When your cat’s upper lip is lifted, you will see two rows ( upper and lower ) of very small teeth across the front of the mouth. These small teeth are called incisors and are designed for cutting like scissors. Directly behind the incisors are the long pointed canine teeth. The canines are designed for grasping and holding… Right behind the canines are a few smaller pointed teeth, the pre-molars. They are also for grasping and holding. The upper lip can be lifted gently with a cotton swab to show the back teeth… There is one particularly large upper tooth and another equally large lower to opposing it. These back teeth are designed to cut bite sized pieces off a larger portion. Tartar tends to accumulate quickly on these large upper back teeth.