conuly | In other news, does anybody know how to effectively brush a cat's teeth?

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conuly

(And how to convince her that I love her and am not simply using an arcane torture device for kicks?)

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From:

alatefeline

My inexpert opinion, as a cat person who has NOT brushed cat teeth:

Convincing her you aren't torturing her is probably impossible. Vets routinely sedate cats for this.

You can try doing a tiny bit more each day without tipping over into panic. Flavored toothpaste might help, if she is interested enough to sniff/lick it. It could take weeks to get to actual brushing.

Or you can immobilize her while she panics (wrap her in a towel to make a cat burrito), do what you have to do, and then let her flee. Wear gloves and arm protection. Not recommended unless you like trauma.

Or, if she is basically willing to put up with you being an awful human but shies off from the actual brushing, take all those same precautions but introducing it a bit at a time, hopefully more successfully.

Here is an informative video. (Can you use videos?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXDDRYTJs94

Don't use a regular toothbrush or even pet toothbrush, use a small soft brush or a washcloth, and use specific cat toothpaste or just water. (I imagine you know that, but I figured I'd better say it just in case.) You don't have to open the cat's mouth, just get at the teeth under the lips.

Some cat treats are formulated to help clean teeth, but I think the ones that are just pure freeze-dried meat are probably healthier. If she's willing to eat treats or accept toys or pets, well, a little bribery goes a long way and a lot of bribery goes even further.

From:

conuly

Oh, Callie pretty much never flees once I actually have her in my hands. She'll hide under the bed if she sees me opening the flea medicine, but that's about it.

But she turns her freaking head and I'm not making progress convincing her to go along with it. She acclimated to being combed after a few weeks, and to having her nail clips in the same amount of time, and she'll even let me bathe her* if I can drag her out from under the tub, but this? This is trickier.

I should've started this when she was a kitten. Get them when they're small, and when they're big they ~~suffer from learned helplessness about the whole thing~~ trust you won't hurt them.

* Which I only do if she's filthy. I'm not a monster.

Edited Date: 2016-07-17 02:13 am (UTC)

From:

alatefeline

>> She acclimated to being combed after a few weeks, and to having her nail clips in the same amount of time, and she'll even let me bathe her* if I can drag her out from under the tub, but this? This is trickier. <<

You're doing better than I ever did. Our cats (at my parents' house) are shorthairs with who rarely get brushed (when they do, it's with a soft rubbery thing, not a comb) and strop their own claws unless we notice a snag or it's vet time. Basically we let them be completely nuts about whether or not to let us pick them up. And then they come and sit on us at weird angles.

>> * Which I only do if she's filthy. I'm not a monster. <<

This was a good laugh.

From:

conuly

I have a knack with cats for most things, but toothbrushing is new and... so far, she's just Not Happy.

I ought to corner the other cat and brush her teeth as well, but that one bites when she's annoyed, and no amount of having-a-knack is going to keep her from doing it.