How do I Clean My Cats Teeth

How do I Clean My Cats Teeth

Our Team of Registered Vet Nurses have written some handy tips to make it easier to brush your cats teeth!

Ensure you have everything you need to hand before you begin: 

• Your cat  
• Cat toothpaste 
• Cat toothbrush or finger brush
• Plenty of your cats favourite treats

Choose the easiest time in your daily routine when you will remember to do it 

For the first few days you will need to work on building up your cats trust, so start by putting a little toothpaste on to your finger and allow them to sniff at it and lick it off, some cats will take to this straight away and love the flavour, if you cat is reluctant try placing a little bit on their nose, once they have licked it off and realised they like the flavour they will want more and begin to take it off your finger, after they have done this a few times end the session and give them a few of their favourite treats 

It is also important in the first few days that you familiarise yourself with how you will be holding your cats head when tooth brushing so you feel more confident, it’s a good idea to do this at various time of the day 

• Position your cat with their back towards you so if they wriggle, they will be moving towards you, and you will have more control it is also less confrontational 
• Place you hand, fingers wide apart on to the top of their head taking a firm but gentle grip around the cheekbone, make sure you index finger doesn’t cover your cats’ eyes 
• Tilt your cats head gently upwards slightly and use your thumb to lift the cat’s upper lip 
• With your other hand use your thumb and forefinger to careful pull down your cat’s lower lip so you have a good view of one side of your cats’ teeth 

For the next few days get your cat used to being held in the same way but don’t pull the lower lip down instead apply a little toothpaste to a cotton bud and rub it on to the teeth in a circular motion 

The back teeth are the more difficult ones that require brushing so begin with these and work your way forward till you reach the big canine teeth 

You cat may try to put their feet up and obstruct you so if you have someone close by to hold the cat or if you are alone gently wrap them in a blanket or towel  

It is very important to repeat these steps as many times as you need to ensure that you cat is comfortable having their mouth touched before moving on to the next stage 

Now you cat is comfortable it’s time to start using the toothbrush, the procedure is the same as what you did using the cotton bud, to start with brush for approx. 10 seconds each side starting from the back and slowly moving forward in a circular motion, over time gradually increasing the brushing time to 30-40 seconds each side, when you first start brushing you may notice some bleeding from the gum, this is quite common but will stop as the gums become more healthy 

All cats are individuals, and your cat may take more than a few days to feel comfortable with each stage of the procedure, the goal is for you cat to see the procedure as something pleasant and to not be a battle between the two of you.