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 they also have shortened jaws with less space for teeth. Cats have fewer teeth than other carnivores in fact; normally 28 or 30 compared with 42 for dogs and bears.

On smartphones please view the diagram below with the phone held horizontally to enlarge the image. Thanks.

Do cats have more teeth than dogs?

Cats have less teeth than dogs. Diagram from: lakesidevets.com

There are different types of teeth for specialized tasks. The small incisors are for holding and nibbling. The rear molars act like scissors for cutting and slicing. The large canines are for delivering the killing bite and stabbing.

It has been suggested by an ethologist (the scientific and objective study of animal behavior), Paul Leyhausen, that the canine teeth of the cat are very precisely attuned to breaking the spinal cord of the cat’s prey. The canine teeth fit between the neck vertebrae of prey like a “key in a lock”. They are inserted between the vertebrae like a wedge forcing the vertebrae apart, breaking the prey’s spinal cord.

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 ...
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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 ...
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Baby teeth that have fallen out

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 ...
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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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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 ...
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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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