Teething kittens tend chew excessively and may even lose their appetite especially if their gums are sore. You may find little teeth that came right out of it’s mouth and fell onto the floor, but many times a kitten will swallow it’s teeth and you will not see any at all!

If you’re present when a cat is recently born, you may notice that its eyes are closed. You may also see that their teeth haven’t come in either. It’ll be noticeable when they give you that adorable baby kitten yawn that makes you feel all warm inside due to their cuteness at that age. After a few weeks, you may notice you have a teething kitten on your hands. They will develop little incisors. While cute on their own, they are sharp enough to sting if they latch on to your finger. It’s not intentional, but what teething kittens do.

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Around six weeks, your newborn feline will almost have its first full set of teeth. It will attack anything that moves or doesn’t move with their new arsenal chewing weaponry. This set of teeth is called the deciduous teeth and is their first set. After that, the actual teething begins.

When Do Kittens Start Teething?

This is usually between weeks two and four when the primary teeth start coming in. While it doesn’t seem so bad, around eleven weeks, your kitten may not be so playful and mope around more than usual. If your kitty paws at their mouth or cries when they bite down on something after a well-planned sneak attack, it might be teething time.

Also, its appetite may decrease, and you might see an increase in drooling or a speck of blood on a toy. Don’t panic! This is normal as your cat is losing its baby teeth to make room for the adult teeth. While your kitten may take this in stride, it does come with sore gums and some loose teeth.

This can make chewing challenging and confuse your cat even more than they already are. If your teething kitten is grumpy during this time, it’s normal. Anyone with sore gums and loose teeth won’t precisely be a ray of sunshine all the time.

Pain Relief Ideas

You have a teething kitten and want to do everything possible to make it less traumatic and more comfortable for it. This is an excellent thing for you to do as this stage in their life can be quite uncomfortable at times. Here are some ideas to help ease the discomfort.

• Soft food: Your kitten needs to eat regularly to maintain its proper body weight. Soft food will make it easier on your cats’ gums and teeth. 

• No teeth brushing: While oral care is excellent for everyone, you and your kitten, avoid brushing your cat’s teeth during this stage. You don’t want them to associate dental hygiene with pain. Of course, you should still brush yours, though.

• A damp washcloth: Get a washcloth, get it wet, and pop it in the freezer, so it gets nice and cold. You don’t want it to get icy. This coldness will help your kitten find some form of sore gum relief.

• Nylon toys: At this stage, your cat will want to chew on anything it can get its mouth on. A chewable nylon toy will provide all the chewing your cat needs while minimizing the pain. Also, a kitten rubber ring chew toy will provide pain relief. 

Ultimately, being kind is always the best go-to with your kitten. While they want to disembowel everything they come across, say no and be gentle on the playtime during this stage. You can use the cold washcloth mentioned above as a great tug of war toy as it’ll sooth its mouth while building a bond between you both.

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Keep an eye on your teething kitten. Rarely, a baby tooth won’t fall out as the adult tooth is pushing on it. This can cause some pain and, in a worst-case scenario, infection. This is relatively uncommon, but if it happens and nothing seems to improve, then a vet visit is in order.

Keep in mind that your little clawed terror of a feline companion is going through the growing pangs of life. It’s normal. It is part of what makes them the healthy and robust beast of an adult cat. Please be patient and understanding.

Your cat will remember your kindness. While it sucks to see them hurt, it’s a small event they must go through. At the most, your teething kitten is uncomfortable and probably handling it better than you are. Your kitten is growing fast and wants to take on the world, or at least a small comfortable place on the couch basking in the sun. Look at it as an adventure you both go on together and let the bond between you both grow.

RELEVANT: Why Do Baby Kittens Bite So Much?

Why Is Kritter Kommunity Your Trusted Pet Partner?

Lisa Illman is the Founder of Kritter Kommunity, LLC. Not only does she have one tuxedo male adult cat currently, she has had him since he was a baby kitten; so she knows well the kitten life cycle, the teenage cat life cycle and the adult cat life cycle (he is currently 11 years old). Prior to her cat Finnegan, Lisa had two FIV positive cats for over a decade. Lisa’s love for animals her entire life (she also had a poodle and parakeet growing up plus was a caretaker for her roommate’s 3 pets during college) and networking with the pet community for over a decade, enable her to find top content for her readers.