My cat keeps pawing his mouth after eating. Is it a vet emergency?

This is urgent. Your cat likely has a problem with his teeth, excessive tartar, severe gingivitis and pain. Please take Mackswell to your veterinarian for an exam and schedule a dental cleaning if needed as determined by the vet.

Your cat needs to see his veterinarian ASAP. It is possible that your cat has a tooth abscess, severe periodontal disease, something lodged inside the mouth, an injury, or an oral tumor. Regardless of cause, this is a serious medical condition since it is preventing him from eating and drinking normally. Your cat is at risk of becoming dehydrated and developing a condition called hepatic liposis, which can lead to liver failure. Even going 24 hours without food can cause changes in liver functioning.

It's difficult to know exactly what this is without seeing it, but I'm most suspicious about some sort of dental disease. It's not likely something serious that needs immediate attention, but it's best to have him seen by a vet sometime soon to get an accurate diagnosis of the problem. Below is a link to some more information about dental disease in cats. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-signs-your-cat-needs-dental-work I hope that helps and all is well with Buddy.

This sounds a lot like your kitty has problems with his teeth or possibly severe gingivitis or ulcers in his mouth. If he lets you have a look, inspect his mouth for red spots, a red gum line and severe tartar, especially on the molars or any swelling. He will likely need a dental cleaning under anesthesia, if he has not had one in the last year or two. Cats get so called FORL, that is the neck of the tooth often rots underneath the gum and eventually starts hurting. Typical signs would be red gums and some swelling and not letting you have a look at his mouth. Affected cats often want to eat, go to the food, eat a little and then stop only to return later for more but few bites. Please make an appointment with your vet for an exam very soon. In the meantime feed canned food which will be less painful to eat.

Try gently rinsing out Mittens's mouth with cool water. If she is pawing at her face still, that tells me she is in a lot of pain and needs to see a vet now. Do NOT give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Should she have stopped pawing at her face, you can wait until tomorrow to see the vet. Best of luck.

Poor kitty! I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem. Unfortunately, I can't really tell what's going on in this photo, except that his mouth appears to be swollen and there is something (maybe his tongue?) protruding from his mouth or chin. I would definitely say that he needs to see a veterinarian, but can't even hazard a guess as to what might be wrong or what kind of treatment would be needed without an exam and a more detailed history. I would recommend having him seen by a veterinarian today if at all possible. Once the initial exam has been done, he/she should be able to give you a better idea of what might be wrong and what kind of treatment is needed, including costs.

He may have an injury or something stuck in his mouth that makes him painful and reluctant to eat. I strongly recommend getting him seen by a vet right away, even though he's feeling better. There may still be something that can be corrected to make him feel better, and if he has swallowed something he shouldn't have or injured his mouth by chewing something he may need veterinary care in order to heal completely.