Kitten Teething: When Do They Start And Stop, And What Can You Give Them For Relief?

If you’re present when your kitten is first born, you may see nothing but pink inside that little yawning mouth—just like with a human baby.

After a couple of weeks, though, your kitten will outpace any human infant by starting to develop tiny incisors, sharp enough to sting if the kitten suckles on your finger as any baby is likely to do.

By six weeks of age, your kitten will have most of its first set of 26 teeth fully in place. These are often known as milk teeth. Their official scientific moniker is ‘deciduous teeth.’

You’ll notice their presence as the kitty gets bolder and more playful, attacking any stationary objects with its new mouth arsenal! And for a time, all will be well. But then …

Teething!

Our review process is unbiased and based on extensive research. If you buy through the links on our site, we may earn a commission.

When Do Cats Start And Stop Teething?

Sometime between the second and fourth week, your kitty will start getting her primary teeth.

This isn’t so bad.

But, time passes, and your kitten turns eleven or twelve weeks old. His playfulness may turn to sullen moping. He might paw at his mouth dolefully or cry when he bites down a toy that he used to love sneak attacking.

His appetite might decrease. He could be drooling. You could see a tiny bit of blood on a chew toy.

All of these are signs that, right on schedule, the kitten is losing its baby teeth and getting the adult teeth.

While many kittens are not bothered by it, teething often comes with a built-in set of standard miseries—sore gums and loose teeth.

Both make chewing difficult and will confuse an infant critter who was just starting to figure out the whole growing-up thing. It can’t understand why it’s suddenly in pain, hence the possible grumpy behavior.

Our review process is unbiased and based on extensive research. If you buy through the links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Helpful Ideas For Pain Relief

So, what can you do to help your kitten through this normal but sometimes uncomfortable stage?

For starters, provide soft food and monitor food intake to ensure your kitten is eating regularly and not losing weight.

Though vets encourage regular tooth brushing, stop for a little while. You don’t want the kitty to associate normal oral hygiene with pain.

Put a damp washcloth in the freezer. You don’t want it completely iced over, just nice and cold. The chill will help relieve gum aches.

Counterintuitively, even though chewing hurts, your kitten will be attempting a lot of it as those teeth come in. You’ll see it trying to chew on absolutely everything, including your fingers and toes!

Provide a variety of substitute toys to be gnawed on. Nylon chewables will let kitty chew to its heart’s content with minimal pain, while a slightly sturdier toy like a rubber ring will help provide pain relief.

Cat Toys For Teething Kittens

Petstages Dental Health Cat Chew Toys

PROS:

  • Mesh material helps clean plaque and tartar off teeth when your ktten chews
  • Durable
  • Satisfies your kittens chewing desires

CONS:

  • Kittens who are stimulated more by movememnt than noise may find it boring

One great option is Petstages Dental Health Cat Chew Toys. Be aware, they’re smaller than you might originally think (5.9 inches/15 cm), but that just makes them the right size for kitty.

The crinkly, crunchy, cat nip-stuffed netting, combined with colorful streamers, will entice your kitten to chomp, and that chewing action will ease aching gums.

The toys are remarkably durable and should carry you through the teething stage and beyond. They’ll remain firm favorites even after your kitten has graduated to a full-fledged feline.

KONG Cat Hugga Wubba Cat Toy

PROS:

  • Rattles to keep your cats attention
  • Tails Crinkle in a way that stimulates most kittens
  • Contains catnip to entice your kitty

CONS:

  • Sometimes out of stock or unavailable

Another good choice for helping your kitten through the teething stage is the KONG Cat Hugga Wubba. These come in a variety of enticing shapes and colors, including blue bunnies and gray mice.

A little firmer than the Petstages toys, the Hugga Wubba allows your kitten to put those new teeth to work.

Filled with catnip, this toy’s appealingly-scented ‘crackling tails’ will entice kitty to chew on something besides your tender extremities.

And speaking of those extremities …

How To Deal With Your Cat Gnawing On You

Say NO

You must be very clear with your kitty that even if his gums are in pain, chewing on people is not acceptable behavior. If you let it go during this stage, your kitten will see no reason to stop later on.

When your kitten takes a bite of a human ‘toy,’ clearly say “NO!” You can follow this up by gently blowing in the kitten’s face to emphasize that the behavior is inappropriate.

However cute it might be to watch your kitty try to stalk your toes, stay consistent, or you’ll confuse him.

But Be Kind

Although your kitten may be aggressively seeking to disembowel all ‘prey’ that crosses its path and playing with it at this stage (or any stage!) is all kinds of fun, be gentle. If you engage in a tug o’ war with the mighty hunter, make sure you don’t pull too hard from your end.

That icy washcloth that we mentioned earlier? That would make a great tug o’ war toy, simultaneously engaging kitty while also soothing its mouth.

Be Aware

In certain instances, a kitten’s tooth may not fall out. If an adult tooth is pushing up behind it, that can cause real pain—far worse than a sore gum—and worse yet, infection.

This very rarely happens, but do keep an eye out. If your kitten’s pain doesn’t seem to be improving or seems to be worsening, take him to the vet.

Other problems are misaligned teeth or overcrowding. Don’t worry—these problems are very rare, but it pays to know that they exist.

Take your kitten to the vet for its regular check-ups, and all should be well.

Just Remember…

Ultimately, this is a normal life stage that your kitten has to go through to become a strong, healthy adult cat. Be patient, kind, and understanding.

It’s never pleasant to watch your favorite pal hurting, but know that it’s a small thing. Your kitten may be mildly uncomfortable but is not truly suffering. (Unless one of the afore-mentioned very rare complications has arisen.)

Remember that your little kitten is growing up. It’s fun to see it exploring the world, testing and (literally) tasting its boundaries.

Despite occasional inconveniences, enjoy the stage, because it’s just another adventure that you and kitty are sharing together!

Emily Parker

Emily Parker is the Content Manager at Catological. She's passionate about helping cat parents love their cats better by providing the best information and recommendations about everything you'll need to know about your cat, from kitten to senior years. She believes natural, biologically-appropriate products are best...why wouldn't you provide the best for a member of your family?!