Has anyone had success brushing cats teeth?

[valrhona]

At our most recent checkup the vet pointed out a touch of gum disease and plaque/tartar buildup on Margot's teeth. She's not 2 yet I'd say. We've had her since may.
So the vet has suggested we clean her teeth. I bought a kitty dental set yesterday but needless to say, it didn't go well.
Has anyone any advice at all??
TIA

[Sparklingbrook]

Sparkling Cat wasn't having any of it. You can get paste that you can put a blob on their paw and they lick it off and it gets into their mouth that way.

Plus there is a water additive you can get, and dry food designed for oral health.

Sparkling Cat has already had two dentals, and she will probably need another very soon.

[cozietoesie]

Nope. All of mine have drawn a line in the sand on seeing the finger toothbrush and have dared me to cross it. (I wimped out.)

[Bonbonchance]

I've had a bit of success...I got a baby toothbrush & built up slowly by letting cat sniff everything etc, she's not keen especially the back ones (I need to lift her lip up with her mouth closed) but tolerates it for a short while. Usually try to get her when she's sleepy & chilled. The toothpaste you put on their paws wasn't much good, but brushing & Dentabites seem to have made a difference.

[valrhona]

I'll try again. If she's having some problems at 2 it stands to reason things will only get worse won't they.
All those people that do cat shows must figure it out but maybe they've been doing it from kittenhood...

Poor Margot

[TryingNotToLaugh]

My dental hygienist reckons she not only scrubs her cat's teeth, but flosses them too!

My cat however, would have taken your arm off if you tried anything like that.

[LastingLight]

If you tried that with our ginger girlcat you would need a blood transfusion. Our grey tabby will leave home like she did the one and only time we gave her medication. (She also didn't speak to me for months afterwards.)

[valrhona]

Lasting that's a worry for me! (The withdrawal rather than the lash-out!!) Margot is such a shy girl who has spent her whole life in Rescue until she came to us. She was picked up as a kitten and just in the last few weeks she was kind of fostered to a home with a zillion cats.
She's not terribly secure in herself, but she's very gentle.
I think I'd get around her eventually to let me do it, but I don't want to harm her psychologically. She's just started to trust.
Oh what to do... [CONFUSED]

[chockbic]

Logic toothpaste/gel worked well for our girls teeth.

Also getting some good crunchy biscuits.

[AnneElliott]

No luck with mine either. I sometimes think vets don't actually have cats of their own. We got given a nebuliser for the one with asthma. Fifteen breaths the vet said! She took one look at that and went beserk.

[yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo]

Give her some raw chicken wings to munch on. Much healthier for her then kibble and her teeth with be sparkling!

We recently swapped . our 7 yr old lab and 8yr old cat over to raw at the same time as getting our pup. There difference in the oldies teeth is astounding

[gretagrape]

I've never heard of brushing cats' teeth! My cat had to have a full dental under anaesthetic when we got her (stray) because her teeth were in such poor condition. Our vet recommended Hills biscuits which are for dental care because they are much bigger than normal biscuits so it forces the cat to bite down on them, therefore cleaning the teeth. She never had any build up of plaque until she died seven years later.

[PinkSparklyElephant]

Harry has shocking breath, it could fell an elephant at 50 yards! The vet said he's got some plaque but nothing to worry about. I did think of trying to clean his teeth but I've got a large scratch on my face from trying to cuddle him so I dread to think what state I'd be in if I tried teeth cleaning!

[valrhona]

Well I tried her again tonight the poor pet. We didn't get very far and she was a bit fed up with me after. Sat with dh instead of me
Apparently you're supposed to do this teeth thing every day!!
Well I will need to look into some other ideas mentioned here for sure.
I had heard about the chicken wings before (had a mini schnauzer years ago who are known for teeth problems) & the breeder suggested chicken wings. The vet looked freaked out when I mentioned them!
Sigh.
Well, it seems she's somewhat forgiven me, she just came in to say goodnight but didn't stay too long
And she gave the tooth cleaner a good tap of her paw when I was putting it away. Clever girl
Will let you all know how we get on in case other people are in same situ with their cat friends.

[thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]

@ 'flossing' ha haaaaaaa, at least if you tried it you'd give the A&E staff a good laugh

[BlueBrightBlue]

No but this man has...ffw to 40 seconds.

[ShakeYourTailFeathers]

That video hahahaha!

Seeing as my older cat dislikes being stroked i'd have been in hospital from trying to get her sweater on, never mind the 'just turn him upside down'

living in a dream world, that vet!

[valrhona]

As a small experiment I tried putting Margot on my lap like the vet. No tooth gear in sight. Well that idea went down like a lead balloon!

[BlueBrightBlue]

Me thinks Pokey had been sedated before going on "Daddy's little lap".
Fancy dressing a boy cat in a baby pink sweater!

[Roseblossom2]

It really depends on the cat and how they were brought up. Mine are both indoor girls, one is two and a half the other is 3. We handled them a lot in their first year and groomed them every other day. So when opening their mouths they whinge a bit, but they've never bitten or scratched ever so it's easy peasy. They really are like little dogs :) it's whatever is in your cat's nature I suppose! :)

[newhereappreciatehelp]

Val please have a look at raw feeding. Your vet is an idiot if she looked freaked out.

Why continue to stress and upset your cat? A raw chicken wing a day ( or more if you swap to raw entirely) and i promise you will see results in a month.

[cozietoesie]

But use organic free range. (The bones are stronger and less prone to splintering.)

[valrhona]

Thanks so much for all the advice everyone

I will indeed look into free range organic chicken wings.

Rose both our cats were rescues who'd not had much handling as kittens at all, you see, the poor mites. If I were starting out with a kitten I would definitely do exactly as you did.

It took a while for our two to settle, and even now 3.5 months later it's not always hunky-dory. Little black cat doesn't like being handled at all (picked up) but will come to me for rubs. Coley is a bit of a ruffian has emerged as top-cat. She's never sat on me. She's a brave, spiky little character who guards the garden from interlopers that are much bigger than her! She loads of love in her but doesn't really know how to express it apart from lots of little love-bites.

Margot does like a cuddle and contact, she doesn't mind being handled too much. She has a really sweet personality, and you can feel she's doing her best. Doesn't like Coley much but there you are.

I feel sad for them sometimes, thinking of their little kitten selves with no love. But then, I reckon they are content now, have their own family and garden and home so yay for that!

Enough soppy wittering out of me! Chicken wings!!