Menu
A common question among Bengal cat owners is “Do Bengal cats drool?” The short answer is yes, Bengal cats do drool sometimes. However, the reasoning behind cats drooling is a bit more complicated, so we’re going to focus on that in this post.
In this post, we will cover the following:
Bengal cats drool the same way as people and other animals. They have salivary glands in their mouth that, when activated, produce a liquid known as saliva or drool. Most often, these glands are activated when something enters the mouth because their main purpose is to help with digestion.
An easy way to understand how your salivary glands are activated is by putting something in your mouth, whether or not it’s food. Hold it there for a few moments, and you’ll soon find your mouth filled with saliva. Cats’ mouths work the same way.
The main reason the Bengal cats drool is food-related. They naturally produce saliva when they’re eating and may sometimes drool in anticipation of eating, especially when you feed your Bengal cat at certain times during the day. However, there are other reasons that Bengal cats drool, as well.
Here are several non-food reasons that Bengals may drool:
When a Bengal cat is extremely relaxed and happy, they may begin to drool. Most often, they’ll also be purring along with this. If your Bengal cat only drools when they’re completely happy and relaxed, then it’s a good sign that they’re a “happy drooler” and there’s no reason to be alarmed. As you will soon see, many of the other reasons Bengal cats drool will require a vet visit.
Here’s a video of a “happy drooler” Bengal cat named Zanda:
The most common mouth problem that can cause Bengal cats to drool is dental disease, also known as periodontal disease. This disease is most often seen in older cats that have not had proper dental care throughout their lives. Most often, if your Bengal cat has dental disease, you will notice that they drool a lot while they are eating and that they have a bad odor coming from their mouth.
Like humans, cats should have their teeth professionally cleaned once per year and brushed every day. You can brush your Bengal cat’s teeth with a special cat toothbrush that makes it easy to do. Be sure to also use cat toothpaste that is safe for cats and will help keep their teeth nice and clean. Another way to keep their teeth clean is to give them special treats designed to clean their teeth like Greenies cat treats.
Another mouth problem that can lead to drooling in Bengal cats is an oral mass. This type of mouth cancer stimulates the salivary glands because it’s an abnormal thing in the mouth, and will most likely cause your cat to be drooling all the time. The sooner you get an oral mass checked out, the better chances your cat has of overcoming it, so be sure to take your cat in as soon as possible if you notice any odd lumps in or around your cat’s mouth.
The other mouth problem that can cause a Bengal cat to drool is when something gets stuck in their mouth or between their teeth. Like an oral mass, this will usually cause constant and excessive drooling as the foreign body stimulates the salivary glands. Sometimes, cats can get pieces of bone or even food trapped between their teeth or across the roof of their mouth. These can be very small, so even if you can’t see it, take your cat into the vet if they keep drooling for no reason.
Cats can get nauseous and feel sick even if they’re not actually throwing up. Usually when a cat is nauseous, there are other symptoms as well, such as refusal of food and acting differently. Because there are a number of things that can cause nausea in a cat, you need to get them in to se a vet as soon as possible to find out what might be causing it.
If you’ve ever accidentally gotten soap in your mouth, you’re well-aware of how a bad taste in your mouth can cause you to drool. Cats are the same way. Because Bengal cats are naturally curious, they may have tried something they shouldn’t have and were severely disappointed, and now the taste is causing them to drool.
This is also common when giving cats medication since many medications are bitter-tasting and can cause cats to drool when they don’t swallow them fast enough, especially when pills are involved. If you know your cat has tried something they shouldn’t that’s safe, then you typically don’t have to worry about their drooling.
In some cases, that bitter taste may have been caused by a toxic substance that your cat ingested, so taking them to the vet if you’re not sure is always the best course of action, especially since many toxic substances work very quickly and need fast interventions to be successful.
Some Bengal cats will start drooling when they are kittens and will continue drooling for the rest of their lives. However, others will only drool while they are younger and eventually grow out of it. So, if you don’t like the idea of your Bengal kitten drooling for the rest of their life, hope that they’re one of those that grow out of it.
Occasionally, a Bengal cat may start drooling when they’re happy as an adult. However, this is not as common. In some cases, a Bengal cat may be adopted at an older age and appear to have started drooling as an adult, but the truth may be that the previous owner simply never noticed, or the cat was never relaxed enough in their previous home to have started drooling.
When drooling because they’re happy or relaxed, how often Bengal cats drool varies greatly from cat to cat. Some will drool pretty much every time they’re happy. Others will only drool when extremely relaxed and happy, while still others only occasionally drool. Since every cat is different, it’s impossible to say what’s “normal.”
So, Do Bengal Cats Drool?
While Bengal cats do drool, it can be for a variety of reasons, so finding out the reason is more important than knowing that it’s something they can do. If you know for sure that your cat always drools when they’re happy, then this is likely the only reason for your Bengal cat drooling.
However, if an adult Bengal cat suddenly starts drooling or does so when not relaxed, then this may be a cause for alarm and you should get them in to see the vet as soon as possible!
Resources
Affiliate Disclosure
BengalCatClub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, BengalCatClub.com participates in various other affiliate programs. This means that when you purchase certain products through our recommendations, at no additional cost to you, we receive a monetary reward for referring you.
*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
