Kitties have Milky Teeth Too!

Kitties are like baby humans, they have milk teeth! And, just like babies, their milk teeth also fall. This was a big surprise for us and caused us a stressful moment!

It was the usual bustle of a Monday morning! Little Maky, about 5 months old and living with us for 1, was chasing me while I was getting ready to go for work. At some point, while I’m brushing my teeth, she threw herself against one of the reflexes on the wall and, as she falls down, there was a huge noise.

When I looked down at her she was hugging and pawing at her face with her paw and that made me think she might be hurt. I approached her and, imagine my surprise, when I see a hanging tooth in her mouth! “She must have fallen on her mouth!”.

I called Rafael and asked him to pick her up so that I could see her mouth. The tooth was barely hanging on in her mouth and about to fall. Worried sick, but already late to work, I asked Rafael to call the vet and ask if it was possible that her tooth had been broken this way.

After a while, he calls me and tells me the news: Kitties are like babies, they have milk teeth and all of them are going to fall. These teeth do not have roots either and that is why it looks broken.

Maky was going to the milk teeth phase and we had no idea that existed in cats! So, do not freak out if this happens to your cat : IT IS TOTALLY NORMAL!!

During the next few weeks, Maky lost the rest of her teeth. Once in a while, we were finding them laying in the places she usually hang out at: in the blanket above her chaise longue where she bathes in the sun; in the transport box she sleeps in when she doesn’t want sun; above our bed, where she sleeps every single night.

The vet told us that the most normal would be for her to loose her teeth whilst eating and that we probably wouldn’t notice many of them. The funny part was seeing her drooling while she slept, because she had no teeth to hold the saliva inside her mouth.

After the initial shock, we still managed to laugh at the whole situation. However, we were not able to confirm the existence of a feline tooth fairy!

Do not worry when your kitty goes through this transition phase. Talk to your vet team so that they become aware of what is happening and just relax! Everything will be ok.

Author: Sara Fonseca, Cat Owner