Content
- Do cats have baby teeth?
- How many months do cats change teeth?
- Does change cause a cat's toothache?
- Characteristics of permanent cat teeth
Did you know that cats too change teeth as they grow? If you have a feline puppy at home and one of these days you find one of its small but sharp teeth, don't be scared! It's perfectly normal.
As with humans, tooth replacement happens at a specific time in life that you must know to know how to make the process easier for your little one. Keep reading this article by the Animal Expert that will answer the question: At what age do cats lose their baby teeth?
Do cats have baby teeth?
Cats are born without teeth and during the first weeks of life they feed exclusively on breast milk. The so-called "milk teeth" arise around the third week of life, since the 16th you will be able to see the first little teeth appearing.
First appear the incisors, then the canines and finally the premolars, until you have a total of 26 teeth on reaching the eighth week of life. Although small, these teeth are very sharp, so little by little the cat will stop nursing the puppies that start hurting her. When weaning begins, it's an ideal time for you to start making some solid but soft food available.
How many months do cats change teeth?
Baby teeth are not definitive. around the 3 or 4 months old the kitten begins to change its teeth into so-called permanent ones. The changing process is much slower than the appearance of the first teeth, and it can take up to the 6th or 7th month of life. For that reason, it's not surprising that you notice that a cat's tooth has fallen out during this period of time.
First the incisors appear, then the canines, then the premolars and finally the molars, until complete 30 teeth. As already mentioned, during the molt it is possible that you will find some of the teeth in each house, but if your kitten is between the indicated ages, you have nothing to worry about.
The process involves the permanent teeth being "hidden" in the gums, and they begin by pressing on the baby teeth to break free and take their place. It's a natural process but sometimes it is possible that a complication may appear, as a retained tooth.
We say that a tooth is stuck when the baby tooth cannot release even with the pressure that the permanent tooth exerts on it. When this happens, the entire denture suffers problems because the teeth move from their place due to the force of compression exerted on them. This situation requires a visit to the veterinarian to determine what is the best option for all teeth to come out correctly.
Does change cause a cat's toothache?
Replacing baby teeth with permanent teeth causes a lot of discomfort, similar to what children feel when their first little teeth are born. It is possible that your cat:
- feel pain
- inflame gum
- if you drool too much
- have bad breath
- get angry
- Hit the mouth with your own paws.
Due to all these factors, it is possible that the cat refuses to eat because it is in pain but will try to bite whatever he can find within his reach to relieve gum irritation.
To prevent the cat from destroying all the furniture in your house, we recommend that purchase cat-friendly toys made of soft plastic or rubber. This way, the kitten can chew everything he needs! Remove from the cat's reach any objects of value or that could injure him if he bites. Offer him toys and positively reinforce with caress when he bites these toys so that he realizes that these are the objects he should bite.
Furthermore, moisten the food that offers you to facilitate chewing. You can also opt for temporarily canned food.
Characteristics of permanent cat teeth
As already mentioned, cats replace their baby teeth with permanent teeth permanently around 6 or 7 months of age. These are the teeth the cat will have for the rest of his life. For this reason, experts recommend different methods to keep your teeth in good condition, including brushing your teeth and offering dry food formulated to care for your teeth.
Permanent teeth are hard and resistant. The canines are the ones that get bigger, while the molars are wider compared to the other teeth. You should make an annual visit to your veterinarian to review your cat's dentition to detect any problems or illnesses and treat them in time.
