Brushing your CAT's Teeth?

Question

I had a cat that died a few years back, due to an infection in his GUM's, the Vet gave him vacinations, but it was too late, he was not able to fight the bacteria that had attacked his body. The Doctor had told me that if I had brushed my Cat's Teeth regularly, this situation might not have occured. I LOVED that cat, but I had never heard of brushing your Cat's Teeth, to me that is just plain crazy! I mean what did feline's do before the kitty toothbrush was invented? Seriously, how many people reading this actually take the time to brush their Cats teeth? Funny thing is, the cat I have now BRUSHES HIS OWN TEETH! He waits until I am done and replace my toothbrush in the holder, and starts chewing on the bristols to clean his own teeth! He is so cute, Too bad my other cat did not do that!

Answer 1

Dental disease is often a silent killer, just like with people the infection in the gums gets into the blood stream and can infect the heart and other organs. To be honest a lot of cats did not used to live long enough to develop dental disease and few people ever look in their pets mouths. I brush my dogs teeth but have been unable to convince my cats to allow it. If you train them as kittens it is much easier than trying later in life. I do give the cats tartar control treats with the cat toothpaste on it, it helps. and all my pets have had dental cleanings and regular checkups to avoid problems.
Cats like dogs and us can vary in their dental health and some need frequent cleaning whereas others need very little. Genetics and diet are both factors. Also, in the wild cats would have eaten a variety of things and chewed frequently on bones which most domestic cats don't do. (Although I have a cat who does chew on the dog bones, he has very clean teeth!)

Answer 2

I'd never heard of it before when I had Martha. After an expensive cleaning I decided to check into it. Unfortunately, Martha was long past the point of accepting a toothbrush into her mouth. I vowed to start immediately with any new kittens.

Well, two kittens later I haven't done so well. I really did try....really. I got teeth cleaning pads and I would try to rub that on their teeth once a week. Turns out that was pointless.

I recently checked on Poppy's teeth and I can see that she has tartar already at 2yo. I went out and bought another tube of toothpaste, and actually managed to get it in her mouth. I think I even managed to brush a tooth or two....

I'm hoping things will get better now that they're on healthy canned food, although I know Poppy at the least is going to need a cleaning soon.

I intend to keep on with the brushing once a week. They're just going to have to deal with the fact that there are some things that Mommy must do!

Answer 3

This is a very good thing to get your cat used to doing (brushing their teeth) If they won't tolerate a tooth brush you can put some gauze on your finger, or use an old washcloth. It is also good to have your cats teeth done by a vet when needed. Just like some people , some cats develop tartar on their teeth and others don't. However their teeth should be taken care of so as not to have them develop other health problems.

Answer 4

I don't brush my cat's teeth (I have three cats), mainly because I like my face on my head and not scratched off by them clawing at me.

I get my cat's teeth checked annually at the veterinarian's office and if needed, he will do a dentistry on them to clean and scale the teeth.

I've been lucky where they usually need dentistry every other year. But some cats (and dogs) need it sooner, depending on their chemical makeup. My vet says that the tartar buildup is more from their saliva and what's in that than what's in anything else.

Getting their teeth checked at their annual checkup is a good idea, this way if there's a problem it can be caught and taken care of quickly.

Sorry about your other cat, but it sounds like this one is on the right track brushing his own teeth....if only they all would, lol.

Answer 5

Hi John, I have never brushed our cats teeth though I would like to. It's actually fairly common, at almost any petstore or any store that has a wide range of animal products you can find a cat tootbrush and toothpaste - do not use your own! This site shows a video on brushing your cats teeth so they get used to it step by step: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/brushing_teeth/ This site has a long article and shows several more video links on the bottom, but I don't know if they're different: http://www.cathealth.com/toothbrushing.htm And if you still feel like you need more information, this site talks more about it: http://www.hartz.com/Cats/ArticlePreview.asp?Animal=2&Article=222&Topic=8 Hope it works out, I hope to start with my cats soon!

Answer 6

No many and you are not along. Brushing cat and dog teeth is something that has really recently started being pushed into the public sector. I didn't know about it until I started working in a pet store, but I have come to believe it is for the best health of your animals.

Answer 7

Personally, I am really surprised when I find out that people DON'T brush their cat's (or dog's) teeth! We have this little rubber thimble-like thing that is specifically made for brushing a cat's teeth. It is really easy to use. It takes just a few seconds every couple of weeks, so there really is no reason not to do it. Better safe than sorry!

Answer 8

i hope you have a large stack of toothbrushes. haha.
well i do not own a cat, nor would i think about brushing a cat's teeth, but i do know that they have kitty toothbrush out there. we own a dog and she is a big part of our family. we DO have a toothbrush and toothpast for her, and it IS used, though not very often. (every week or two) there are also bones and chew toys out there thatthey can chew on to makes their gums and teeth happier.

Answer 9

My friend not only brushes her cats teeth, she pays for the vet to do it a few times a year! I love my cats to death, but I don't brush their teeth, instead I give them Greenies for treats, they do the job of brushing for the cats...they're a little more expensive that other cat treats, but well worth it..........and the kitties LOVE them!

Answer 10

I have 3 cats but i don't brush their teeth.They get one time a day wet cat food and they have all day long water and dry cat food avaliable.The dry cat food clean there teeth that's what the vet told me but if you notice stinky breath of your cat then it's time to go to the vet and they cean their teeth. That's what i would do.