Why does my cat drool when excited by catnip, but my other cat doesn't?

Hello, thank you for your question about Ash. Excessive drooling can be a sign of nausea or acid reflux in cats. Based on the history of him having excess to a new toy it is possible that he may have ingested too much of the catnip and it is causing some slight nausea, or the catnip is making him drool excessively. Since he is otherwise acting normally I would recommend continuing to monitor him for the next 24-48 hours. If the signs do not resolve or he develops any vomiting, inappetance, or lethargy I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian. They can examine Ash and may suggest further diagnostics such as full bloodwork or abdominal x-rays to look for other (less likely) problems such as kidney/liver disease or a GI obstruction. Hope this helps, good luck!

This is totally normal! When a cats sleeps, the muscles in their mouth relax, leading to the drooling. This happens with humans too. And some cats can drool when purring. I had a cat as a kid who drooled so much when she was on my lap that I always ended up with a big wet spot. I hope this helps!

That could happen especially with kitten when they get excited or they start purring. Unfortunately there is not much you can do as this behaviour is unlikely to be pathological but rather completely normal and Rocky may grow out of it. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Some cats are very vocal and that’s how they interact. I’ve also seen deaf cats that meow excessively since they can’t hear themselves. Drooling usually occurs when cats are purring and happy. To me it sounds like you have a happy, social cat. Enjoy! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.

Drooling can sometimes be a sign of overstimulation/excitement, and even stress or nervousness. It may not be that Bruce wants to hunt the kittens, but he is very excited/nervous being around it. Continuing to monitor them and only have them together under supervision is best, and if he starts to drool it's time for a time out so everyone (including Bruce) can have some time to relax and calm down. Making sure Bruce and kitten both have a place they can lay down, eat, drink, etc away from each other is also a good idea to help limit stress. Pheromone diffusers can also sometimes help (they make them for dogs), however if the behavior continues or he seems to be upset or anxious, it wouldn't hurt to talk to a trainer or behaviorist in person as well.

It’s quite possible, cats can be really sensitive to scents. If they both started drooling at the same time, then I would suspect an environmental cause. So a strong scent, or something they could have licked or eaten. Some houseplants will cause drooling. You can rinse their mouths out with water to help, but if it doesn’t improve in 24 hours, they should get checked out by a vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Drooling that lasts more than 2 hours is an indication to see the vet. Broken tooth, mouth ulcers, electrocution (does she chew cords?) toxin, GI upset, foreign body, and more can all cause this - and all need some degree of medical attention. Best wishes to you and Malsle!