Do you brush your cats teeth?

**lat192004** · 03-25-2004, 09:50 PM

Have you ever brushed your cats teeth? Did you try brushing your cats teeth, but it was such a bad experience you will never do it again? Does your cat let you brush her teeth, and actually enjoy it?

**jazzcat** · 03-25-2004, 09:58 PM

Nope, never tried. I value my skin too much.

I just feed them tartar control treats and I've had Ripley's teeth cleaned by the vet. I'll do the same for Jazz and Scout when needed.

**catnapper** · 03-25-2004, 09:59 PM

Both guys will let me, but I haven't gotten around to buying the toothbrushes and toothpaste. I'd like to because at 3, Allen's starting to show signs of tartar... isn't that awfully young for a cat to show signs of tartar?

**nibblets** · 03-26-2004, 01:09 AM

No way...Julie has claws and the girl knows how to use em when she needs to.
I have her to where she almost tolerates getting her claws trimmed...usually in two sittings, front and back.

She makes some wild noises when we do it too. There is no way she would go for the toothbrushing.

**catmandu** · 03-26-2004, 09:11 AM

I iwsh that I could , but even Michael , and Moose , who are very gentle , will not let me touch them , and the Siamese Squad , forget it!

**moosmom** · 03-26-2004, 10:22 AM

With all due respect...

BUT WHAT'RE YOU NUTS????

I can barely clip my cats nails let alone brush their teeth. And I have 8 cats!!!

The only time my hands ever got CLOSE to a cats mouth was when I was trying to grab a pregnant cat and she clamped down on my finger.

NEVER AGAIN!!!

**guster girl** · 03-26-2004, 10:30 AM

I try to brush Lock's teeth every night. And, he's a Bengal.

He's declawed, now, but, even before he was, he was good with letting me do whatever with him.

**Uabassoon** · 03-26-2004, 12:26 PM

I brush my kitties teeth, they are both pretty good about it. Usually with Corkscrew I wait until he is sleeping or half asleep, then I really have no problems with him.

**Laura's Babies** · 03-26-2004, 05:34 PM

I just do not think I could afford the TREATS!! After trying the soft paws I had to give a treat to ALL of them after every one I got on Giz,..10 claws, 3 cats = 30 treats. So we start over with the uppers (treats) Lowers (treats) on down the line.. Hay, the vet already says Chester is to fat!

I don't care HOW quiet you open the treat jar.. or how HARD they are sleeping... THEY ALL HEAR IT the minute you pick it up!! No, I think I just talked myself out of doing that tooth brushing thing...

**lat192004** · 03-26-2004, 08:04 PM

I see that the majority of us either don't brush their cats teeth, or don't because the cat doesn't want to let them. I have one cat, Angel, a Tabby, who is a pretty mellow guy. I cleaned his teeth once, and he hid from me for a day after it was over. It must have insulted his dignity.

**carole** · 03-26-2004, 08:12 PM

Like the rest I value my life, I wish I could do my older cats, as I know he has tartar build up, and will need a professional clean soon, which is expensive and a bit traumatic for the cat, but what else can one do apart from dental treats, tartar still seems to build up.

**catnapper** · 03-28-2004, 01:35 PM

I broke down today and bought the toothbrush and paste. Allen was not too happy at first - squirmed out of my arms and went running. We caught him and managed to do a fairly decent job. He eventually opened wide for me to get those back teeth!

My red shirt was a beautiful shade of Allen orange afterwards... man he can shed when upset!

**BitsyNaceyDog** · 03-28-2004, 07:40 PM

Originally posted by moosmom
With all due respect...

BUT WHAT'RE YOU NUTS????

I can barely clip my cats nails let alone brush their teeth. And I have 8 cats!!!

Ditto, except for the part about 8 cats, I only have 7.

**veegan** · 03-28-2004, 09:24 PM

my cats are 7 & 8 years old and Ive never brushed them or had them cleaned. I have been meaning to get them cleaned so I can start brushing them weekly because I know they would let me, but I just havent yet. :-/ I think I'd better do that before they get much older. Felix is such a fradey cat though, that Im afraid he'd have a heart attack before we could get him anesthetized....