My brown tabby, Squeaker, has an affinity for hair. Thick, fine, curly, with a distinct love of Afros and pomades of all scents, he doesn’t discriminate. Given height advantage, he will nuzzle into any random stranger’s noggin at will and start salivating. Nay, drooling. The intense purring and look of pure joy on his face while this occurs has led me to believe that the drooling stems from an unknown place of kitty ecstasy. But veterinary experts tell me otherwise.
Why Your Cat Drools
There are numerous reasons why your cat might drool, the primary one being dental disease. Remember that day your vet handed you a toothbrush and paste for your cat all those years ago and you laughed in their face? Well, they weren’t kidding. Pet WebMD.com (because now you can take those hypochondriac tendencies further and diagnose your beloved pet) lists mouth disease and tooth decay as a primary culprit behind kitty drooling. Yup, you guessed it. JUST like us humanoids, tarter buildup can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. So, no matter how much organic, locally sourced raw food you feed kitty (while you mow through an In n’ Out burger), they’re still going to need to get their teeth cleaned and brushed daily (don’t worry, I laughed here too).
A not-so-fun dental issue called FORL (Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion) is also a common cause of dental disease in cats, according to PetHealthNetwork.com. It can appear as a red line along the gum in your cat’s mouth. This gum disease can be quite painful for kitty, and can result in mouth sensitivity, teeth fracturing, inappetance, drooling and bad breath. When kitty is in a (very) chill state, pull back her lip to check her teeth. Are they brown? Are the gums red, swollen or bleeding? If so, get thee to the vet, STAT. Again – just like us humans, these are usually all signs of gum disease.
Other reasons for kitty slobbering can run the gamut, from ingesting foreign bodies, trauma (yet another reason to keep kitty indoors), heat stroke or poisonous plants. Contrary to popular belief, playing with string (while entertaining for kitty) can be deadly, especially if unsupervised. Go ahead and invest in some fun catnip-filled toys kitty can’t fully ingest, why don’t you? Everyone’s intestinal tract will thank you. Certain plants contain insoluble oxalate crystals (kitty kryptonite) and can (shudder) cause intense burning of the mouth when ingested by cats. Keep Calla lilies, Peace lilies, diffenbachia, elephant ear plant, umbrella plant and (the hysterically-named, but deadly) mother-in-law’s tongue plants away from kitty at all costs.
Extreme Cases
More extreme causes of kitty drooling include cancer and kidney failure. CRF (Chronic Renal Failure) can result in increased thirst, weight loss, increased urination, halitosis and drooling. Clinical signs of cancer can include drooling, halitosis, or weight loss. While I hope and pray none of you fine readers and your feisty felines experience these issues, it’s always best to get kitty to the vet for a full exam, including annual dental cleanings. While car rides with kitty are the human equivalent of a root canal, it’s best to get it over with, so everyone can go back to snack time and naps.
Cover Image: Joseph SARDIN via flickr
Seriously though, how the hell are we supposed to brush our cats’ teeth? Even trimming my cat’s claws is a monumental effort involving treats to distract him, a towel to help handle him, and trying to rush through it before I get scratched to death. He will NOT tolerate a toothbrush.
I know every cat is different and some are laid back, but short of sedating my cat the best I can do is feed him Greenies dental treats and hope they do some good.
Good question, Nik. We are actually working on an article that dives into this topic and will hopefully give you some pointers. 🙂
What a great read – thankyou for posting