Cat Dental Health
Fun Facts About Your Cat’s Teeth
Feb
Have you ever wondered why your cat’s teeth are so different from yours? A cat’s mouth is designed for very specific purposes.
Teeth are really unique and to me interesting on how they go with the type of eating we are talking about. So teeth differ depending on the species. We have omnivores, herbivores and carnivores and going a step further we have obligate carnivores. They all have teeth that are adapted to eat a certain type of food.
Us humans are considered omnivores. Omnivore’s teeth are designed for food of both plant and animal origin. Our teeth are a mixture of both incisors and canine teeth which are near the front of our mouths and are sharper for tearing our food. Then we have molars that are used to grind our food.
Herbivores such as our horse friends have teeth that are great for grazing and grinding their food. Plant matter is harder to break down so herbivores have wider and flat premolar and molars which grind that plant matter right up.
Then we have our carnivores like our pooches. Their teeth are very different from herbivores. It makes sense since their diet is so different. The first thing wild carnivores use their teeth for is to kill their prey. Their teeth are designed to capture and kill their prey. Their teeth are pointy and are able to tear and rip into their food.
Fun Facts About Your Cat’s Teeth
Now let’s talk about your cat’s teeth. Yes, cats are carnivores but we go a step further with our kitties, they are actually considered obligate carnivores. What does this mean? An obligate carnivore is a species that depends only on meat for survival. Yep cats just need meat!
Some fun facts! Cats have about 30 teeth and not one of them is flat, so that means no cavities! Those cute little front incisors are mainly used for grooming.
Your cat’s teeth are uniquely designed for a specific diet. Pay attention to those little pearly white teeth and be sure to keep your cat as healthy as possible with an appropriate diet.
