Cat’s teeth

The basic role of teeth in every mammal is their participation in the process of eating, which is why they are necessary for both us and other animals. Young kittens are born like humans, without teeth. And just like humans, they are dipodontic, i.e. they have milk teeth first, then permanent teeth. The first milk teats appear around 2 weeks of age and should be completed within the next 6 weeks. Initially, between 3 and 4 weeks, incisors and fangs will appear. At the very end the premolars. Among milk teeth, there are no molars at all, which then grow as permanent teeth. Milk teeth begin to fall out very quickly and permanent teeth appear, which form up to around 24 weeks of age. An adult cat has 30 permanent teeth, 16 teeth in the maxilla and 14 in the lower jaw. Cat’s teeth are divided into 4 types: incisors, canines, premolars and molars.

A cat’s jaw is built to tear meat. Like the human jaw, it does not have flat teeth on the side of the chewing crowns. In cats, the fangs at the beginning of the jaw kill the victim by tearing its arteries or breaking the spinal cord. Then the cat tears the meat apart with its teeth and swallows it in quite large pieces. Just like in humans, various dental problems appear during life, mainly with periodontitis and gum diseases. This shortens the life span of a cat’s tooth, and unfortunately, the teeth, just like in humans, begin to fall out. Depending on how we cared for our cat and what her genetic conditions are, it can happen even at a very young age. However, it should not happen before the age of 10.

An unpleasant smell from a cat’s mouth is a sign of periodontal disease, which we write about separately. Be sure to read this article. Also read how to brush your cat’s teeth in our article from a week ago.

When looking at our cat’s mouth, let’s take a look at his teeth and gums. The yellow-brown deposit is visible and advanced tartar, from there it is close to bleeding gums, and then even to falling teeth.
Taking care of your cat’s health is, first of all, taking care of its proper diet and teeth. This is where it all starts. Remember to ask the veterinarian to pay special attention to our cat’s teeth during the next visit to the vet.