The kitten’s baby teeth are the cat’s first set of teeth which erupt around the third week. Kittens begin to lose their baby teeth around 3 – 4 months of age to make room for the larger adult (or permanent) teeth.
Most cat owners won’t even notice a kitten has lost its tooth, it is often lost in the home or swallowed.
When do kittens get their adult teeth?
Around the time the baby teeth fall out, at 3 – 4 months. In some cases, your cat may have a retained baby tooth, which is just as it sounds, the baby tooth remains in the mouth despite the adult tooth erupting close by. There is more information on this condition here.
How many teeth do cats have?
- Kittens have 26 deciduous teeth.
- Adult cats have 30 permanent teeth.
How do I know if my kitten is teething?
Common signs your kitten is teething include:
- Drooling
- Loss of appetite
- Inappropriate chewing (I had a kitten chew on my expensive leather handbag when she was teething)
How to determine a kitten’s age by the teeth
Deciduous (baby teeth) | 2 – 4 weeks | Incisors (the small teeth at the front) |
3 – 4 weeks | Canines (fang teeth) | |
4 – 6 weeks | Pre-molars in the lower jaw | |
8 weeks | All baby teeth are in | |
Permanent teeth | 3 months | Permanent incisors coming in |
4 – 6 months | Permanent canine, premolar, and molars coming in | |
6 months | All adult teeth should be in |
More kitten stats
- Kittens lose their umbilical cord stump around 3 days.
- Worm kittens at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks.
- Kittens begin to eat solid food around four weeks of age. They will continue to nurse from their mother even after they start on solids. By 10 – 12 weeks they should be completely weaned and only eat solids and drink water.
- Kittens are born with their eyelids fused shut, they begin to open around seven to ten days after birth. At this stage, all kittens have blue eyes, which will change to their permanent colour around 8 – 12 weeks.
- Kittens can’t hear until they are 3 weeks old.
When can kittens leave their mother?
Kittens are ready to leave their mother between 10 – 12 weeks. Even though they are reasonably independent before then, they should stay with mum and siblings to learn socialisation skills.
How often should kittens be fed?
Feed 4 – 5 times per day which can gradually decrease in frequency until they are fed two meals a day as an adult
How much do kittens sleep?
Unless they are feeding, newborn kittens pretty much sleep and gradually spend more time awake as they grow older, but even then, a large portion of the day is spent sleeping. Adult cats sleep between 12 – 16 hours a day, kittens more than that. It is entirely normal for kittens to spend most of their time sleeping, but if you are concerned, the following tips may be of help.
- Is one kitten sleeping more than the others?
- How is the kitten’s appetite?
- Is the kitten’s mother paying attention to him?
- Does he show any outward signs of sickness? Sneezing, eye discharge, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea, pale or yellow mucous membranes?
- Is the kitten smaller than his littermates?
- When the kitten is awake is he as active and playful as his littermates?
If you have any concerns about a kitten, please seek advice from your veterinarian.
Kitten vaccination schedule
F3 (1st shot) | 8 weeks |
F3 (2nd shot) | 12 weeks |
F3 (3rd shot) | 16 weeks |
F3 (booster shot) | 12 months |
Rabies * | 12 weeks |
Rabies *(booster) | 12 months |
Rabies *
12 weeks
Rabies *(booster)
12 months
*Rabies shots are not required in all countries. Check with your veterinarian.