The Kitty Boss

We discuss toothbrushing, adoption, and spraying 🆚 inappropriate urination…

As with with any new experience, the first impression is important. When you begin teaching your cat about toothbrushing, you are introducing a new routine that will be a lifelong habit. Take your time. Let your cat accept each stage of this new routine before moving onto the next one. Toothbrushing can become a pleasant routine. Cats are good at forming habits and respond well to a consistent routine. When you consistently repeat a routine, your cat learns to anticipate your actions. You and your cat have already established a daily routine for feeding. Your cat lets you know that he or she expects to be fed at certain times. If you have more than one cat to care for, establish a “brushing order” and follow it. This is avoids jealousy by letting everyone know that his or her turn will come. Use reassurance and rewards, never reprimands. If at any time your cat is anxious, give reassurance by talking and petting, and try again. Expect progress, not perfection. Reward any progress immediately with a treat.

Toothbrushes have bristles that reach under the gumline and clean the very small space that surrounds each tooth. Plaque accumulates in the space. Devices such as gauze pads, sponge swabs, or cotton swabs remove plaque above the gumline, but cannot adequately clean the space below the gumline. Sometimes pads or swabs are helpful for introducing toothbrushing… Cats need a special toothbrush that fits the shape of their mouth. Cats have very little room between their back teeth and the inside of their cheeks. Pushing a typical toothbrush head into this cheek area can cause discomfort by stretching the skin around the mouth and pressing the bristles into the gums… You can get a toothbrush that has long soft bristles shaped into appointed tough. By placing just the tough the bristles between the cheek and teeth, the back teeth can be brushed without causing discomfort… With regular used, the bristles will lose their tough shape and will feel stiff. Timely replacement is important because I blunted brush cannot reach the back teeth, and stiff bristle irritate the gums... Toothpastes made for people should not be used for cats… Swallowing human toothpaste may result in indigestion and/or excessive sodium (salt) intake. Toothpaste developed especially for cats are available from your veterinarian. One reason that these toothpaste are recommended for cats is that they can be swallowed. This is very important since your cat cannot “rinse and spit“. The flavors of human tooth paste are rarely appealing to cats. The products available from your veterinarian have flavors that counts accept very well… In multi-cat household, each cat does have their own toothbrush, tube, and nozzle to avoid spreading infection. If any of your cats have contagious health problems, ask your veterinarian about any additional precautionary measures.

Untreated problems, such as bad breath, gingivitis (red gums), tartar accumulation, or a broken teeth, can result in a sore, sensitive mouth.

Having a sensitive, sore mouth brushed can be a painful experience. If you think your cat may have a dental problem, or if you are not sure how to examine your cats teeth, arrange a visit with your veterinarian. Your cat me not appreciate your efforts on his or her behalf at this point, but remember that you are taking very good care of your friend, even if he or she doesn’t realise it.

During the dental examination with your veterinarian, be sure to get a good look at your cats teeth. Knowing what the teeth look like will help you later when you begin your home dental care program. After your veterinarian has provided appropriate treatment for any problems, you can begin home dental care.

1. Start with a healthy, comfortable mouth.

2. Choose the proper toothbrush and toothpaste.

3. Repeat and reward.

Dr. Rachel Geller and Cat Lady Justin discuss all things spring cleaning: teeth brushing, grooming, bathing, and more!

Cats spray to mark their territory and as a way of communicating with other cats. Cats will often use the same area again and again, so you may notice some places where your cat likes to spray more than others. The reason for this is that cats like consistency and they also like to be able to find their own scent easily if they return later on. If another cat has been around recently, your pet might want to re-mark his territory by spraying in order to make sure he’s still top cat! #catspray #cats #catsinbaskets #catswarm #catscaps #catsinatree #catstas #catsbywindows #catsloose #catsarelove #catslook #catsonly #catseye #naturalcatproducts

When your cat’s upper lip is lifted, you will see two rows ( upper and lower ) of very small teeth across the front of the mouth. These small teeth are called incisors and are designed for cutting like scissors. Directly behind the incisors are the long pointed canine teeth. The canines are designed for grasping and holding… Right behind the canines are a few smaller pointed teeth, the pre-molars. They are also for grasping and holding. The upper lip can be lifted gently with a cotton swab to show the back teeth… There is one particularly large upper tooth and another equally large lower to opposing it. These back teeth are designed to cut bite sized pieces off a larger portion. Tartar tends to accumulate quickly on these large upper back teeth.

3 fun facts about cats!

We talk about the reasons why you need to brush your cats’ teeth!