The Kitty Boss

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Did you know these 3 fun facts about cats?

You are an excellent caregiver, and your feline companion is one of the lucky ones. 🍀 You have established home dental care as a healthful habit for your cat. 😺 Remember, home dental care protects your cat’s dental health. 🦷 A healthy mouth allows your cat to eat comfortably and promotes a high level of total body health.

Although taking your cat to your veterinarian can feel like a chore, remember that you are doing this because you love your cat, even if he or she doesn’t appreciate your care at the moment. 😾 Your cat should have a complete physical examination, which includes a dental check-up, every 6-12 months. 😺 The frequency of dental check-ups depends in part on how quickly your cat forms plaque. 🙀 Some cats form plaque more quickly than others. 😿 Regular dental check-ups can detect problems such as periodontal disease, broken teeth, and tumors. Even if your cat appears normal, it is important to provide regular professional examinations because cats can effectively hide even severe dental problems.

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Slip the brush bristles under the upper lip and brush an upper front tooth. Keep the bristles pointed up and continue the short strokes as you move along the upper back teeth. Then, flip the brush so the bristles point down and brush the lower back teeth. Continue the stroking motion as you bring the brush forward to the lower front tooth. Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the mouth. Reward immediately with a treat. When you brush the back teeth, you often have to rely on sound and feel to know when the brush is in contact with the teeth as the back teeth are difficult to see. If at first you feel like you are brushing the gums as often as the teeth, that’s normal. As you get more familiar with where are the teeth are and as your cat understands more clearly what you are doing, you will be brushing the teeth more often than the gums. Even after you can brush all of the teeth, you may still feel as though there is room for improvement. This is just part of the learning curve. Just continue to brush your cat’s teeth daily, eventually you will feel quite proficient. Your cat will learn, too. Eventually, your cat may learn to pull his lip or her lip back as you move the brush to the back teeth.

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When your cat is accustomed to the taste and feel of the toothbrush, and you are both comfortable with facial handling, you are ready to start brushing. In order to brush your cat’s teeth, you may need to hold your cat to study the head. Experiment and practice so that you can find the method that works best for your particular situation. For example, you can use one hand cradle your cat’s head tilted back slightly so the mouth will open a little. Or, cup your hand behind the cat’s head and use your thumb to lift the lip just enough to slip the brush into the mouth. Remember your cat’s whiskers are sensitive, so avoid pulling on them when you handle his or her head. With the bristles pointed up, slip to brush under the lip, and brush the upper front tooth. Turn the brush so the bristles point down and brush the lower front tooth. Brush the front teeth on the other side in the same way. Reward immediately with a treat. When brushing, use gentle short back-and-forth strokes. Cats have sensitive, relatively fragile gums compared to dogs and people. To clean under the gums, point bristles upwards while brushing the upper teeth in point bristles downwards while brushing the lower teeth. Angling the bristles in this way allows them to clean a very small space that surrounds each tooth where the gum meets the tooth. It is in the space that plaque quickly accumulates and infection can begin. Brushing the outer surfaces of the teeth is normally sufficient. Cats can usually keep the inner tooth surfaces clean with their tongue. Sometimes, problem areas will need special attention. Your veterinarian can show you these areas.

Choose a quiet location to minimise distractions. Run warm water over the toothbrush, place a dab of toothpaste on it, and encourage your cat to sample it. If you prefer, you can begin with the finger brush. But, as your toothbrushing skills improve, you should progressed to a bristled brush. If your cat doesn’t lick the toothpaste from the brush, after a dab of toothpaste a treat or on your fingertip. Or, attach the nozzle to the tube and allow your cat to sample the paste directly from the tip. Eventually, you may be able to carefully progress to introducing the toothpaste through the nozzle into the cheek area of your cat’s mouth. This method can gently acquaint your cat to the necessary facial handling involved in toothbrushing. Reward with a treat immediately. This exercise create appeal for the flavour of the toothpaste and acceptance for the feel of the brush bristles. Repeat this procedure daily until your cat will readily accept the toothpaste from the brush. Always reward with a treat.

The rate of progress depends on your cats personality and on your own dexterity. Generally, the timeframe to progress from introducing the brush and paste to brushing all of the teeth seems to be anywhere from one week to 1 month. From your cat’s perspective, home dental care can mean nice attention from you, tasty toothpaste delivered on a soft brush, and a treat afterwards. If you invest a bit of patience and a few extra minutes now, you can make sure that your cat will always think of toothbrushing as a pleasant experience. Eventually, your cat will show eager anticipation when you get out the brush, toothpaste, and a treat.