How Old Is My Cat

How Old Is My Cat -- Telling a cats age by its teeth

^{Don't forget to read "Basics
of Using Teeth to Tell Age" before trying to use this information.}

^{The dental formula for kittens is:}

^{2(Di 3/3 Dc1/1
Dp3/2 )=26}

^{Note there are no molars in the kitten.}

^{The dental formula for adult cats
is:}

^{2(I 3/3 C 1/1 P 3/2 M 1/1) =
30}

^{Adult teeth are indicated with
capital letters. I = incisors, P = pre-molar and M = Molar.
Deciduous teeth (baby) teeth are labled beginning with a "D" for decidious and
the letter indicating the type tooth is in small case. ie.. i for incisor,
p for premolar and m for molar.}

^{As in the dog, the sectorial
(cutting)
teeth in the permanent dentition are the upper P
4 and lower M
1.}

^{The missing
premolars are P 1 above and P 1 and
P 2 below.}

^{The deciduous dentition begins to erupt at 15 to 21 days and is
complete when the upper Dp 2 erupts at 2 months (Fig. 1-9).}

^{The permanent
dentition is complete at 6 months (Fig. 1-10).}

^{Only upper P 4 has three roots in
the permanent dentition.}

^{In the deciduous dentition upper Dp 3 and Dp 4 have
triple roots.}

^{Cats' incisors have cusps that give
them a scalloped appearance. These cusps are usually worn off by 4 years in
upper I 1 and I 2.}

^{In older cats the upper canine
projects farther from the gum and beyond the level of the lip, and teeth begin
to fall out.}