Why Is My Cat Drooling All Of A Sudden?

Cats do all sorts of strange things, from rubbing their teeth on you to barreling around the house at 3 a.m. as though they’re possessed. So if you’re chilling on the couch with your kitty and notice they’re drooling, it might strike you as strange, or maybe you’re thinking it’s just one more odd thing cats do. But it’s worth asking yourself, “Why is my cat drooling suddenly?” Emergency veterinarians say sometimes cats drooling can be a sign of contentment, but other times, it can actually signal a medical emergency.

Why is my cat drooling so much out of nowhere?

Cats can drool suddenly for a number of reasons, ranging from harmless to, well, not so harmless.

“Sometimes a cat will drool because it has tasted something unpleasant or bitter, is nauseous, or is extremely stressed or frightened. Some cats will also drool when they’re very relaxed or purring,” says Dr. Lori Ross, emergency veterinarian and executive medical director at Emergency Veterinary Care Centers. “But sudden drooling can also be a sign of a problem in the mouth. Dental disease, a painful or broken tooth, an ulcer, inflammation, or something stuck in the mouth can all cause excessive saliva. We also have to think about toxin exposure.”

Cats can be exposed to things by licking them off their fur, eating something they shouldn’t, or even getting certain chemicals on their skin, Ross says. Drooling can be one of the first signs of poisoning.

Drooling can also be associated with underlying gastrointestinal or neurologic conditions, according to Ross, which is why it’s important to note anything else new or strange your cat is doing.

When should I worry about my cat drooling?

First, pay attention to when the drooling started.

“If the drooling is directly after your cat is given an oral medication or is associated with stress — like a car ride to the vet — it will typically resolve on its own, and no treatment is needed,” says Dr. Carly Fox, senior veterinarian in the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s Emergency & Critical Care Service.

“I would also look for clues around the mouth,” Ross says. “Bad breath, dropping food, chewing differently, reluctance to eat, pawing at the face, or resisting having the mouth or face touched can point toward oral or dental pain.”

But if your cat is showing other signs of something being wrong, they should really be examined by their vet.

“If your pet is drooling with no obvious cause and it does not resolve in one to two hours, or is associated with muscle twitching or abnormal behavior, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian,” says Fox. Drooling plus vomiting, seizure, loss of appetite, or hyperactivity should be considered an emergency, she adds.

Ross agrees that it’s important to look at the whole cat, not just the drool. A cat that tastes something unpleasant and then goes back to normal behavior is likely fine, whereas a cat drooling and hiding, not eating, pawing at its mouth, or having trouble breathing? That’s a different story.

“If the cat is having difficulty breathing, collapsing, having seizures, becoming very weak or unresponsive, repeatedly vomiting, showing severe facial swelling, or you suspect a toxin exposure, those are reasons to seek emergency veterinary care right away,” says Ross. “If you suspect your cat has gotten into a toxin, don’t wait for additional symptoms to develop before calling. Some poisonings can become much more difficult to treat once symptoms progress.”

You don’t have to figure out exactly why your cat is drooling or displaying any of their symptoms in order to call your vet. Cats are particularly good at hiding illness, Ross says, so any time a cat isn’t acting like itself, that’s a reason to have your veterinarian evaluate them rather than assuming it’s nothing. And if you think they might have gotten into something toxic, bring the wrapper or snap a photo of the container and any labels. This can help your vet choose the best treatment options.

One final rule of thumb from Ross: “A little drool in an otherwise happy, normal cat is one thing. A cat who is suddenly drooling and doesn’t seem like themselves is a cat I want a veterinarian to know about.”