Anytime it comes up in conversation, we are inevitably asked to clarify: "Wait, you mean to say that you really brush their teeth every night?"
It can be done. It was very hard for the first few weeks (involving long sleeves and thick layers of clothing), but eventually they got used to it. They don't like it, but they tolerate it without inflicting much injury upon us. I actually look forward to teeth-brushing each night because it's akin to cuddle time.
Me and Etienne on Friday night:
Me and Marcello tonight:
If you don't brush your cat's teeth and are considering starting, these videos from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine are very helpful and informative. Our vet directed us there when we wanted to try brushing. It's easiest to start brushing when your cat is a kitten, but the boys were about a year and a half old (young adults) when we started. It didn't go nearly as smoothly as it does in those training videos, but we managed. You just have to be VERY patient and accept that you're going to sustain more kitty-inflicted skin lacerations than usual for the first few months.
We use a little toothbrush and a poultry-flavored enzymatic toothpaste made especially for cats by C.E.T. (the products used in the video, actually). There are other products out there, but of the ones we have tried, we like these best. In addition to poultry flavor, their toothpaste comes in seafood, beef, malt, and vanilla-mint flavors. "Vanilla-mint?" Seriously. We bought the seafood and poultry paste flavors to start with, but they weren't interested in the seafood flavor (which is odd, because they love the company's seafood-flavored dental chews). But they'll lick the poultry-flavored toothpaste from my finger or the brush (or my nose). Most other companies' pet toothpaste products are malt-flavored. We tried one of those from a pet store at first, but the boys hated it. You should NEVER try to use human's toothpaste on your cat's teeth. Not only because they'll probably try to claw your face off, but also because your cat will swallow the toothpaste, rather than spitting it out as we humans do, and consuming it could be very harmful to them.
If you're considering trying to start brushing your cat's teeth, and would like more advice, I have plenty more of it to offer.
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1 comment:
i sat and watched both videos totally mesmerized, impressed; you're a better mama than i am... that's for sure.
we used to brush Harrison's teeth with chicken flavored toothpaste. now i feel compelled to start again. he never minded. he's a fat cavalier, he thought he was getting food.
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