Why does my cat's nose get wet when purring?

Question

I noticed that my cat's nose gets wet from time to time. I called the vet and he told me that I should observe the cat's activities: whether it starts being miserable, whether it eats less, etc. None of them happens.

Every night when my girlfriend and I go to bed, my cat lies between us for a while, always purring. And her nose always gets wet. So, I realized that my cat's nose basically just gets wet when she purrs. All the rest of the day, it seems to be dry.

None of her activities have changed; the only change I can think of is that recently she has started sleeping longer hours, but that could be caused by her age as she's not as young as she was (2 years and a half now).

Why does her nose get wet when purring? Should this be something to worry about?

Answer 1

Often cats will drool when they're happy. My youngest boy will drool a big puddle on me every day if I let him. I suspect that your cat's nose is getting wet from a small amount of drool.

Normally drool isn't anything to worry about. It can indicate state of mind (cats drool when they're happy/relaxed, and also when they're nervous). However, drool can occasionally indicate dental problems, especially if your cat has started eating less.

A two and a half year old shouldn't have a drastic change in schedule, so depending on how much more she's sleeping it may be worth a call to your vet. Make sure you're specific about how much more she's sleeping (if she's not greeting you at the door after work, that's probably not a big deal, but if she doesn't wake up for meals or playtime, that's a much bigger concern).

Answer 2

My understanding is that the tip of the cat nose is the opposite of ours: if we are healthy the tip of our nose should be warm and dry; for them it should be cool and moist. I would not worry about a wet nose unless it seems to be running all the time, or you hear your cat sneezing frequently, or having trouble breathing.

Answer 3

Cats' noses often run or drip when they purr and it is not drool. I've read that it is an indication of them being content and a reversion to their kittenhood when mom cat would lick their little runny noses. When my 5 yr old cat is kneading on me and purring, her nose constantly drips. So much so that there is usually a large wet spot on the bed or me when she walks away. If you take note of the times that the nose is dripping, I think you will find that it occurs when she is purring and happy.