Cat has crooked teeth and red gums. Is this normal?
Retained baby teeth or misaligned adult teeth can cause red, irritated gums and leave cats uncomfortable, showing signs like jaw smacking or teeth chattering. Owners often struggle to decide if these dental issues require a long trip to the vet or will resolve on their own.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Having a vet pull a loose and painful tooth in the office without anesthesiaDid this help you?
- 2Monitor the teeth for a few weeks to see if they fall out naturallyDid this help you?
- 3Offer chew toysDid this help you?
- 4Wait and discuss it at a future vet appointmentDid this help you?
- 5offering alternative foods like chicken and turkeyDid this help you?
- 6trying to scruff the cat to check her teethDid this help you?
- 7using heavy ceramic bowls with a wide, shallow rimDid this help you?
- 8putting bowls in stands or elevated surfacesDid this help you?
- 9feeding wet food insteadDid this help you?
- 10Trying a prescription diet with hydrolyzed proteinDid this help you?
- 11Using temporary pain and inflammation medicationDid this help you?
- 12Full or partial teeth extractionDid this help you?
- 13Waiting for the loose tooth to fall out on its ownDid this help you?
- 14Taking the cat to a veterinarian immediately for an evaluation and extractionDid this help you?
- 15Taking the cat to the vet for an examination and dental cleaningDid this help you?
- 16taking the kitten to the vet for professional checkups and cleaning under general anaestheticDid this help you?
- 17using cat-safe toothpaste and finger brushes to clean teeth every 2-3 daysDid this help you?
- 18applying oral gels daily and massaging them over the gumsDid this help you?
- 19using a water additive to help keep the cat's mouth cleanDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I noticed today my cat has an extra set of upper canines. I’m wondering if this is something normal or should I take him in?”source ↗
“I’d like to know if this is vet worthy before taking him in as my vet is a long ways away.”source ↗
“Recently I noticed she has a tooth in the corner that is loose.”source ↗
“And she has tartar on the other side when I believe needs dental cleaning. But should I be worried? Is this normal?”source ↗
“It looks like a long incisor, and it wiggles. We recently got him after a family member needed to re-home him. We just noticed it and I can't find any similar photos like it. What's going on?”source ↗
“Do these teeth look alarming and need treatment? im not sure how old this kitten is, it seems like 3-5 months and it has a mild flu.”source ↗
“It's a stray that i have been feeding for about 5 weeks and i decided to take her in”source ↗
“Our new kitten (currently about 6 months old) has issues with mild inflammation and redness of the gums around the teeth.”source ↗
“I just worry about my kitty and hate to think he experiences any discomfort.”source ↗
“My husband and I have noticed that he has had a bit of trouble trying to grab his dry kibble. No issues with wet food, but with the kibble.”source ↗
“Ukulele ends up pushing the bowl everywhere on the floor, trying to snatch the last couple of kibble.”source ↗
“Has anyone else experienced their cat having a harder time picking up dry food while missing their top canines?”source ↗
“So my cat Bella (2f tortie) has been very picky with her foods, now I don’t know if this is relevant because it doesn’t really add up, she refuses to eat wet food and only eats biscuits.”source ↗
“she sticks her tongue out after every bite and it looks like she might be biting her tongue occasionally too. On top of all this her breath STINKS it’s really really bad”source ↗
“I was lightly touching her back jaw and she was hissing, spitting, biting and scratching. I couldn’t even look in her mouth.”source ↗
“The one sticking out has red gums around it and may be uncomfortable - is the cat showing any signs of distress or pain? Like teeth chattering or excessive jaw movement or smacking?”source ↗
“Last year, we took my cat to the vet and they said she didn’t need a dental, even though it had been a year, and she’d already had three teeth pulled the year before.”source ↗
“This year we take her in and suddenly she needs half her teeth pulled.”source ↗
“I refuse to believe she didn’t need a dental last year and now she needs nine teeth pulled.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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