brushing teeth

So I'm sure it's been mentioned but another post won't hurt right? Well I've been trying to brush the cats teeth and Neko absolutely loves the tooth paste but will only lick and bite it off and not let me actually hold his face and brush the teeth. Willie on the other hand has hated both brands of tooth paste I've tried and there is no chance of getting him to do this without a tooth paste he likes. So what do you recommend for me to get the to allow me to brush their teeth? Also what brand should I try on Willie that you have has success with? The one I now use is C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste.

This may be an ignorant question, but do you have to use toothpaste? Do most people use it?

toothpaste as opposed to just brushing with the brush you mean? I think that with a toothpaste especially an Enzymatic one that even if you do not brush very well as long as you get the paste on the teeth that it will still dissolve some of the build up. plus if they like the taste then they may tolerate the brushing better.

Originally Posted by Maxy24

So I'm sure it's been mentioned but another post won't hurt right? Well I've been trying to brush the cats teeth and Neko absolutely loves the tooth paste but will only lick and bite it off and not let me actually hold his face and brush the teeth. Willie on the other hand has hated both brands of tooth paste I've tried and there is no chance of getting him to do this without a tooth paste he likes. So what do you recommend for me to get the to allow me to brush their teeth? Also what brand should I try on Willie that you have has success with? The one I now use is C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste.

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I do this for Poe once a week now. Oddly he doesn't hate having his teeth brushed, so it's a bit easier than clipping his nails.

I grab him by the scruff of the neck and stick his rump in my armpit and brush away. If he's not in the mood I'll have to kind of squeeze the brush in between his "lips?" on the sides of his mouth so I can get the back molars. Sometimes if I start at the front he'll open his mouth a little and I can just slide the brush back on the sides to get them.

Takes about 5 minutes. I think he feels indifferent about the paste, but I think he likes having his molars brushed because he doesn't really fight at all. (he squirms a little when I do the front teeth) No matter what though, once I start brushing the back teeth he starts chomping on the toothbrush (actually helps me to brush them better hehe). Afterwards he's usually happy to lick up the paste and go have a drink and he's fine.

Yes, we use toothpaste that we picked up from Petsmart. Like I said I don't think he cares for the flavor much (he doesn't lick it off your finger or anything), but it does the job and he doesn't freak out about it.

P.S. As far as scruffing your cats go, I don't think you need to worry about hurting them. Just remember to remove the cats collar before you do this or you might strangle your cats in the process. They're used to being scruffed by their mothers as kittens and the skin on the back of their neck is loose but quite strong. And by brushing your cat's teeth it'll save you the 300-500 dollar vet bill, and save your cat from having to be put under.