Cats and the toothbrush!

*ABYCAT* Alice · 02-17-2004, 04:23 AM

I left Tess at the vet this morning so they could remove tartar from her teeth. The insurance doesn’t cover this when it’s something that can be prevented with a toothbrush.
Do you brush your cat’s teeth?
We will start now, but I’m not sure it will work with Tess, but we’ll try. Think it will be easier with Costello. Even if there are things he doesn’t like, he still accept it (like the vet, having a bath, cleaning his ears and nail cutting).
I’ll pick her up at 3 this afternoon and I’ll get some advice from the vet.

**BastetsMum** · 02-17-2004, 04:34 AM

Gods just thinking of cleaning Bastet's teeth gives me automatic pain up my arms from the scratches ....

I give her some Vet supplied teeth chews that clean tartar. They work a treat. I also feed her a raw chicken wing 3 times a week (except in this heat it was go off as soon as hitting the floor).

Maybe try that for controling build up too.

**Barbara** · 02-17-2004, 04:38 AM

Filou had the tooth cleaning procedure 3 times up to now

I have been talking to my vet about tooth brushing but she says to her opinion you can do it with very few cats (and Filou isn't one of them

). She says if I force my cat daily to have his teeth brushed this will influence our relationship more badly than a tooth cleaning every two years.

And I know how Filou can go to the fifth dimension whenever he needs some medication

**catnapper** · 02-17-2004, 07:35 AM

I was wondering the same thing. Allen is only 3 and I'm seeing the beginnings of tartar on his teeth. He's mellow enough that I just *might* be able to get him to sit through a brushing. Do you use a regular human-type toothbrush and toothpaste? Seriously! Or do they sell small cat brushes and salmon flavored toothpaste? Is this something you do everyday or once a week? I see that Barbara mention brushing Filou's teeth daily... but is that after they've had the proceedure? I know nothing about kitty dental practices!!!!

On a side note: my sister-in-law had a cat that brushed his own teeth! She gave him a toothbrush with toothpaste and he held the brush and brushed himself! This was before I met my husband, so I never witnessed it, but the family talks about it all the time.

**Craftlady** · 02-17-2004, 07:56 AM

You can get a brushing kit at PetSmart or any other good pet supply store. The flavor that came with our set was malt. Butterscotch loves the taste. The kit has a rubber finger brush (start off with so they get use to someone/something in their mouth) and a small head bristel tooth brush. The recommended instructions are 3 x a week. We have been doing 1 x a week for 3 weeks now I'm going to increase to add a another day. Butterscotch growls but thats noise. He loves the taste. Since he is getting used to it he sits still for me. Normally kitchen table is a no no at our house but he gets to sit on table while we brush, it's a great height to deal with him.

We are doing this in hopes that the vet won't have to clean. He does have allot of black build up (tarter) on his gums. I'm not seeing removel of this stuff as of yet.

**Barbara** · 02-17-2004, 08:25 AM

Filou brought me here and said: Meowmie you have to write that I never brush my teeth and I will rip your arm off if you do so.

I only asked the vet whether I could train him and she said that IF I force him he will only learn to avoid me.

Sorry for not being clear enough........

**catlady1945** · 02-17-2004, 08:29 AM

Louis' teeth cost me a bunch of money recently. I bought a lot of tooth cleaning stuff, but I am not very vigilant. Those teeth are so tiny!

**catmandu** · 02-17-2004, 08:57 AM

The cats teeth are going to be the major Cost , at the Vets as they get older , but as they are not used to having thier teeth brushed , it will be almost impossible to get them to take to this!I agree , that they will scratch , hiss and Spit.!

*ABYCAT* Alice · 02-17-2004, 02:59 PM

It's now seven hours since I picked her up at the vet, and she has been feeling so bad from the anesthesia. Costello thought she was very strange when she came home and wobbled around. She just had some food so she's getting better now. It didn't cost me as much as I thought it would (in US$ 100). The vet said that it's good if it's possible to brush her teeth, but as you said, not all cats accept it and I guess she’s one of them.

**Barbara** · 02-17-2004, 03:10 PM

It's heartbreaking when they come back from the vet but I am sure Tess-girl will be fine soon. Filou sends nosekissies

**Edwina's Secretary** · 02-17-2004, 04:05 PM

Edwina was sitting on my lap when I read this.

I asked her how she feels about me brushing her teeth.

She asked me how I feel about her biting my nose.

We are even.

**catnapper** · 02-17-2004, 05:55 PM

Allen's sitting here watching me read this. I decided to try rubbing my finger against his teeth as if I had the finger brush on. He actually let me! He gave me a look like "lets not do this agin" but I think I'll be getting a little toothbrush set.

My husband thinks I'm absolutely nuts because "none of the cats he's ever owned ever had tooth problems." But then again, until my two, he's "never had cats that don't spray." or "never had cats that let me rub their tummy."
So I don't think he's much of the feline authority (though he does love hs kitties!)

**Fox-Gal** · 02-17-2004, 10:49 PM

Clean kitty teeth?......or having hands and arms????

I pick my hands and arms!

I need them to love on my babies and anyway, who would open the cans of cat food if I had no hands.

I tried once and lets just say the cats won that battle and I've learned to pick my battles with them very carefully.

The vet can fight that battle for me. So far I've been lucky and their teeth are in good shape. Fingers crossed it stays that way.