cats age from Teeth

[Zoey&Mandy]

is there a way to tell the cats age by there teeth?

[Freedom]

baby teeth v. adult teeth, and then for adults, by the amount of plaque and tartar build up.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

You can make a pretty good estimate on a cats age by examining their teeth. When I worked at the SPCA, we used the cats teeth to determine an approximate age.

2-4 weeks

Deciduos incisors coming in.

3-4 weeks

Deciduos canines coming in.

4-6 weeks

Deciduos premolars coming in on lower jaw.

8 weeks

All deciduos teeth are in.

3 ½-4 months

Permanent incisors coming in.

4-5 months

Permanent canines, premolars and molars coming in.

5-7 months

All permanent teeth by 6 months.

1 year

Teeth white and clean.

1-2 years

Teeth may appear dull with some tartar build-up
(yellowing) on back teeth.

3-5 years

Teeth show more tartar build-up (on all teeth) and some tooth wear.

5-10 years

Teeth show increased wear and disease; pigment visible on gums.

10-15 years

Teeth are worn and show heavy tartar build-up; some teeth may be missing.

Information from: Rural Area Vet (http://www.ruralareavet.org/)

[Laura's Babies]

WOW! Thanks for that list Crazy-Cat-Lover! I always wondered that too! I had bet Mike that Miss Tuxie wasn't but about 6 months old and the vets guess was 2 YEARS...... I was judging by her body, the vet judged by looking at her teeth.

[catmandu]

Thats pretty accurtae I would say.
Tubster has fantastic teeth, very white and clean and hes about three years old.Thats amazing as he has been eating scraps and what he can catch while a Porch Cat.
I hate to think that an indoor diet will hurt his beautiful smile.

[lvpets2002]

;) Great info on teeth.. Now my girls are all 4 to 5 yrs of age & indoor cats.. Their teeths are all real clean & white.. However I keep Tarter Control hard treats out for them too..