Routinely brushing your cat’s teeth is oneof the most important things you can do to keep your feline friend healthy andhappy. It’s also surprisingly easy—as long as you know how to get your homedental-care program up and running.

Here’s everything you need to know aboutbrushing cats’ teeth.

Should I Brush My Cat’s Teeth?

The effects of not brushingyour cat’s teeth are dire and can start far earlier than you might think.

Without proper dental care, up to 70%of cats will develop periodontal disease by the time they are 2years old. Why does this matter? Not only is periodontal disease very painful,but it can also lead to infections, tooth loss, and health problemsthroughout the body.

Periodontal disease is usually caused byplaque and tartar deposited on a cat’s teeth. Both are extremely irritating andlead to symptoms like:

·       Bad breath

·       Inflamed gums that are red, painful, and bleed easily

·       Infections around the teeth

·       Teeth that become loose and may eventually fall out as theirsupporting structures (soft tissues and bone) are destroyed

And what starts in the mouth doesn’tnecessarily stay there. While there hasn’t been a lot of research specific tocats, one study found an increased risk of chronic kidneydisease in cats that had periodontal disease, particularly when the dentaldisease was in its more advanced stages.

Thankfully, preventing periodontal diseaseisn’t hard. You simply need to remove plaque from a cat’s teeth before it canharden into tartar, and the best tool for the job is a pet-specific toothbrush.

When To Start Brushing Cat Teeth

Brushing cats’ teeth will only be effectiveif the teeth are clean to begin with. This is why it’s ideal to start brushinga kitten’s teeth as soon as they are weaned. Their teeth will be clean,and the kitten will grow up thinking that having their teeth brushed is just anormal part of life.

Talk to your veterinarian if you’re lookingto start brushing an older cat’s teeth for the first time. You can’t removehard tartar or address preexisting periodontal disease with a toothbrush. Yourveterinarian will likely need to perform a dental cleaning before youstart brushing your cat’s teeth at home.

What You Need To Brush Cat Teeth

The tools needed to brush cat teeth aren’texpensive or difficult to find. You’ll need:

·       Cat treats to reward your cat for a job well done

·       A small, soft toothbrush like the H&H Pets Cat &Small Dog Toothbrush. Some pet parents prefer using a finger brush, likethe Jasper Finger Dog & Cat Toothbrush, which can work well, too.

·       Toothpaste designed specifically for cats. Pick a flavor yourcat likes. Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Dog & Cat Toothpaste comes inpoultry, beef, and seafood flavors.

How To Brush a Cat’s Teeth

Now that you have everything you need, it’stime to get started.

1. Start Slow

First, get your cat used to having theirmouth and teeth touched.

Sit down with your kitty in your lap and afew treats nearby. Gently pet their head and face, lift their lip, and touchtheir teeth. Give them treats after a few seconds and be done for the day.

Do this for as many days as needed untilyour cat stays relaxed and happy the whole time. Gradually increase the amountof time each session lasts, with 30 seconds as your ultimate goal.

End every session with a few treats andlots of praise.

2. Introduce the Toothpaste and Toothbrush

Put a tiny bit of cat toothpaste on yourfinger and touch your cat’s gums and teeth. Let your cat investigate theirtoothbrush so they become familiar with it. Do this for a few days untileverything is going smoothly.

Finally, put a little toothpaste on thetoothbrush, but just touch your cat’s teeth with the toothbrush; don’t brush.The goal here is to give your cat time to get used to the taste and feel of thetoothpaste and toothbrush, not to clean their teeth.

Take a few days to build up to the pointwhere your cat will let you touch their teeth and gums with the toothbrush andtoothpaste for around 30 seconds. Keep handing out the treats and praise!

3. Begin Brushing

Now it’s time to start brushing your cat’steeth. Replace a few seconds of tooth touching with a little actual brushing,then go back to your old pattern.

Over several days, swap out more and moreof the touching with actual brushing using the toothbrush and toothpaste. Startwith the front teeth (paying special attention to the gumline) but make sureyou eventually work your way to the back—that is where most plaque and tartaraccumulate.

Once you can brush the outside surfaces ofall your cat’s teeth (don’t worry about the inside surfaces) you’vesuccessfully trained your cat to have their teeth brushed!

How Often To Brush a Cat’s Teeth

Aim to brush your cat’s teeth everyday—it’s just 30 seconds, after all! The soft plaque that can be removed with atoothbrush can start to harden into tartar in just 24–48 hours. Missing a dayhere and there is not a big deal, but anything less than every other day won’treally do much good.

Tips for Keeping Cat Teeth Clean

While brushing cats’ teeth is certainlybest, pet parents do have a few other options for keeping cat teeth clean.These products can be used along with toothbrushing. Or, if your cat simplywon’t stand for having their teeth brushed, they’re better than nothing: