How to Brush Your Cat’s Teeth Step-by-Step

Brush-a, brush-a, brush-em. Your cat’s teeth, that is! Did you know that brushing your cat’s teeth should be a part of your daily dental routine? Keeping your cat’s teeth clean reduces their risk of dental disease, nutritional issues, and more. Read on to learn all about why it’s important to brush your cat’s teeth and how to brush them. Or, use the links below to jump ahead to a section of your choosing!

• Why is Brushing Your Cat’s Teeth Important?
• How Often Should You Brush Your Cat’s Teeth?
• How to Brush a Cat’s Teeth Step-by-Step
• Other Ways to Care for Your Cat’s Teeth
• FAQs
• Final Notes

Why is Brushing Your Cat’s Teeth Important?

Just like humans, regular teeth cleaning is important for your cat’s oral health and overall well-being. Without dental care, cats can develop a range of unfortunate dental diseases, including:

• Periodontal disease: Inflammation of the gums caused by plaque build-up. Periodontal disease is the most common dental disease in cats. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause your cat to lose teeth. It’s especially common in Siamese, Maine Coon, and British Shorthair cats.¹
• Feline stomatitis: An extremely painful dental disease that causes severe inflammation of the tissue in a cat’s mouth. Cats with feline stomatitis may experience severe pain.
• Tooth resorption: Another common feline dental disease, especially amongst senior cats. Tooth resorption causes a cat’s teeth to deteriorate to the point of unusability. Cats experiencing tooth resorption may be in severe pain.

Dental issues can cause pain and difficulty chewing and eating, and can develop poor nutrition as a result. Plus, interventions can run you a pretty penny.

How Often Should You Brush Your Cat’s Teeth?

The best defense against dental disease is simple: regular cleaning. Experts recommend making dental care a daily part of your cat’s routine. In addition to daily tooth brushing, it’s a good idea to develop an at-home dental routine that includes dental chews, water additives, and more.² More on that later.

How to Brush a Cat’s Teeth Step-by-Step

Cleaning your cat’s teeth may sound like a daunting task, but with the right guidance, it can become an easy part of your everyday routine.

The first step is to find the right dental care products. It’s very important to use a cat toothbrush and toothpaste. These toothbrushes are smaller to accommodate your cat’s small mouth and teeth, and cat toothpastes are designed to address their dental needs and flavored to appeal to them. Never use a human toothbrush or toothpaste on your cat.

Now that you’ve gathered your supplies, you’re ready to learn how to brush your cat’s teeth.

1. Vet Evaluation

Before launching into a new dental care routine, it’s important to have your cat’s oral health evaluated by a vet. They can check for the presence of cat periodontal disease or any other cat dental diseases.

If dental disease is found, a professional dental cleaning will be in order. Your vet can perform a thorough cat teeth cleaning to remove excess plaque, as well as any teeth in unsalvageable condition. After the procedure, give your cat’s mouth 10 days to heal before performing any at-home dental care.

2. Introduce Teeth Brushing Motion

Next, it’s important to ease into brushing your cat’s teeth. In all likelihood, your cat is not at all accustomed to having their teeth touched or objects inserted into their mouth. It’s easy to imagine why this experience would be jarring for your cat. In response, they may try to bite you, scratch you, or even run away and hide.

For an easier introduction to brushing your cat’s teeth, follow these steps:

• Position your cat in front of you on a table or other waist-height surface. As you start to handle their face and teeth, they’ll likely try to back away. Standing behind them will help keep them in place.
• Put a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and allow your cat to investigate. You may also want to show them the toothbrush and let them smell, lick, or even rub their face on it.
• Begin getting them used to having their mouth touched. Gently massage the outside of your cat’s mouth on top and bottom.

Pay attention to how your cat responds to having their mouth touched. They may not like it at first, so give them breaks and allow them to get used to the sensation. It may take several days to get them accustomed to having their mouth touched. Stay calm, start slow, and offer plenty of breaks and treats.

