Bengal cat drooling all of a sudden

by Laurie Johnson
(St. Charles, MO)

I have a 4 year old Bengal cat. He is about 16 pounds and has a great personality. Last night while sitting in my chair (usually waits for me to get up and then he's in there like lightning!), he all of a sudden started drooling - a lot. He threw up his dinner, but went back to the dry food bowl and ate some more. Otherwise, he is normal. Litter box habits are normal. He followed me to the bathroom sink and drank from the faucet like he usually does. He looked out the windows at the birds in the trees outside like normal as well. Any ideas what could be causing this? He has never done this before. I have a second female Bengal cat around the same age and she is just fine.


Dear Laurie,

Thank you for writing in with concern for your cat.

Drooling in cats can occur for a number of reasons. Considering that he vomited shortly before the drooling incident, it is possible that he began drooling because of the taste in his mouth from the vomit. He may have also licked something that didn't taste very pleasant. Other possible causes for drooling include ingesting toxins, such as plants or cleaning chemicals, or dental disease.

Drooling should always stop within a few minutes. If it doesn't, or starts occurring with regularity, you should bring your kitty to a veterinarian for an examination to be sure that he has not ingested anything toxic and that his dental health is okay.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely