My cat is licking lips and drooling with white foam. Should I worry?

Nausea is a common cause of [drooling](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/drooling/) or foaming at the mouth. There are several other causes as well, such as [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1), oral trauma, tooth abscess, [stress](https://www.petcoach.co/article/10-signs-your-cat-is-stressed), tumors in the mouth, [stomatitis](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/gingivitis-and-stomatitis), poisoning, and even rabies (rare if your cat is vaccinated for it). In the absence of other signs, such as [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/vomiting/), I would be concerned that this drooling and foaming at the mouth may be caused by a dental problem, such as a broken tooth or a tooth abscess. You should take Petunia into your vet for a health check and mouth exam. It would be a good idea to get her in a soon as possible (not an emergency, but first thing Monday) because if it is a dental problem, it will be very painful, and she will likely stop eating. Your vet can rule out other causes of these symptoms at the exam.

It sounds like she either has fleas or she has something on her coat (like a foreign substance) that she is licking off. Cats often foam/drool when they taste something they don't like. I suggest you bathe her (if she will let you) and start her on a good flea prevention to cover all the bases.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Drooling is often a sign of nausea. This can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. If this continues or she develops vomiting, I recommend that you have Callie evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pou. Drooling is typically the result of nausea, oral pain or ingesting something with a bad taste. He will need to see his veterinarian if his symptoms persist. If he did acquire the respiratory infection from his housemate, then post-nasal drop could be making him nauseous. I hope this information helps!

The medication may have a bitter taste. When cats get something in their mouth that they don't want or like, they will drool profusely and foam at the mouth. If she will allow, rinse her mouth with cool water for 10-15 minutes. This may decrease drooling. Try mixing the medication into a bit of food and offering it. Once she eats it, you can feed the remainder of the meal. This may be enough to mask any bad taste.

I suggest taking your cat to your veterinarian or a 24-hour emergency clinic as soon as possible. Excessive drooling in a cat can be a sign of a number of problems including (but not limited to) nausea, dental disease. Ingestion of a toxin, foreign object caught in the mouth, salivary gland disease, ulcers in the mouth, cancer of the mouth, neurological disorders, or eating something that tastes very bad. Excessive drooling is also a symptom of rabies. Many cats will chatter their teeth while watching birds or other prey animals; however, chattering could alos be an indication of pain or neurological in nature.

Poor kitten! Excessive drooling like that can definitely be caused by nausea, as well as irritation of the mouth, throat, nose, or stomach. Getting into something potentially toxic or bad tasting, flea and tick treatments for dogs accidentally used on cats, or underlying illness can also cause foaming like this. I would definitely take him to another vet ASAP since it is so severe.