Once your cat is comfortable with having the outside of their mouth touched, it’s time to introduce them to having their teeth brushed. Follow these steps:

• Put a small amount of cat toothpaste on your finger.
• Stand behind your cat and hold their head firmly with your thumb on the top of their head and your fingers holding their chin and neck.
• Slip your finger with toothpaste underneath their lip and slowly run your finger back and forth across their teeth, mimicking a toothbrush.

Again, this process may take many days. Go slowly and reward good behavior with treats.

3. Start Brushing With a Toothbrush

When your cat is comfortable having their teeth “brushed” with your finger, it’s time to introduce a toothbrush. Apply a small amount of cat toothpaste to a cat toothbrush and perform the same motion. Hold their head firmly in one hand and brush their teeth with the other.

Brushing your cat’s teeth with a toothbrush may not go perfectly the first time, but with time, you’ll both get comfortable with the process and learn to brush your cat’s teeth with ease.

Other Ways to Care for Your Cat’s Teeth

An effective dental routine includes more than just regular teeth brushing. Explore these additional ways to care for your cat’s teeth:

• Dental chews: Cat dental chews have an abrasive texture that gently cleans plaque off your cat’s teeth, while leaving your cat none-the-wiser. They come in the form of chew toys, chew sticks, and treats. Edible dental chews also contain ingredients that promote good dental health and freshen breath.
• Supplements: Another tool to keep your cat’s teeth clean is a supplement for dental health. These supplements most commonly contain seaweed or kelp, which has been shown to reduce dental plaque and tartar and freshen breath.
• Dental food: Cat dental food is designed to promote cleaner, healthier teeth. In addition to containing dental-healthy ingredients, dental food has larger pieces of kibble, which clean your cat's teeth as they chew.
• Water additives: Water additives are an easy way to sneak a little extra dental care into your cat’s routine. They contain enzymes that can both break down tartar and freshen breath. Keep in mind that some cats may experience digestive issues from water additives, so start small and monitor their reaction.
• Regular vet exams: Even if you religiously brush your cat's teeth every day, they’ll still likely need regular dental exams. Veterinarians are able to clean your cat’s teeth more deeply and reach places that you may not be able to get to at home. They can also assess your cat’s teeth for any damage or potential issues and address concerns before they become serious problems.

FAQs

Can cats live without brushing their teeth?

While cats can live without brushing their teeth, neglecting your cat’s teeth puts them at a greater risk of developing dental diseases like periodontitis, feline stomatitis, and tooth resorption. Down the line, these issues can lead to poor nutrition and overall health issues. For your cat’s happiest possible life, it’s important to brush their teeth daily.

What can I use to brush my cat’s teeth if I don’t have toothpaste?

Only brush your cat’s teeth with a cat toothbrush and cat toothpaste. Human toothbrushes and toothpaste aren’t designed for a cat’s mouth or digestive tract and may contain toxic ingredients like xylitol. They’ll also likely hate the taste.

How do I get rid of my cat’s bad breath?

Brushing your cat’s teeth daily should help with their bad breath. You can also give them dental chews with breath-freshening ingredients or water additives that use enzymes to freshen breath.

If your cat’s breath is particularly bad, or severely bad breath suddenly develops, it may be a sign of an underlying health issue. Contact your vet for an exam.

Is it too late to start brushing my cat’s teeth?

It’s never too late to start brushing your cat’s teeth! In fact, senior cats experience more dental issues than younger cats. If you’ve got a senior cat that’s never had their teeth brushed, it’s more important than ever to start.

Final Notes

Brushing your cat’s teeth is key to helping them live a long, happy life. While it may seem like a daunting task, it’s easier than you think to start caring for your cat’s teeth at home. By going slow, taking lots of breaks, and rewarding them with treats, you will help your cat have a manageable dental care routine in no time!

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