At what age do cats lose their baby teeth?
Did you know that cats also change teeth as they grow? If you have a feline puppy at home and one of these days find one of its small but sharp teeth, don’t worry! It’s perfectly normal.
- As in humans.
- Tooth replacement takes place at a specific time in life you need to know to know how to facilitate the process for your little one.
- Continue reading this animal expert article that will answer the question:.
Cats are born without teeth and during the first weeks of life they feed exclusively on mother’s milk. The so-called “milk teeth” appear around the third week of life, from the 16th the appearance of the first teeth can be observed.
First the incisors appear, then the canines and finally the premolars, until they have a total of 26 teeth at the time of the eighth week of life. Although they are small, these teeth are very sharp, so gradually the cat will stop breastfeeding the puppies that start to hurt him. When weatheing begins, it’s the perfect time to start offering solid but soft foods.
Baby teeth are not permanent. Around 3 or 4 months, the kitten begins to transform its teeth into so-called permanent teeth. The process of change is much slower than the appearance of the first teeth and can last up to the sixth or seventh month of life. For this reason, it is not surprising that you notice that a cat’s tooth fell during this period.
First the incisors appear, then the canines, then the premolars and finally the molars, until we get 30 teeth.As we have already commented, during the moulting, you can find one of the teeth per house, but if your kitten is between the right ages, you do not have to worry.
The process involves permanent teeth “hiding” in the gums and starting to press baby teeth to loosen and take their place.It is a natural process, but sometimes a complication, such as a retained tooth, may occur.
We say that a tooth is preserved when the baby’s tooth cannot loosen even with the pressure exerted by the permanent tooth on it. When this happens, the entire prosthesis suffers problems because the teeth move from their rightful place because of the compression force exerted on them. This situation requires a visit to the veterinarian to determine the best option for all teeth to come out correctly.
Replacing baby teeth with permanent teeth causes a lot of discomfort, similar to how children feel when their first teeth are born. Your cat may:
Due to all these factors, the cat may refuse to eat because it hurts, but tries to chew on everything in its reach to alleviate gum irritation.
To prevent the cat from destroying all the furniture in your home, we recommend that you buy soft plastic or rubber cat toys.This way, the kitten can chew whatever it needs!Remove any valuables or objects that may damage your cat if it bites.Give him toys and gently rebut him when he bites these toys so that he realizes that these are the objects he should bite.
In addition, moisten the food it offers to facilitate chewing. You can also temporarily opt for cans.
As mentioned above, cats permanently replace baby teeth with permanent teeth around 6 or 7 months. These are the teeth the cat will have for the rest of its life. For this reason, experts recommend different methods to keep your teeth in good condition, such as brushing your teeth and offering dry foods formulated to take care of your teeth.
Permanent teeth are hard and strong. Canines grow the most, while molars are wider than other teeth. You should make an annual visit to the veterinarian to check your cat’s dentures and therefore detect problems or illnesses and treat them early.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Dental Hygiene section.