How Many Teeth Do Cats Have
How many teeth do cats have? Even though animals like cats do not require daily teeth cleaning, it’s important for pet owners to know about their pet’s oral health. If you have a cat, you need to know how to take care of your cat’s oral health. And will you want to do it all on your own, hire someone or go to a pet shop? These are some of the important questions to ask.
How Many Teeth Do Cats Have
When it comes to the number of teeth, cats are just like humans. They actually have what you call baby teeth which eventually fall out and be replaced by adult teeth.
Fully-grown cats have a total of 30 beautiful teeth. The number of teeth that cat has will actually depends on its specific age.
For instance, a cat that is 6 months old will have 26. For a newborn kitten, they have 26 teeth as kittens do not have premolars which only start develop when they reach the adult stage. For a kitten, they have 2 upper canines, 6 upper premolars, 12 incisors, 4 lower premolars and 2 lower canines.
All of these will start to fall out when they reach 3 to 4 months old according to the Human Society Veterinary Medical Association.
Adults have 30 teeth which comprise of canines, incisors and premolars. Incisors usually grow first, followed by the upper premolars and molars.
Just like humans, the process of changing from the baby teeth to adult teeth is also the same for cats.
Your pet might experience some discomfort. For instance, your cat might not want to eat, have irritable behavior and soreness of their gums. These are the signs of teething. However, it’s better to be sure so you should always consult your veterinarian.
Brushing Cat’s Teeth
In brushing your cat’s teeth, there are important things that you have to consider. Here are some easy to follow steps that you can use to have a fast and easy cleaning session with your pet.
The very first thing that you should do is to allow your pet to get used to brushing. As much as possible, make it short. You can do this by dipping your finger in any liquid that your pet wants or likes. For instance, you can use chicken broth or tuna liquid.
From there you can call your cat and let your pet lick the liquid on your finger. After that you can lightly rub it on its gums and teeth. Eventually your cat will get used to the process.
You can repeat this for a few sessions and do it in such a way that your cat is already familiar and comfortable with the cleaning procedure. Always remember this in doing this you need to be upbeat and you need to praise your cat for a job well done.
You can now use flavored gauze and put it in your cat’s mouth. From there, you can now use other than dental products like sponges, pads or a toothbrush.
It’s very important that you get your cat a specific set of dental tools so that your pet will get used to them.
You can now start to add other products like toothpaste.
There are actually toothpaste products that are specifically created for cats that may contain certain flavors. Before you directly apply the toothpaste, it helps that your cat gets used to it first.
For your cat to be familiarized with the flavor of the toothpaste, you can dip it onto your hand and put it in your cat’s mouth. Do this a few times until such a time when you’re using all the cleaning utensils.
Cat Teeth Cleaning Cost
Cleaning your cat’s teeth can be a fun activity and bonding for the both of you. But there are some pet owners who simply just do not have the time.
The good news is that you can always go to pet grooming shops where your pet is well taken care of.
The cost widely varies depending on the dental procedure and may range from $50 to $400.
It can be really expensive, especially if there is blood work or other dental procedures that have to be conducted based on the assessment of your pet.
Although it can be really expensive, it’s worth to have a professional do the job. For one, you don’t want your pet to develop any dental diseases and to ensure that your cat has good overall dental health, it helps to have regular dental checkups. On top of that, having a dental disease can also be really painful.
This is important to avoid since it does not just stay confined to the cat’s mouth. Plus, they can get worse and can result in further complications.
Some might be hesitant to spend for these services but there are actually various ways for you to cut down costs.
You should consult your vet regarding the specific dental services that your pet needs so you do not have to pay for everything. As for the cleaning, you can always do it with your pet and from time to time you can take your cat for a checkup.
