Excessive drooling / salivation

Question
For some reason, my house has become the "kitty hilton" of our nieghborhood, and I don't mind. I love animals, especially cats. One day, about 2 months ago, a little fella came here and of course, I fed him, and he stayed. I can see he's just a baby, not more than 4 months old. While I was feeding him one day, he grabbed my hand and started biting me. I have 2 cats inside and I know that sometimes they like to give "love-bites", but he bit hard. I noticed he was drooling all over the place, almost like he had a mouth full of water. He looks healthy. Is it common for kittens to drool while teething? When does it stop? What can I do for him? He's a sweetheart, very playful and energetic. I appreciate any answer you can give me. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi Brenda,

The most prevalent causes of excessive drooling are an oral condition such as dental disease or gingivitis, poisoning, or an infection stemming from  Rhinotracheitis or Calicivirus (both of which are vaccinated against in the FVRCP combo shot for cats).  I would definitely get him to a vet as soon as possible, because regardless of the what the cause is, he is presumably in substantial pain.  If it has been several days or longer since this occurred and he is still alive, it is probably not poisoning. At any rate, he still needs to be seen by a vet.  And if you do take him in, be sure to keep him in a bathroom as far away from your pets as possible.  He may not have a contagious virus, but it is important to take every precaution.  I wish you the best of luck, and please let me know  if you have any more questions!

Best regards,