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Why does my kitten have bad breath? Is it teething or a health issue?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 months and 16 days old

I have two cats. They eat the same food but one of them (kitten named blue) has really bad breath while the other cat doesn't. Please help (Blue likes to play bite which is a problem because it leaves my hands quite smelly)

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on December 17th, 2017

At this age the bad breath might be because of teething, which occurs until the age of around 5 months of age, after that if the bad breath remains it's probably due to gum disease, which is very common in cats, in most cases it doesn't bother the cat and thus does not require treatment.

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on October 10th, 2017

    Kittens finish losing their baby teeth between 5 and 6 months of age. If Ninja is losing his last baby teeth, you might be noticing a bloody smell from the teeth that are getting ready to fall out. However, if the smell continues or gets worse, have your vet examine his mouth and let you know if anything seems abnormal. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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I have a 5 month old black male kitten and he has really bad breath. Could there be something seriously wrong?
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