# Random gulping...even without food in her mouth!



## jcm06002 (Dec 28, 2008)

My cat recently has started to randomly slightly lurch her head forward and gulp even though there's nothing actually in her mouth...she is still eating and drinking as normal, and the litterbox looks as full as always
She's about 9/10 years old, but is still very active and has no history of disease and only a minor infection about 3 years ago that was cured very quickly
she's an indoor only cat, and even purrs loudly while the gulping is occuring
I didn't know if this sounded like some kind of blockage or infection in the throat? Or if her food might be to blame (even though its the same she's always eaten)
any advice would be well appreciated!
Just to be safe though I have a vet appointment schedule for about 2 weeks from now


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

My Toby (95-07) kitty would do that, but he was notorious for drooling when you pet him. I think he just produced a lot of saliva when he purred and had to sort of 'gulp it down' when he was laying and purring on his own. When we pet him, it seemed like he forgot to swallow and would just drool.

If your kitty is having no problems or hesitation about eating or drinking, I'd think the vet appt 2wks away should be fine. Just keep an eye on her to monitor her.

Oh yeah...Welcome!
Heidi


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## petspy (Sep 11, 2008)

perhaps something with her gums or teeth may have deteriorated,
so fortunately with that vet appointment you'll know soon enough.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

My cats sometimes do that when they're working on a hairball, as well, so you might try giving your cat some hairball remedy for a few days. Can't hurt, anyway.


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## Nell (Apr 7, 2005)

My first thought was a hairball as well.
The vet appointment is still a good idea, though. Regular check-ups are a good idea especially as a cat gets older.


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