Do cats have baby teeth?

A newborn kitten normally has no teeth but yes, cats have baby teeth which begin to erupt when kittens are about 21 days old. They are fully in place by 5-6 weeks of age. The 30 permanent teeth erupt when kittens are 4 months of age. They are complete at around 7 months of age.

Baby teeth that have fallen out

Baby teeth that have fallen out. Photo in public domain.

Newborn kitten - no teeth

Newborn kitten showing no teeth.

You may not notice the baby teeth being lost as they can come out when eating or play. Baby teeth which are retained can be removed by your veterinarian. There shouldn’t be a problem with the permanent teeth if this is done promptly.

The tables below provide information about kitten and adult cat teeth. If you’d like to read more you can click on this link.

Kitten Teeth

Type of Tooth

# Upper Teeth

# Lower Teeth

Age of Eruption

(weeks)

Function

Incisors663-4Tearing and grooming
Canines223-4Killing and grasping
Premolars645-6Shearing (cutting)
Molars00—-Grinding. Limited ability to masticate (as for humans)

Adult Cat Teeth

Type of Tooth

# Upper Teeth

# Lower Teeth

Age of Eruption

(months)

Function

Incisors663.5-4.5Grasping
Canines225Killing and grasping
Premolars644.5-6Shearing (cutting)
Molars224-5Grinding. Limited ability to masticate (as for humans)

Carnassial teeth

Carnassial teeth

Cats have less teeth than dogs. The incisors are for grooming and tearing prey. The canines are for grasping and killing. The last upper molar and the lower molar make the carnassial teeth which shear the flesh before being swallowed. Cats don’t masticate food like humans, they cut it into small portions so that it can be swallowed.

SOME MORE:

Cat teeth timeline

Do cats’ teeth fall out?

Do cat's teeth fall out? The answer is yes for baby teeth but no for adult teeth. If an adult ...
Read More
Cat teeth

At what age does a cat lose its baby teeth?

A domestic cat loses her baby teeth in gradual stages. At 3 to 4 months of age the deciduous incisor ...
Read More
Human molar versus jaguar carnassial

Why don’t cats get teeth cavities like humans?

Cats don't get teeth cavities like humans because their molars are not horizontal at the top with peaks and troughs ...
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A cat's tiny incisor teeth

Why does the cat have such small incisors?

Domestic cats have tiny incisor teeth because they don't need them for slicing flesh as is the case for humans ...
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Carnassial teeth

Do cats masticate?

Do cats masticate? No they don't. They shear the flesh with carnassial teeth which are modified molars at the back ...
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Do cats have more teeth than dogs?

Do cats have more teeth than dogs?

Do cats have more teeth than dogs? No, is the answer. It's the opposite. Because cats have a shortened face ...
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Newborn kitten with no teeth

Are kittens born with teeth?

Very rarely kittens are born with teeth. Usually they are born without teeth. The incisors are the first deciduous (baby) ...
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How many teeth do cats have?

How many teeth do cats have?

Adult cats have 30 teeth. Adult humans have 32 teeth. CAT Incisors (at the front of the lower and upper ...
Read More

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

Michael Broad

Hi, I'm a 74-year-old retired solicitor (attorney in the US). Before qualifying I worked in many jobs including professional photography. I love nature, cats and all animals. I am concerned about their welfare. If you want to read more click here.

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