Kitten Teething (3–6 Months): Bad Breath, Bleeding & Retained Teeth
🚨 Check first
When a kitten around 4–5 months old suddenly has fishy breath or leaves faint traces of blood on toys, it is a normal part of teething—baby teeth falling out and adult teeth coming in—not an illness.
📌 The answer in 3 seconds
- From around 3 months to about 6–7 months of age, all 26 baby teeth fall out and are replaced by 30 adult teeth (kittens often swallow lost baby teeth along with their food, which is not a problem).
- During this period the gums feel itchy and kittens want to chew on everything, so give them cat toys that are chewy but not too hard, or fabric kicker toys.
- If a baby tooth has not fallen out by 7 months of age and sits side by side with the adult tooth (retained baby tooth), it can cause periodontal disease, so have it checked at the time of spay / neuter surgery.
📊 Flowchart
- Step 1If your kitten seems to have trouble eating hard dry food, soften it slightly with lukewarm water or mix in wet food until teething ends around 6 months of age to reduce strain on the gums.
- Step 2Protect electrical cords and furniture corners with spiral cord tubing or similar covers so they are not chewed, and give the kitten hemp or cotton chew toys instead.
- Step 3Starting around 6–7 months of age, when the adult teeth are fully in, begin the first step of toothbrushing training: lightly touch the area around the mouth and teeth with a finger dipped in a liquid treat.
⭕ Step-by-step fix
Step 1 · What you can do at home right now
If your kitten seems to have trouble eating hard dry food, soften it slightly with lukewarm water or mix in wet food until teething ends around 6 months of age to reduce strain on the gums.
Step 2
Protect electrical cords and furniture corners with spiral cord tubing or similar covers so they are not chewed, and give the kitten hemp or cotton chew toys instead.
Step 3
Starting around 6–7 months of age, when the adult teeth are fully in, begin the first step of toothbrushing training: lightly touch the area around the mouth and teeth with a finger dipped in a liquid treat.
❌ Never do this
- Trying to pull out a wobbly baby tooth yourself with your fingers or tweezers (the root can break off and stay in the gum, risking infection).
- Letting the kitten chew on hard plastic, metal, or antlers (this can fracture a kitten's thin teeth).
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