Many kittens teethe so smoothly the process meshes with their normal play, and we aren’t even aware they are teething. But, just as babies and puppies do, part of kitten chewing is their growing permanent teeth. Because they are babies. They are cat babies!
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Hopefully, the kitten’s mother deals with the emergence of the baby teeth at 2-3 weeks. Nursing provides the stimulation necessary to help the process along. It’s the 3-6 month teething stage that we pet parents usually deal with.
Kittens have teething advantages that often lets this process pass relatively unnoticed. Unlike dogs or people, all of the kitten’s teeth have sharp edges which help their passage through the gums. And, like puppies, their predator play involves a lot of biting of their toys. It’s when they bite living things that problems might occur.
If we have a kitten with a biting problem, and they don’t seem to respond to the usual tactics: crying “ow!” or blowing in the kitten’s face to show our displeasure; we might have a kitten with teething troubles.
Before we jump to the conclusion that we have an aggressive kitten, we should try these tips to help the kitten relieve their teething pains.
What do they want to chew on? Besides us or the other cats, of course! Many kitten favorites are yielding substances that let them sink their teeth and stimulate their gums, such as wool, cardboard, and stuffed toys.
But we shouldn’t leave it up to them, or they will exercise the well-known kitten preference for the wrong things. Wet a washcloth, wring it out, roll it loosely, and let it sit in the freezer overnight. Now we have something to offer the kitten when they go into their biting routine, and we can always have a supply ready.
Cardboard is an excellent inexpensive option, when presented in the right way. Leave a box on its side with the flaps out. Tiny kittens need such thin surfaces to let them bite comfortably.
Why wool? Many cats have a magnetic attraction to real wool; I think it’s the animal smell of the lanolin. These natural fats and softly abrasive surfaces can be very soothing to the teething kitten, and this preference can continue throughout their life.
How do we tell them what to chew on? It can be as simple as keeping an alternative handy when the kitten’s biting gets to be too much. But kittens need little encouragement to attack a toy poked at them, and that way they learn to play with the toy, not the hand.
I’m very fond of the Pet Stages toys shown here. I’ve found them to be sturdy and appealing. Unlike a lot of other toys of this type, they can be passed on to the next kitten. For kittens who must have wool, I found some organic, untreated socks that are baby safe.
By seven months, kittens generally have their baby teeth replaced by their permanent ones. We should see less urgent biting behavior.
If not, troubles can occur during this process. While kittens can display both sets at once, this is a state of affairs which should not linger for long before we consult our veterinarian. Reverend Jim had a stubborn baby molar which required removal during his neutering operation, which is often a great time to make sure all their teeth are not giving them trouble. RJ’s appetite and growth rate improved after this.
Which brings up another thing to watch out for; that frantic kitten biting can also indicate hunger. Canned food gives kittens less trouble with eating at this time, and with their fast growth rate, we should never let them go hungry for long. We don’t want them to pick up bad habits about biting.
Don’t think dry food is better for their teeth. It can help during the teething process, if we get a type which is grain-free and has all the protein and fat a growing baby needs. See all my posts on feeding your cat.
Kitten stages should be a time of great enjoyment, where we shape The Cat to Come. Keep their biting in check, take care of their teething needs, and we will form a bond that lasts a lifetime.
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Thanks for the article! The kitten I adopted recently is six months old and just getting her adult teeth. The drooling and cranky moods were reminding me of a toddler, and my vet agreed when I stopped off to ask today. Wish I’d found your site first.
My kitten Angel is 3 months old and she is deaf. She keeps on biting me even when I blow in her face What should I do?
I have had cats and kittens my whole life, I work at a cat shelter, and I have never noticed when they teethed. Until now. This litter I rescued is scaring me because I am FINDING baby teeth around! I never found the teeth before and it was a bit surprising. They are only half tame so far, so I cant look in their mouth to see what is going on. But next time I go to work I am asking around to others to make sure I am not worrying too much! Thanks for the blog post!
Those baby teeth are so tiny, I haven’t found many myself. If this litter had a tough go, they might have their teething schedule thrown off. But I’m so happy they’re being taken care of now. Thanks!
thanks so much!!
i recently adopdet a kitten and she is 3 months old and she kept biting my fingers and i figured its teething and i wanted to make sure and you article helped alot!!!!!!
thanks
Thanks for the info. My 6 month old kittens Don and Shadow have bitten through my mouse cords, pc speaker cords, and telephone cords. Now I know what to do to get them to stop. Also the info on pet food was very helpful. I have never had kittens this young; I got these ones at 8 weeks so I am slowly watching them grow up
Thanks again!
I just got a baby kitten. she’s just now 13 weeks old and she’s so cute. when we first got her she slept alot and ate plenty. then a few days later she started to cry and bite alot. we couldnt keep her away from cords and she’d chew on everything. our hands are her favorite. one day, she crawled up on my chest and started crying and i knowticed that it didnt seem that she had all her teeth. thats when i started knoticing the toddler like behavior and thought: ” is she teething?” this post really helps. hopefully the washcloth trick will work.
Thank you for the washcloth solution. My kitten has been terrible today and I think he is teething. I am going to try the washcloth tonight.
Thank you so much for your insight! Our kitten is just the sweetest little boy, but has been biting A LOT lately. I suspected he was teething, and sure enough, when I checked his little mouth, all his bottom teeth were gone! Thanks for the advice on how to help him get through it.
ps: we absolutely LOVE the pet stages toys also, and our kitten simply loves them.
Thankyou for putting my mind at rest. Nibbits mouth was bleeding, very scary! and then a tooth fell out! Now I know will give him the wash cloth and see how that goes. The tooth that fell out will go into the memory box with my childrens after all he is a valuble member of our family now.
I have a 4 month old Ragdoll Lynx Male. We got him neutered at 3 month old. He had slightly runny eyes and the breeder said it’s because he’s teething. He also bites, but undersyands, or respects “ouch”, or 2 fingers on the back of his neck and a very gentle squeeze and he refocuses. Very manageable, but when he wakes us up by biting our big toe…Yikes, that hurts! My question is, tonight I noticed 2 canines in all 4 canine places! That prompted me to look for info and found this site. I wonder when I should start being concerned about that.
Val Bogdan
I wouldn’t worry – that’s just the permanent canines pushing in under the baby ones. It sure looks wierd. I’ve seen it a few times on various cats – the baby one soon falls out and everythings fine.
I’d only think it is a vet matter if it lasts, or seems to be hurting a lot.
A lot of the chewing/biting stuff goes away after teething is done. One cat got into chewing shoelaces in half – one morning he chewed through one lace three times. Later, I had him on my chest and he started playing with a drawstring on a hood – chew, chew, and through in about 3 seconds.
Am I glad I found this site! I am a foster parent of a 4 month old female tabby, and we recently considered changing her name from Meekers to Fangoria! She bites us every chance she gets when we pick her up. We have tried the usual tactics of NO! and face blowing, all to no avail. We have given her a small plush dog toy that she is fond of biting as well, and that helped for a while. Now the biting has come back with a frenzy, and when I looked in her mouth tonight, I saw double fangs on her upper jaw and it weirded me out! Now, after reading this blog and all the posts, I know that it’s just her new set of teeth coming in, and will try the washcloth technique with her to see if it helps.
I have a 5 week old kitten that we found in the backyard at 2 weeks old. He’s hand raised, with bottle feeding, since we couldn’t find Mom. My question is, he has a habit of curling up under my chin, and its so cute, but then he starts biting my jaw! And pawing at my lips. I just need a good way to teach him that its not acceptable because NO just isn’t working.
Thanks!
We have a five week old who is doing the same thing. We draw back our head and hiss, so he knows it is hurting us. Tristan responds by doing it again, only more gently, which is fine. It can also be a sign he is hungry. I always offer Tristan food when this happens, and most of the time he takes it. It can also be a general “I need something” signal, so we also put him in his litter box when he does this.
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Our kitten Tenchu is only 5 1/2 weeks old and bites really hard. What should we do?
Thanks for the information. I had started to worry when my 5 month old kitten’s breath started to smell. Both my friend and I have had lots of cats but we were not sure when the little ones lost their baby teeth. I had a little look and rub yesterday and her little tooth dropped out. I am lucky I have not had the biting, but she is very needy and cries out a lot when she is having a cuddle. Its good to know its normal behaviour.
This is so helpful for my 5-month old boys Pablo and Salvador – they’ve been a little ornery the last couple of days, especially Sal (who’s usually such a cuddler). I actually noticed blood on one of the rubber balls that they like to play with and that scared me a little. But I’ve already put some washcloths in the freezer which I’m hoping will help. I’m also going to try spraying a little bit of water on their kibble to make it softer and easier to chew.
Thanks so much!!
Hi! Great information, thanks. I have found that my kitten loves the cardboard. I will try the washcloth idea. The BEST thing for her `is a kitten toothbrush! The vet gave me one when she had her first shots, and she loves to play with it and chew on it. Maybe we’ll get in the habit of brushing her teeth!
I just love cat’s. I have some maine coon cat’s
I have a kitten that I found in the back of my house, she was around 3 weeks old when I brought her inside. Her name’s Nala she’s almost 6 weeks old now & she bits my hands & my feet, but thanks 2 this artical now I know what 2 do!
Thanks again…
hi i have a kitten who is 5 months old and i have known that he has been teething for a little while now since i noticed some of his little teeth were missing. but today i noticed that one of his big fang teeth on the bottom was loose……. i was just wondering if this was normal and if they are supposed to lose the big ones? please help if anybody knows. thank u
Oh, I wonder if that’s my kittens’ problem. They’re 3 months old now and for the past couple days they’ve been bratty as can be. Grungetta, the little girl, just chewed up the end of one of the venetian blinds. She’s also bitten off the earbuds of three pairs of ipod headphones. They were totally affectionate until just a couple days ago and now they’re driving me nuts! Oh well, we love them anyway.
hi my nane is barry hi have a ragdoll kitten she is 14 weeks old she bits me what can hi do barry
I have guidance in the above article.
This helps a bunch! I don’t know the age of the kitten we found outside our grandparents’ house, but after the first few days of fattening her up a bit (you could see Nala’s ribs!) we realized she’s a biter. Or rather, an ambusher-biter combo. Her favorites; hands and feet. Just today we tried a combination of ow followed by a quick blow and a stern no. this has absolutely no effect. maybe she’s teething? I guess we’ll find out at the vet this weekend!
Wild Willie was brought in from the fields by one of my older female cats when he was only a week old – he is now 4 months old and I was beginning to be worried that he was a psycho cat until I read about teething. I am going to try the washcloth trick! Maybe it will be a substitute for me, his favorite chew toy! My hands and arms look like I self mutilate – people have been giving me funny looks in the stores.
Boy, the info you provided really enlightened me as to what was going on with our dear little “Taz” lately. He’s a 6 month old all black feral kitten that has domesticated nicely. The biting has been going on for a while but recently I noticed his bad breath and thought it was due to the wet cat food he gobbles down. Now I know to do some remedial things – toothbrush and washcloth to help him through the discomfort. He uses my fingers as teething rings. Ouch!
I got a little 13 week old boy. He does not use his claws at all (i’m blessed) but he do chew like crazy on our fingers, and my earnibs!
I love him like crazy and will try to put a frozen cloth in his mouth the next time. Thanks!