Unlike dogs, cats don’t exhibit pain in obvious ways.
Therefore, proper prevention is required, especially when it comes to teeth. A healthy mouth means a healthy feline companion.
1. Brushing Your Cat’s Teeth
Although it may seem difficult, cats can be trained to undergo teeth cleaning at any moment in their lifetime, if you skipped this step during its kittenhood. All you need is time, patience, and the right tools and treats.
It’s important to use specially designed cat toothpaste. These have yummy flavors your furry friend will enjoy, like poultry, malt, or turkey. These types of toothpaste contain enzymes that inhibit plaque formation in your cat’s mouth. They don’t foam at all, so they’re safe to swallow.
You’ll also need a specially designed toothbrush, and there’s a bunch from which to choose. Some may be placed on your finger, and have soft, gummy bristles that don’t hurt the kitty’s gums and mouth. Others have microheads following the cat’s head anatomy.
How To Brush Your Cat’s Teeth Efficiently
Brushing your cat’s teeth should always be a positive experience. Cats have a great memory, so a painful or unpleasant incident will make them reluctant in the future.
Before you start, ensure the cat is calm and the environment is safe and quiet.
If you’ve never brushed its teeth before, it’s important, for the first days, to teach your cat that it’s safe for you to touch its mouth, teeth, and muzzle.
This way, it will be more relaxed and you’ll avoid being bitten. It will eventually allow you to brush its teeth.
Pick the right moment when the feline is calm and chill and introduce the toothbrush. Allow your cat to interact with it for a few days before brushing.
You can even add a little flavored toothpaste onto it and allow the cat to lick it. This way, it will associate the toothbrush and toothpaste with a positive experience.
If the cat will eventually allow you to brush its teeth, use slow, circular motion, to avoid damaging its gums. On the first attempts, it’s perfectly normal for your cat to try and escape. A routine will do wonders and it will soon learn to associate brushing with a good taste in their mouth.
Note: Most adult cats can be hesitant to these operations, and may even become aggressive, but there are other ways to keep their teeth clean.
2. Oral Aid for Fresh Breath
There are other methods to maintain your kitty’s oral hygiene, if it doesn’t allow you to brush its teeth.
Specially designed cat mouthwash can be added daily to drinking water and acts similarly to toothpaste. These contain ingredients such as enzymes, which dissolve plaque, and erythritol, which improves the smell of the cat’s mouth and, by forming complexes with calcium ions, can support teeth demineralization.
If you want to improve your feline’s daily oral routine and spoil it, you can give it chewable dental treats that remove plaque buildup and prevent tartar and gum disease. These come in so many flavors, that your furry companion will love.
The secret behind these is the combination of size and flavor. To eat it, the cat is supposed to chew it and by doing this, tartar is being removed mechanically.
If your cat friend likes toys, you can provide one that cleans its teeth and acts similarly to dental floss. Others contain catnip and act in more ways: keeping the feline content and relaxed while cleaning its mouth.
3. Clean Eating
Always provide your cat with a clean diet, without sugary or starchy treats. These encourage bacteria to grow inside the feline’s mouth and predispose teeth to decay and gum problems.
Unlike humans, a cat’s salivary glands don’t secrete amylase, which is the enzyme responsible for digesting starch and because of this particular aspect, starchy foods can accumulate more easily inside the mouth and develop cavities.
We recommend feeding your feline dry cat food, to encourage proper mastication and prevent plaque buildup. This happens for another reason: the saliva can be more alkaline and thus, the animal is more prone to developing tartar.
You can feed your feline companion with specially formulated cat kibbles, that provide oral care and maintenance. These kibbles are larger than usual cat food and clean the feline’s teeth up to the gum line.
A specially designed water fountain might be very helpful. After every meal, the cat cleans its teeth for food residue by drinking water.
4. Regular Vet Check-Up’s
We recommend at least annual check-ups to ensure you don’t miss anything regarding the oral health of your feline. Your veterinarian will be able to properly inspect the oral cavity and tell you exactly the condition of it.
You’ll be provided with additional advice regarding problems that may occur, such as cavities, and broken or chipped teeth, and your vet may even recommend a professional scaling and teeth removal for your cat.
You’ll probably need to perform additional blood tests on your kitty because both scaling and teeth removal are done under general anesthesia and a sick cat cannot undergo this kind of operation.
The more you care for your cat’s teeth and gums, the happier your cat will be, thus you’ll both live happily together for a long time.
