rik1471

One of my 4 cats is a 10 year old ginger tom. I've noticed when he's happy, he seems to dribble from his mouth/nose area. Recently the dribbling has increased, anybody care to enlighten me as to why and wtf it is?


There's about 2-3 inches of the **** there!

Reffro

Dunno why but lots of cats do this, but I have to say that cat is a real drooler.....

rik1471

But I wouldn't change hime for the world

fast bloke

He needs a dental - Don't quote me but I've been told it is because a nervous or stalking cat licks their lips frequently to help their sense of smell. A happy well fed cat isn't looking for danger or food so they don't bother as much. If they have gingivitis it hurts to lick their lips so they don't do it at all.


Then again, this could be a load of dribble?

The Saint

It could be the feline equivelent of AIDS - have you checked that out?


Saint

grottbags2

One of mine dribbles a lot. His two canine teeth protrudewhen his mouth is shut so the dribble finds a way out.

He mainly does it when he's purring as I think he forgets to swallow!

248SPG

My parents have 2 cats and both dribble like mad. They have been told that it is a way of them spreading thier setn around or marking thier territory. it also usually happens when there is more than one cat fighting for affection!! Could be totally wrong but thats what I have heard!!!

Jye_0

GINGIVITIS(BLEEDING GUMS)?

Redkop

I go with fast bloke on this, get the cat to the vet and get his mouth/teeth checked out!

The Zohan

Dribbling (sounds disgusting) means the cat is very happy/content and nothing to worry about, Our Thomas does this, he is a cat BTW

CrisPDuk

My Mum's cat had something similar. The vet told her the following:
Cat's incisors continue to grow throughout their lives, domestic cats (especially fat, lazy gits like my Mum's), don't wear their teeth down as much as wild ones, therefore the incisors grow to long to interlock properly causing the jaw not to seal & dribbling.

My Mum's cat was so far advanced with it, she ended up having her lower incisors removed as they were digging into the top jaw & causing her pain & infections. 3 years on, & she is now an even fatter, lazier infection free git

I asked the vet about what to do to prevent my two having the same problem & he said when ever we have chicken or chops, give the bones to the cats. Apparently, unlike dogs, cats grind bones down with their teeth before swallowing, and so don't suffer from the splinters like a dog would. The only downside is they can both sense a chicken being carved from 2 miles away and can appear begging at your feet now within 10 seconds of the oven door opening that & we have to shut the elder one out if we have chinese ribs

MoSizlak

interesting that someone says about feline AIDS. My cat has this and he dribbles,but he is also 14 years old,is constantly battling for his territory and has teeth problems.so who knows? apparently cat saliva is nasty bug ridden stuff too so watch out!! My Dad also dribbles when hes happy can anyone help out with that?

fast bloke

Worked for a vet for 10 years and never had FeLV or FIV (feline Aids) associated with dribbling The long tooth theory sounds plausible. (Same thing happens to people you know - everyone knows some old guy with one tooth that i about 2 inches long - Thus the phrase 'long in the tooth' meaning old.


p.s. - This actually applies to *****, but don't tell anyone :

Mog

fast Bloke..Are you refering to women of the night or horses......

fast bloke

erm - horses, but probably also to many of the ladies of the night you see hanging around Belfast. Not to get off the track, but I wouldn't even consider giving some of them one even if they paid me :barf: