How Many Teeth Do Cats Have? Kitten & Adult Teeth Count

How many teeth: the numbers

Since this is the headline question, here are the key numbers up front, clearly and simply, before we explore the story behind them.

Adult cats have 30 permanent teeth, and kittens have 26 baby (deciduous) teeth. That is the essential answer. A fully grown cat’s 30 teeth break down into four types: 12 incisors (the small teeth at the very front), 4 canines (the long, pointed ‘fangs’), 10 premolars (behind the canines), and 4 molars (at the very back), which add up to 30. Kittens, on the other hand, are born with no teeth at all, and grow a temporary set of 26 baby teeth, made up of 12 incisors, 4 canines, and 10 premolars; crucially, kittens have no molars in their baby set, which is the main reason their count (26) is lower than the adult count (30). Later, these baby teeth are lost and replaced by the full set of 30 permanent teeth, which now includes molars. For a bit of perspective, a cat’s 30 adult teeth is fewer than a dog’s 42 or a human’s 32, a reflection of the cat’s specialised diet as a strict meat-eater with teeth built for cutting flesh rather than grinding. Herbivores and omnivores need broad, flat grinding teeth for plant matter, but a cat has little use for those, which is part of why its total count is lower. So the numbers to remember are simple and worth committing to memory: adult cats, 30 teeth; kittens, 26 teeth; with the difference being the molars (and extra permanent structure) that come in with the adult set. It is a neat quirk of feline development that the baby set is missing precisely the grinding-position teeth a cat barely uses anyway, given how little it chews.

Kitten (baby) teeth

To understand the journey to 30 adult teeth, it helps to start with the kitten’s first set, because, just like human children, cats begin with a temporary set of baby teeth before the permanent ones arrive.

Kittens are born completely toothless, and their first teeth, the baby or deciduous teeth, begin to erupt at around two to three weeks of age. The small incisors at the front usually come through first, followed by the canines and then the premolars, and the full set of 26 baby teeth is typically all present by around six to eight weeks of age. This baby set consists of 12 incisors, 4 canines, and 10 premolars, and, importantly, no molars, which is why the kitten total is 26 rather than the adult 30. These baby teeth are famously small, sharp, and needle-like, a feature that owners of lively, nibbling kittens quickly come to know, as those tiny teeth can give a surprisingly sharp little pinprick during play. The timing of the baby teeth coming in also makes teeth a useful clue to a very young kitten’s age: whether or not the baby teeth have erupted, and which ones, helps estimate the age of kittens in those first weeks. This is one reason shelters and rescuers can put a fairly confident age on a tiny found kitten just by looking in its mouth. It is a quick, non-invasive check that needs no equipment beyond a gentle look. The baby teeth are, of course, only a temporary set, designed to serve the kitten through its early weeks and the start of eating solid food before being replaced. So a kitten’s first set is 26 small, sharp baby teeth (12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars, no molars), which come in from about two weeks to six or eight weeks of age, setting the stage for the transition to adult teeth that follows. Those needle-sharp baby teeth are also why kitten play-bites can smart so much more than you might expect from such a tiny animal.

Teething and losing baby teeth

The transition from baby teeth to adult teeth is a natural process every kitten goes through, and understanding it, including the mild teething that comes with it, helps owners know what is normal.

From around three to four months of age, a kitten begins to lose its baby teeth as the permanent adult teeth develop and push up underneath them, exactly the way a human child loses their milk teeth. As each adult tooth grows, the root of the corresponding baby tooth is gradually resorbed (broken down), so the baby tooth becomes loose and falls out, making way for the permanent tooth erupting beneath it. The incisors are generally replaced first, then the canines, premolars, and finally the molars, which appear only in the adult set. Owners frequently do not notice this happening, because the tiny shed baby teeth are often simply swallowed by the kitten while eating and pass through harmlessly, though occasionally you might find a little tooth on the floor or in bedding. During this teething and replacement phase, a kitten may show some mild signs: it may chew more than usual (chewing helps relieve the discomfort of teething and loosen baby teeth), its gums may be slightly sore or a little red, and there may be very minor bleeding as teeth come and go, all of which is generally normal. Providing safe kitten-appropriate chew toys can help satisfy the urge to chew during this time. Soft rubber teething toys, some of which can be chilled, are especially soothing for a teething kitten and help steer the chewing away from your fingers and furniture. So the teething process, in which baby teeth fall out and adult teeth come in, typically runs from about three to four months of age, is a normal part of a kitten growing up, and involves some harmless extra chewing and mildly sore gums along the way.

Getting adult teeth

The end point of the teething journey is the full adult set, and it is worth being clear about when a cat gets all its permanent teeth and what that complete set looks like.

By around six to seven months of age, a kitten has typically finished losing its baby teeth and has all 30 of its permanent adult teeth in place. The replacement process, running from roughly three to four months to about six or seven months, delivers the complete adult dentition: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars, and 4 molars, the molars being the new addition that the baby set lacked, for a total of 30. Once these permanent teeth are in, they are meant to last the cat for the rest of its life, which is a key point, because unlike the normal, healthy loss of baby teeth, an adult cat should not lose its permanent teeth (a topic covered below). The completion of the adult set at around six to seven months coincides roughly with other markers of a cat approaching maturity, and it is around this age (often at the same time as neutering) that a vet may check that all the adult teeth have come in correctly and that no baby teeth have been retained. That six-month check-up is a good moment to raise any questions about your kitten’s mouth and to start planning its lifelong dental care routine. So a cat has its full set of 30 adult teeth by about six to seven months of age, and from then on those 30 permanent teeth are the ones it should keep for life, which is exactly why good dental care from an early age is so worthwhile. Getting a young cat used to having its mouth handled and its teeth brushed during or just after this period sets up a lifetime of easier dental care. A kitten that learns early that having its mouth touched leads to praise and treats will usually accept toothbrushing far more readily as an adult.

The four types of teeth

A cat’s 30 adult teeth are not all the same; they come in four distinct types, each shaped for a specific job, and together they form a toolkit perfectly designed for a meat-eating predator.

The four types of teeth in a cat’s mouth are incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. The 12 incisors are the small teeth at the very front (six on the top jaw, six on the bottom), and they are used for delicate tasks: nibbling, grooming (a cat uses its incisors like a comb when grooming), and picking up small pieces of food or objects. The 4 canines are the long, pointed, prominent ‘fangs’, one on each side of the top and bottom jaws, and they are the cat’s signature teeth and key weapons, used for grabbing, gripping, and killing prey, for tearing, and for self-defence; their length and sharpness reflect the cat’s predatory nature. The 10 premolars sit just behind the canines and are used for holding food and, along with the molars, for shearing and cutting it. The 4 molars, at the very back, are also for shearing and cutting. Among the premolars and molars are the carnassial teeth, specialised blade-like teeth that work like scissors to slice through meat, a hallmark of a carnivore. Crucially, a cat’s teeth are built for cutting and tearing flesh, not for grinding, cats are obligate carnivores and do not chew their food the way herbivores or omnivores grind plant matter; they tend to slice meat into swallowable pieces and gulp them. So each of a cat’s four tooth types has a role, incisors for nibbling and grooming, canines for catching and killing prey, and premolars and molars for shearing meat, making the whole set a precision instrument for a hunter and meat-eater. It is a striking reminder that even the most affectionate lap cat carries, in its mouth, the equipment of an efficient little predator.

Retained baby teeth

One issue that can arise during the change from baby to adult teeth is worth every kitten owner knowing about, because it is fairly common and can cause dental problems if missed: retained baby teeth.

A retained (or persistent) baby tooth is a deciduous kitten tooth that fails to fall out when its permanent replacement comes in, so both the baby tooth and the adult tooth end up present in the same spot at the same time. Normally, the arrival of each adult tooth triggers the loss of the corresponding baby tooth, but sometimes this does not happen on schedule, and a baby tooth, most often a canine (fang), stubbornly stays put while the adult tooth erupts alongside it, producing a visible ‘double tooth’, classically a double fang. This matters because it causes crowding: two teeth occupying one position trap food and plaque, which promotes tartar build-up and gum disease, and the crowding can force the adult tooth to come in at the wrong angle, leading to a misaligned bite (malocclusion) that may cause discomfort or further dental problems. Because of these issues, retained baby teeth usually need to be removed by a vet, so that the adult tooth can settle into its correct position and the crowding is relieved; this is often conveniently done at the same time as neutering, around six months of age, if a baby tooth is still present then. Combining the two procedures spares the kitten a separate anaesthetic and is a common, sensible approach many vets recommend. The practical tip for owners is to look at your kitten’s teeth around five to seven months of age, and if you notice a baby tooth still in place right next to an erupted adult tooth (especially a double fang), mention it to your vet so it can be assessed and, if needed, removed. So retained baby teeth are baby teeth that overstay their welcome, causing crowding and potential dental trouble, and they typically need veterinary removal to protect the cat’s adult teeth and bite.

Do cats lose adult teeth?

A question owners sometimes ask, often after finding a tooth or noticing a gap, is whether it is normal for a cat to lose adult teeth, and the answer is an important one for the cat’s health.

No, cats should not lose their adult (permanent) teeth, and an adult cat losing teeth is not normal, it is usually a sign of a dental problem that needs veterinary attention. Once a cat has its full set of 30 permanent teeth by around six to seven months of age, those teeth are meant to last for the rest of its life. So if an adult cat is losing teeth, or you find a shed adult tooth, or you notice loose teeth, new gaps, or bleeding from the gums, it typically indicates dental disease rather than a normal process. The most common cause is advanced periodontal (gum) disease, in which plaque and tartar lead to infection and inflammation that gradually destroy the tissues and bone supporting the teeth, causing them to loosen and eventually fall out. Another common and painful feline condition is tooth resorption, where the tooth structure itself breaks down. Trauma can also cause tooth loss. All of these are painful, and, as with dental problems generally, cats hide the pain very well, so loose or lost adult teeth, along with signs like bad breath, difficulty or reluctance to eat, drooling, or red, inflamed gums, warrant a prompt veterinary visit. The vet can diagnose and treat the underlying dental disease, which often involves a professional cleaning and sometimes extracting diseased or painful teeth, and reassuringly, cats generally cope very well even after having several teeth removed, often becoming much more comfortable once the source of pain is gone. Owners are frequently amazed to see a cat that had several bad teeth out start eating with more enthusiasm and acting years younger, freed from a pain it had been silently enduring. So, unlike the healthy, normal loss of kitten baby teeth, an adult cat losing permanent teeth is a genuine red flag for dental disease that should be checked by a vet.

Telling age from teeth

Because teeth develop and change on a fairly predictable schedule, they are one of the tools used to estimate a cat’s age, though how useful they are depends a great deal on whether the cat is a kitten or an adult.

A cat’s teeth offer helpful clues to its age, and they are one of the factors vets and shelters use to estimate how old a cat is, especially a young one. In kittens, teeth give a fairly reliable age estimate, because the timing of the baby teeth erupting (from around two to six weeks) and then being replaced by the adult teeth (from around three to seven months) follows a known schedule, so which teeth are present and whether they are baby or adult teeth can pin down a kitten’s age reasonably well up to about six or seven months. In adult cats, however, teeth give only a rough approximation: once the permanent set is in, age is estimated from the gradual increase in tartar build-up, changes in gum condition, and wear, yellowing, or staining of the teeth, all of which tend to increase as a cat gets older, so a cat with heavy tartar and worn, stained teeth is probably older than one with clean, white teeth. This adult estimate is imprecise, though, because dental care, diet, and individual health greatly affect how a cat’s teeth age, a well-cared-for older cat may have better teeth than a neglected younger one, so it is only a loose guide for grown cats. For a friendlier way to think about your cat’s age and life stage, you can use our cat age calculator, which translates a cat’s age into human-equivalent years to help you understand where it is in its life. So teeth help estimate age, well in kittens and roughly in adults, and the cat age calculator can help you make sense of your cat’s stage of life. It is a fun and useful way to translate the bare number of years into what your cat is really experiencing, from playful youngster to dignified senior.

Caring for cat teeth

Finally, knowing that a cat’s 30 adult teeth are meant to last a lifetime, it is worth closing on why caring for those teeth matters so much and how to do it, because dental health has a big impact on a cat’s comfort and wellbeing.

Dental care is genuinely important for cats, because dental disease is extremely common and, being hidden so well, often causes real pain before an owner notices. Looking after those 30 permanent teeth helps prevent the periodontal disease, tooth resorption, and tooth loss discussed above, sparing your cat pain and preserving its ability to eat comfortably. The gold standard of home care is toothbrushing: brushing your cat’s teeth with a cat toothbrush or finger brush and cat-specific toothpaste, introduced gradually and kept positive, removes plaque before it hardens into tartar. A vital safety rule is to use only cat toothpaste, never human toothpaste, which contains fluoride and often xylitol that are toxic to cats. If your cat will not tolerate brushing, vet-approved alternatives, dental diets, dental treats and chews, water additives, and dental gels (ideally those carrying the VOHC seal of effectiveness), can help. On top of home care, cats need regular professional veterinary dental check-ups and cleanings, since only a vet can clean below the gumline and treat established disease, usually under anaesthetic. Watching for the warning signs of dental trouble, bad breath, red or bleeding gums, tartar, drooling, difficulty eating, or pawing at the mouth, and seeing a vet if they appear, completes the picture. So the way to protect your cat’s 30 adult teeth for life is a combination of home dental care (brushing with cat toothpaste, or vet-approved dental products) and regular professional veterinary dental care, which together keep those specialised carnivore’s teeth healthy and your cat comfortable and pain-free. A little regular attention to your cat’s teeth pays off in years of comfortable eating and a happier, healthier animal overall.

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