Learning to brush your cat’s teeth is an important part of maintaining a healthy mouth in your feline friend. However, many people are not sure how to begin this aspect of their cat’s home oral healthcare. Here are a few steps that you can use to introduce your cat to brushing their teeth.
1. Introduce to Toothpaste
Find a flavor of an enzymatic dog and cat toothpaste that your furry friend enjoys. You can place a small amount of the toothpaste to the end of your finger and allow your cat to lick it off.
2. Apply Toothpaste to Gums
After your cat has started to accept the flavor of the toothpaste and anticipates it as if it were a treat, then you can get your cat used to application in their mouth. To do this, you can take a small amount of the toothpaste and gently swipe it inside your cat’s cheek and along the gumline.
3. Introduce the Brush
After a few days of your cat acclimating to the taste of the toothpaste and the interaction with their mouth, you can begin to place the blob of toothpaste onto the end of a toothbrush and let your cat lick it off. Make sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
4. Begin Brushing
You are now ready to begin to combine the previous steps and start the actual brushing of the teeth. Place a blob of toothpaste onto the end of the toothbrush. You may need to gently press the toothpaste down into the bristles so that your cat does not immediately lick it off. Gently lift the lip and brush in a circular motion, focusing on the outside surface of the teeth.
5. Brush Regularly
Now that you have achieved proficiency in the brushing of your cat’s teeth, you should strive to make this part of your daily routine. Brushing your cat’s teeth daily or at least every other day can greatly reduce the amount of plaque and ultimately reduce the severity of dental disease your furry friend develops.
Schedule an Appointment with a Houston Cat Dentist
If you have questions about how to brush your cat’s teeth at home care or about their oral health, please call our office to schedule an appointment today. Follow the link below to the Veterinary Oral Health Council website to find approved oral care products.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/5/2024). Photo by Piotr Musioł on Unsplash