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Why is my cat drooling, lethargic, clingy, and has a fever?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Norwegian Forest Cat | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old

My cat has a slight fever, has been drooling excessively, and has been clingy and lethargic.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 22nd, 2018

I'm sorry Louie is sick! The drooling could be due to nausea or pain, and when cats are sick, they typically become lethargic. Unfortunately his symptoms are quite general and could be caused by a number of different things such as a systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or an injury. The only way to know for sure what is causing them is to have him seen by a vet, and I'd recommend taking him in first thing in the morning so he can be examined, diagnosed, and treated. Best of luck.

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2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

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Hi,noticed my cat has been lethargic, not eating a lot, just bit sized meat and milk nothing else which has led to drastic weight loss, drooling around the mouth, has thick white discharge around his eyes,for the past 2weeks,, what could be the probl
So sorry that your cat is sick. There are many possible conditions that could cause the clinical signs that your cat is experiencing including an infection, parasite, kidney disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, cancer, etc. He should be examined by a vet for a work-up to determine the cause. Your vet can run lab-work and take x-rays to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. Please call your vet and schedule an appointment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is a 3 year old male. He has been uncontrollably drooling for at least half a day. I do not know why either. He seems a little more unmotivated also.
Poor Fiefie! It sounds like something is definitely wrong. Excessive drooling can be a sign of nausea in cats, or can be caused by a problem in the mouth such as severe dental disease, a foreign body, or even an oral tumor of some kind. If he will let you, you can try gently opening his mouth to see if you can see any obvious problems inside. If not, I would recommend taking him to the vet today for an exam - he/she can sedate him if necessary to perform a more thorough oral exam, and may also recommend blood work or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has been sick for more than 5 days. Started with decreased appetite, less talking, hair loss around one eye. Not drinking or eating well. Lethargic, walking very slowly and resting alot. Now drooling and has had a fever off and on. Coat matted
Poor SoCo sounds extremely ill, and the symptoms you are describing are a medical emergency. As a senior cat, he could have many things wrong with him including dental problems, diabetes, kidney failure, hyperthyroidism, liver failure, or cancer among others. He needs veterinary care now to diagnose what is causing all his symptoms so he can be treated. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my cat is a really friendly one, Leo likes to play with us and other cats I have in my house.. but recently(in the past 2 weeks), he’s been drooling all over himself and since then he never sits among us or other cats, he’s usually really active
Drooling can be a sign of dental disease, oral ulcers from ingesting toxins or from some medical conditions, or even nausea or pain. If you feel Leo's behavior is abnormal you should either recheck with your vet or get a second opinion elsewhere. A sedated oral exam might be helpful, or blood work might be recommended as well.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Bleu has been kind of sluggish and was sick this morning. He has been moving around a little. I do not think he dehydrated because his nose is wet and he is drooling a little. Should I be worried?
I am sorry to hear about Blue. One thing we worry about in male cats exhibiting this behavior is a urinary blockage. It can make them lethargic, vomit, not eat, painful (drooling can be a sign of pain). If you aren't sure he is urinating normally or if you press on his lower belly and he is painful then we would be very concerned this could be his issue and this is a medical emergency and he should be seen right away.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has been acting different all day . Seems lazy and has been drooling . I've never seen him drool before . He's eating less than usual
Hello. Drooling can be the result of nausea from many diseases, & toxic exposures. Drooling can also occur from mouth problems such as inflamed gums or tooth disease. Bentley is probably not being lazy, he does not feel well & eating less is a clear indication that he is sick. It is pretty important to make an appointment with your veterinarian to have Bentley examined. The sooner he is seen, the quicker the proper treatment can be initiated. This will hopefully have Bentley feeling better soon. Thank for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Why does my cat behave like he's sick like this and its mouth keep having saliva and he didnt even bother to clean himself like usual.. He likes to sleep a lot and didnt want to play with me at all. What should i do??
I am so sorry to hear about your kitty. Chipotle sounds like and appears to be quite ill based on your description/photos. The drooling could be do to nausea (which can be due to many different diseases), infection in the mouth or the throat or nasal passages, tumors in these areas. He needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible to determine what is causing these symptoms.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Pou started drooling off and on starting Friday. He growls at his brother and sister and sleeping a bit more. I checked his mouth everything looked normal breath doesnt smell and i dont believe he has a fever he is moving around fine and doesnt seem
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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat Osiris is 9 months and he drools when sleeping and being pet. He also sneezes and has a runny nose. He eats and drinks just fine
I would not be overly concerned about the drooling as the salivary glands can be quite active when asleep and when particularly content. However, the other symptoms wiuld make me think he has a viral infection causing a touch of cat flu. This is quite common and the viruses tend to flare up then die down. There is little that can be done to treat a virus but it would be worth having him checked as virus can make way for bacteria which does warrant treatment. When you are at the vet mention the drooling and have them check his teeth just in case.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat started drooling today. Is this normal? She's also seems very lethargic.
Poor Tabbi! The most common causes of drooling in cats are related to oral pain, nausea, or toxin exposure. Tabbi’s lethargy could also be related to pain or nausea from gastrointestinal issues, kidney disease, among others. At this point, it would be best to take Tabbi to the vet for an exam and any necessary diagnostic testing to help get to the bottom of the issue. From there, her her will be able to determine the best course of treatment. I hope this helps and that all goes well!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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