eek: These cats are going to *eat * you.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The fat one might. We have an understanding. She avoids me and I avoid her. The little one is great though. A bit of a scardycat though. We had food delivered tonight and as soon as she heard the buzzer she had the wherewithall to open the closet door with her paw and run in.

That fat just lay there staring at me.

[picunurse]

My youngest kitty drools when she’s happy. She has a number a strange behaviors. She’s so skiddish that you have to trick her to pick her up, but once you do she loves it so much she slobbers all over you. She’ll come onto the bed and sleep cuddled next to me, but only after the lights are off.
I know she wasn’t abused nor was she weaned early. She was born on the bed in our guest room and has been here ever since.
The Vet says its genetic. She’s a slobbery 'fraidy cat by nature.