Kitties getting their adult teeth?

[saltpetres]

So, about three months ago we adopted a little female kitty that we've named Paisley. I adore her, even though she's mostly evil and is the most destructive little beast I've ever met!!!!!!!! She sleeps on my head

However, I'm a bit worried about her teeth. They've got quite a bit of yellowy plaque and she doesn't chew her food at all. She won't chew cat chews or anything either. I figured they were sore as she was about to lose them. When we got her, the shelter said she had just turned 4 months old, and the recorded birthdate matched up with this (but possibly they were guessing?). She was fairly small, and she's grown quite a bit since we've had her, I'd say another third or more bigger than she was.

We took her to the vet to get her vaccs/spayed that week, and the vet checked the teeth over and said don't worry, she'll lose her kitten teeth soon! ...but she hasn't. If the DOB was correct, she'd be 7 months now and should've lost her babby teefs and gained her adult ones in the time we've had her. She definitely hasn't! I've been checking a lot and I've had cats in the past and it's always been a fairly obvious process.

So, why would such a young cat have quite bad plaque on her teeth? And if she's older than we thought, could she have her adult teeth, and if so, why wouldn't the vet have seen that she already had her adult teeth when I asked him to check the plaque? He also estimated she was about 4 months, but according to google, she'd have to be over 6 months to have all her adult teeth. Is it difficult to tell? She was definitely kitteny-looking when we got her, still is a bit, still quite small. Definitely not cat-sized.

With my (petite) dad, for size reference:

And just a gratuitous pic of her, 'cause she's cute

 

[Blanche]

If you have had her three months and the rescue said she was four months when you got her , that would then make her seven months old. To me she looks( from your photos ) more like four to five months old. Have you got any photos when you first got her to compare now. If she still has her kitten teeth , the damage could be due to the queens poor diet while pregnant and feeding the kittens.

 

[saltpetres]

If you have had her three months and the rescue said she was four months when you got her , that would then make her seven months old. To me she looks( from your photos ) more like four to five months old. Have you got any photos when you first got her to compare now. If she still has her kitten teeth , the damage could be due to the queens poor diet while pregnant and feeding the kittens.

Hmm! But then she'd have only been a month or two old when we got her...I'm not sure! They desexed her, would they have been able to do that if she was that young? Do you think it's more likely she's younger than we think rather than older? Thank you for your help btw!

these are pics of the day we got her:

couple of weeks later:

and this is her just now:

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My cat is quite special. He's four and still has his baby canines. The vet doesn't believe that he actually has adult ones to come through. His mother was rescued from what I was told was a cat equivalent of a puppy farm, but whether that has any link to his odd teeth I don't know.

If she doesn't get her adult teeth, then it might be worth talking to your vet RE cleaning the plaque off.

 

[saltpetres]

My cat is quite special. He's four and still has his baby canines. The vet doesn't believe that he actually has adult ones to come through. His mother was rescued from what I was told was a cat equivalent of a puppy farm, but whether that has any link to his odd teeth I don't know.

If she doesn't get her adult teeth, then it might be worth talking to your vet RE cleaning the plaque off.

Ooooh, how interesting! Does he cope okay with them? Do they look overly small in his mouth compared to the rest of his teeth? Also, the vet can quite easily distinguish between adult and baby teeth? Wondering how easy it would be for my vet to have made a mistake in saying they were baby teeth. Sorry, so many questions!

I definitely will get the vet to do something, I've seen older cats with dreadful mouth issues from neglected teeth, it's awful! Must be so painful. I'd hate for her to get gum disease or something so young. I just wish she'd darn well CHEW! Silly beastie.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes they are teeny, tiny canines and one of his nicknames is 'little teeth' because of it. You don't notice though, unless you look for it. He's not the best hunter, but I'm not sure that the teeth are the cause as he has caught mice and voles successfully when he actually tries.

'Say aaaaah.'

 

[saltpetres]

Ohh my, he's gorgeous! Like a little snow leopard! Good on him <3

 

[Blanche]

From your photos from the day you got her she, to me , looks younger than four months old. More like three months. Re the neutering, the feral charity I have a bit to do with go on them reaching two pounds and then do them. Some vets will do them at two pounds/ two months old but some will insist it is three/three.

 

[saltpetres]

From your photos from the day you got her she, to me , looks younger than four months old. More like three months. Re the neutering, the feral charity I have a bit to do with go on them reaching two pounds and then do them. Some vets will do them at two pounds/ two months old but some will insist it is three/three.

Thanks, Blanche! That seems to be the consensus then, younger rather than older - so she definitely should've got some new teeth. Might pop her up to the vet and get them to see what's up then. Thanks, all