Brushing Your Kitty’s Teeth

When it comes to a cat’s well-being, many owners tend to neglect one of the most important areas of the body: their mouth. Good dental hygiene plays a vital role in keeping your feline friend healthy and happy. So it’s important to give those teeth a cleaning every so often to ward off gum disease and infection. Just like us humans, you’ll want to your cat to get regular oral checkups to avoid illness or discomfort.

There are two ways to do this; you can either give it a try yourself or bring your cat to the veterinarian. Like most cats, yours may not be all too keen on going to the vet. But then it may not be all that excited about you rooting around in its mouth either. To avoid the first option, you can try to entice the cat into the second.  Food is going to be the easiest way to start. Try dipping your finger into something familiar that the cat enjoys eating. It can be milk, the oil from a can of tuna, or just simply a few morsels of its favorite wet food. Let the cat lick it off your finger and feel accustomed to having your finger in and around its mouth. Repeat the procedure a few times; try to touch their teeth more with every attempt. But remember to do so without making any sudden movements. This will only scare the cat away and make it feel skittish about you going anywhere near its mouth.

Once the cat is cool about you and your finger, wrap some gauze on your finger tip with a pet toothpaste or some other mild sterile substitute. Very gently, rub the teeth in a circular motion in the same manner you would brush your own teeth. You’re going to want to do this quickly as most cats aren’t going to stick around for this procedure too long. Keep in mind not to be aggressive or jerky with your finger movements, just do the job and get out of there.

Of course, if you just can’t get your cat to play ball, you’re going to have to go to the vet.  Obviously, they have things there that you likely don’t have access to; like anesthesia, tranquilizers, those tiny little  mirrors the dentist sticks into your mouth, and ultrasonic scalers to remove tartar buildup. So try to see what your cat will allow you to get away with first, and then decide if you need a professional cleaning to get the job done. The cat may not thank you at first, but in the long run he or she will be quite grateful.