- Up to 90% of cats over age 4 have gingivitis, periodontitis, or another kind of oral illness.
- Brushing your cat’s teeth daily, or as frequently as you can, might help avoid oral health concerns.
- You can alleviate your cat into toothbrushing by taking it sluggish and motivating them with benefits.
Your cat has teeth, similar to you — and if they’re vulnerable to smelly breath that equals your early morning breath, you might question if they require routine oral care, too.
Vets state yes, your feline friend definitely does require oral care — especially given that 50% to 90% of cats over the age of 4 have some kind of oral illness.
But day-to-day brushing can help your cat prevent oral issues that might impact their lifestyle — similar to it provides for you, says Dr. Danielle Bernal, vet with Wellness Natural Pet Food.
If you have actually never ever put a tooth brush into your cat’s mouth previously, do not stress. It’s never ever far too late to start. Below, get detailed guidelines to brush your cat’s teeth from professionals, in addition to other pointers to support your cat’s oral health.
Does brushing actually matter?
Cats look after other grooming jobs by themselves, so you may presume brushing their teeth is unneeded.
Yet while they’re completely able to clean their fur and paws and groom their nails, they can’t provide their chompers the very same treatment.
Without routine brushing, your cat’s teeth and gums might build up plaque, a transparent movie of germs and particles. Over time, plaque draws in minerals from your cat’s chewed food and solidifies into tartar.
Tartar can then result in a variety of oral conditions, from gum illness and gingivitis to declining gums.
Left unattended, these conditions might result in unpleasant oral concerns, consisting of:
What’s more, cats with poor oral health might deal with a greater threat of kidney illness.
How to brush your cat’s teeth
Here’s the bright side: You can handle a few of these oral illness by looking after your cat’s teeth.
Caring for your cat’s teeth does consist of a good brushing from time to time — which might be simpler said than provided for some cats.
“Getting your cat comfy with toothbrushing can be a procedure,” says Dr. Chyrle Bonk, vet at Excited Cats.
According to Bonk, it’s finest to present your cat to brushing when they’re still a kitten. But if your cat is an adult, do not stress — you can still teach an old cat brand-new techniques. Here’s how to start:
1. Get the ideal equipment
Before you can start brushing, you’ll require to have vital materials all set, consisting of:
- A cat tooth brush: “Cats have extremely little mouths and teeth, so you’ll require to acquire a tooth brush specifically produced animals,” Bernal says. If you’re simply beginning, think about a finger tooth brush. These slide onto your finger like a glove and provide you simpler control while brushing.
- Pet-safe tooth paste: Human tooth paste might consist of components that are hazardous to cats, like fluoride or xylitol. Instead, try to find an unique cat tooth paste that’s safe for swallowing. These frequently can be found in tastes your cat may take pleasure in more than cool mint — like chicken, beef, and even catnip tooth paste.
- Rewards: Grab some benefits to enhance etiquette, like deals with or an enjoyable toy. These can both motivate your cat to enable the indignity of toothbrushing and reward them for working together with the procedure.
2. Get your cat comfy
With your equipment on hand, you can start acquainting your cat with the brushing procedure.
According to Bernal, the objective of this action is to merely get your cat utilized to you managing their mouth instead of in fact cleaning their teeth. You can start by:
1. Lifting your cat’s lips
2. Running your finger or a tooth brush over their teeth
3. Repeating up until your cat feels comfy with you touching all of their teeth
If you’re utilizing a tooth brush throughout this action, Bonk initially advises keeping it dry. Later, you can present your cat to the tooth paste by letting them lick it from television or your finger initially.
3. Start brushing
After a few sessions of getting your cat used to the brushing process, you can start actually cleaning their teeth.
First, set your cat in your lap, or in a spot where you can easily access their mouth.
If your cat doesn’t want to hold still, consider recruiting someone else to hold them for you. Alternatively, you can try wrapping them in a towel — like a cat burrito or “purrito” if you will. Swaddling your cat gives you better control of their head and helps keep them from swatting at you.
Then, Bernal says, follow these steps:
- Squeeze a drop of toothpaste onto the toothbrush.
- Gently move the toothbrush in a circular motion over every tooth.
- Continue tooth to tooth until you’ve clean all of your cat’s teeth
- Remember to brush along the gum line to help prevent plaque buildup there.
Ideally, aim to brush their teeth for 2-3 minutes once a day. If your cat won’t tolerate daily sessions, brushing every other day or weekly can still make a difference, Bonk says.
4. Offer rewards
Throughout the process, it’s important to stay gentle and reward your cat for good behavior, Bernal says.
After all, you want your cat to keep calm when you get the toothbrush, not run away and hide.
Positive reinforcement, like a yummy dental treat, may help your cat learn to link the reward with the toothbrushing session — which may leave them more inclined to cooperate.
That said, every cat has different preferences. If your cat doesn’t care for treats, other rewards that may motivate them include:
Other ways to support your cat’s oral health
Patience is key when training cats to tolerate any new experience. Of course, if you’ve been at it for a while and your cat responds to the toothbrush with a flurry of claws, it might be time to change your tactics.
“Some cats just aren’t going to go for toothbrushing, and that’s fine,” Bonk says.
Rather than forcing your cat to brush, you can still help keep their teeth and gums healthy through methods like:
- Getting a professional cleaning: If your cat won’t let you brush their teeth at home, Bonk suggests contacting your vet for a professional cleaning. Your vet can sedate your cat before cleaning their teeth and examine your cat’s mouth for any dental issues.
- Feeding them dry food: Tartar and plaque may be less common in cats that eat dry food. So, feeding your cat kibble or crunchy dental treats may help support their dental health.
- Trying a gel: If your cat won’t sit still for a brushing session, Bonk suggests smearing your cat’s teeth with a dental gel to fight plaque and tartar.
Insider’s takeaway
Brushing your cat’s teeth might seem a bit strange at first — both to you and your cat. But it’s an important way to support their dental health and keep them from developing painful dental diseases.
While it’s best to present toothbrushing to a young kitten, adult cats can also learn to tolerate the procedure, so long as you start slow and reward them for cooperating with you.
“Stay patient, persistent, and gentle. If you can regularly clean your cat’s teeth, they have a much better possibility at living a happy, healthy life,” Bonk says.
