My cat just started drooling a lot.

Question

My cat just started drooling and I am not sure why. He gos outside everyday. I took him to the vet and ht said to keep him in it could be from fertilizer and other chemicals. He mentioned that there may be cat haters out there that would purposely poison cats? My cats 12 years old and enjoys being outside. He would be miserable inside.

Answer 1

Did the vet keep him for treatment?  This happened to my cat, and it turned out to be organophosphate toxicity (my indoor/outdoor cat had gotten into insecticide while outside somewhere).  I rushed him to the vet because in addition to drooling, he was unsteady on his feet.  By the time we got to the vet (about 15 minutes away), the drool was just running out of my poor baby's mouth.  He was treated with charcoal, Atropine, anti-nausea medicine (he started projectile vomiting and having diarrhea at the vet), plus various other medications and I.V. fluids.  He spent 48 hours at the emergency veterinary hospital, and they saved his life.

Anyway, when we got home, he immediately wanted to go outside again.  I had decided to make him an indoor-only cat (for obvious reasons), but he was so miserable that I relented and let him back outside again.  He was a stray in our neighborhood before we moved in three years ago, and patrolling his territory is the only life he knows or wants.  We had him neutered, vaccinated, and micro-chipped, and he doesn't go far, but I was so scared at first that he would get into whatever poisoned him again.  He hasn't so far (knock on wood), and it's been over three months since this happened.

So I know EXACTLY how you feel and the dilemma you're facing, but I ultimately decided that my cat's happiness was the most important thing to me.  My cat is friends with the children who live next door, and when they saw his shaved leg (from the I.V.), they asked what happened.  I told them briefly (making it sound less serious than it was) and mentioned that I had considered keeping him inside after that, but that he was so unhappy that I changed my mind.  And one of the kids said, "You know, he has to live his life."  Words of wisdom from an eight year old.

So I wish the best for your cat's recovery and wish you luck with your decision regarding letting him out or keeping him in.  I hope my story helped.  

Answer 2

OMG. Poor cat!  He is too old now to be outside unchaperoned.  Because he loves the outdoors, consider purchasing (or building) a "cat run", or putting in a special "outside" cat window - like a bay window with screens for the cat to sit in - these are available from several different places, including someplace called "Dr. Foster". We had enough room to create a screened-in porch for the cats, and hang bird feeders outside of it to amuse them - they love it, and they are safe.

Answer 3

i would change your vet,or get a second opinion,cats don't drool for nothing,sometimes its a sign of teething problems,or below are other reasons why they drool

Drooling

A cat excessively drooling or salivating may be a sign of contentedness. It may also be accompanied by purring and kneading, which can give you the impression that your kitty is happy. This may well be the case, however, excessive salivation must not be taken lightly. There can be many other reasons why cats drool, most of them very serious. The excessive production of saliva may be a symptom of:

respiratory disease,

ulcerated mouth or tongue,

dental pain,

inflamed gums,

a foreign body in the mouth or throat; or

a sign of aggression or apprehension.

Answer 4

I agree with your bet that he probably got into fertilizer or chemicals. When I first tried to give my cat Frontline, she started drooling a lot and became lethargic. She's perfectly fine now, turns out she's very sensitive to chemicals. I would a least keep him inside until he stops drooling. Keep an eye on him though, there are cat haters out there.