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Why is my kitten drooling excessively and her breath smells bad?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 3 months and 26 days old | 4 lbs

About last week, my kitten, Nala, starting to excessively drool. I took her to the humane society to get checked (that is where I adopted her from), but they would not check her for some reason. They said that she looked fine and they just treated me as if I was making it all up. Can someone please tell me the causes of cats or kittens drooling too much? I have uploaded pictures so you can see. Also, her drool smells weird and it's making her breathe smell bad.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on January 24th, 2018

There are a number of reasons that kitens will drool, but I will discuss a few. Kittens will lose their baby teeth and get their adult teeth in between 3 and 6 months of age. The smaller baby teeth are usually just swallowed and you may never see them. When they are loosing their baby teeth, the adult teeth come in under the baby teeth and can be painful or irritating which can cause drooling.
Another possibility if the drooling is only occuring when Nala is kneading is a normal physiological response that can occur with kneading. Some cats grow out of it and some continue it.
Finally, cats and kittens can drool if they are nauseated or have a problem swallowing. If Nala has any change in her appetitie, problem swallowing or is vomiting, I would certainly have her evaluated. Are there any plants that she has been chewing on that could be irritating her mouth? If it is getting worse or there are any other clinical signs, she should also be evaluated. I'm sorry they did not examine her when you took her in. Depending on when she is due for her next kitten vaccination, I would certainly recommend having her mouth examined at that time.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Nala is a very cute girl! :) Causes of excessive drooling in cats include dental problems or tooth pain, nausea, or (rarely) systemic problems like liver or kidney disease. Many cats also drool while they are kneading and purring, which is a normal behavior for them.

At Nala's age, it's very possible that she is drooling more because she's teething - but it would be a good idea to have her checked out to ease your mind and make sure it's nothing more serious. I would suggest taking her to a different veterinarian for an exam, if you can, since the humane society wasn't very helpful.
0Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on October 22nd, 2018
Drooling can be a sign of pain, nausea, or problems with the mouth. Occasionally cats with upper respiratory infections that cause sneezing can have a virus (calicivirus) that can also cause ulcers in the mouth which could lead to drooling. I would recommend having Coco examined by a veterinarian - you can establish care with a vet and also have her mouth examined.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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