DO CATS DROOL WHEN THEY’RE HAPPY?
Source: The South African (Extract)
Posted: August 31, 2023
Cats often drool when they’re joyful, a common occurrence.
But why does this happen? It’s a mix of physical and emotional reasons.
When a cat is happy and relaxed, several factors can lead to drooling:
1. RELAXATION
Cats can drool due to extreme relaxation, often caused by petting.
Petting can release endorphins, chemicals that bring pleasure and good feelings, much like how we humans feel.
These endorphins relax the cat, possibly leading to drooling. Their mouth can’t hold all the saliva because of this.
2. THE PURR
Some cats might drool when they purr, but we’re unsure why.
Purring often happens when cats are content, but it’s not clear if that’s the cause.
Purring could potentially trigger a drooling response due to some unknown mechanism.
Interestingly, kittens purr while nursing, so purring might somehow prompt drooling in certain cats.
Drooling can vary among cats. Some drool a lot, others hardly at all.
In the cat world, this is completely normal. Consistent drooling isn’t a problem.
Yet, if your cat doesn’t usually drool but suddenly does, it might signal an issue.