Don't worry if you are playing with your kitten and a tooth just comes flying out from your kitty's mouth. Your kitten is probably entering the teething stage where his baby teeth also called "milk teeth" will be replaced by adult teeth.

When do baby teeth erupt?

Cats are just like us. When they are born, they are not equipped with any teeth. They usually start growing their baby teeth around 3 to 4 weeks after birth. Milk teeth are sharp and shaped almost needle like. When they are fully grown around 2 to 3 weeks after they erupt, the cat mother will stop nursing her children because of the irritation caused by the little prickly teeth. The baby teeth are not big at all and are slightly translucent in appearance.

flickr/Squid!

When does the teething process begin?

The teething process takes about 3 to 6 months to complete. Depending on the breed as well as individual kittens, cats generally start losing their baby teeth around 3 months of age. During this stage of their life, they may be more prone to chewing objects such as toys, shoes, or anything they find interesting to chew on. Sometimes kittens nibble on things out of playfulness and curiosity, but in many cases it is a way to alleviate any discomfort they may experience during the teething process.

flickr/Gossamer1013

What if my cat doesn't seem to lose his baby teeth?

If  a cat does not lose his baby teeth especially his canine teeth, he has a condition called retained deciduous teeth, which means the teeth are retained in the cat, blocking the adult teeth from growing normally. Any retained teeth should be removed in order to prevent breakage or even infection of other teeth.

I never saw my kitten's baby teeth when they came off. Where did they go?

Most of the time you may not find the lost baby teeth because animals including cats and dogs have a habit to swallow their milk teeth after they come off. It is part of their natural teething process.

Video: Ellen the little kitten teething:

top image flickr: Werwin15

source via about.com