My cat won't let me brush her teeth. How do I go about this?
My cat won’t allow me into her mouth in order to brush her teeth. I admit that I am a bit uneasy about putting my fingers in her mouth–given her sharp teeth and all, lol.
She is a "shy" and "nervous" cat, as it is. And she seems very afraid and wants to run away.
Our male cat is more brave (and very outgoing). And my daughter has managed to brush his teeth a few times when he was in a relaxed mood. But the girl cat doesn’t want any part of it.
Please help. The vet says she has some teeth in the back that need to be brushed, or she’s going to start having some problems real soon.
I bought the "cat toothpaste & toothbrush kit" that came with a small toothbrush and a fingerbrush and, of course, cat toothpaste.
Any advice, tips, or tricks?
Filed under: Cat Supplies
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My cats hated this at first also this is what I did.
I started out by using their favorite treat against them.
Every time they let me touch their teeth with my finger I gave them a small piece of the treat. When they finally got to the point when I could rub my fingers back and forth on their teeth, I graduated to giving them a big size of their treats. Then I bought the toothbrush that goes over your finger, and slowly introduced this. You have to be very patient with them. Also don’t give them any treats at any other time. They will learn that the only way to get the treat is to let you touch their teeth. Now they love to have their teeth brushed because they know, the treats are coming. Their favorite treat is whiska’s temptations, the little crunchy ones that are soft in the center. Good luck.
Well she has to get used to it.
massage her cheeks with yer fingers
Let her sniff just a plain brush.
put some toothpaste on it and let her lick it
then attempt brushing again
1) duck tape each leg in spread eagle form to the floor.
2) while holding cats head down with knee/ vice/ NOT HANDS!, pry mouth open while wearing THICK leather gloves.
3) brush cat’s teeth.
…or if you LIKE cats, i guess you could always sedate it and brush while the cat is sleeping… I reccomend Ketamine.
thank you for asking this question I want to know this too. good luck with kitty
The best advice i can give you is if your is a very nervous and shy cat it might pay NOT to clean her teeth yourself. The best thing i can advice you is to get the vet to do her teeth. It will also save your fingers as well. Hope this helps