What this means
Some cats drool when stroked or purring, and that can be their normal behaviour. What should concern you is new drooling unrelated to pleasure: a wet chin, saliva on the chest, a damp patch where your cat slept, or matted fur around the mouth. Note when it started and whether the saliva smells.
Drooling often means a cat's mouth hurts, although you may not see it from the eating: a cat with a sore mouth often keeps eating but chews carefully, tilts its head or drops food. Other causes are nausea, a foreign object in the mouth or something toxic, and sometimes episodes in which a cat pats at its mouth with its paws and drools.
Look for other signs alongside: bad breath, red gums, rubbing the face, coughing or vomiting. If your cat has not eaten for more than a day, it needs a vet. Sudden heavy drooling, especially after your cat may have swallowed or licked something, is an emergency.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your cat.
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Dental disease
A sore or loose tooth or tartar can cause drooling. A cat may keep eating but chew carefully.
About the condition: Dental disease -
Inflamed gums
Red, swollen gums hurt and bring on drooling, along with bad breath and face rubbing.
About the condition: Chronic gingivitis -
Episodes of mouth and face pain
In some cats an episode brings drooling, pawing at the mouth and exaggerated licking, while between episodes they behave normally.
About the condition: Feline orofacial pain syndrome -
A foreign object or wound in the mouth
A stuck object, a wound or an ulcer in the lining of the mouth can cause sudden heavy drooling.
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Nausea or a general illness
A nauseous cat can drool before it vomits. Some internal diseases also change the state of the mouth.
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Something toxic
Poisonous or irritating substances can cause sudden heavy drooling, and then a vet is needed straight away.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When the drooling began and whether it is constant or in episodes
- Whether your cat eats carefully, drops food or tilts its head
- Whether the gums are red or the smell is strong
- Whether it rubs its face or paws at its mouth
- Whether there is also vomiting, coughing or reluctance to drink
- Whether your cat could have swallowed or licked something
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if your cat starts drooling, chews carefully or eats less. If it has not eaten for more than a day, drools heavily and suddenly, or breathes with its mouth open, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Cat flu (upper respiratory infection) Infections An infection of the nose, throat and eyes, caused mainly by two viruses, feline herpesvirus and calicivirus, sometimes together with bacteria. It spreads easily between cats and is especially hard on kittens.
- Chronic gingivitis Teeth and mouth The gums stay inflamed for a long time: they turn red, swell and bleed easily. The inflammation can drag on for weeks or months and make the mouth sore.
- Dental disease Teeth and mouth A broad name for problems with the teeth and the tissues that hold them: plaque and tartar, inflamed gums, loosening teeth and painful damage to the teeth themselves. It matters because a sore mouth affects eating, grooming and a cat's whole mood.
- Feline orofacial pain syndrome Nerves and muscles A painful condition of the nerves that carry feeling from the mouth and face. A cat suddenly feels intense discomfort in its mouth, as if something were stuck there, and paws at its face. It matters because the episodes can be distressing enough for a cat to hurt itself or stop eating.
Body systems: Infections Teeth and mouth Nerves and muscles