Brushing Teeth - A Vital Aspect Of Caring For Your Cat

Did you know that brushing teeth is an important part of your cat's dental care? Almost all cat-lovers and cat-owners are well-informed about the basic health and grooming activities related to cats. However, most of them seem unaware of how brushing teeth is beneficial to the health of a cat.

After a meal of regular cat food, tiny bits of food will stick to the cat's teeth and might not be cleaned off easily by the cat. As a result, every tooth becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. If left unchecked for long, the cat may develop tooth decay or even gingivitis. Thus, brushing teeth must be made a compulsory part of your cat's grooming routine.

Why Is Brushing Teeth A Must For Domestic Cats?

While out in the wild, cats had to hunt down their prey and tear through bone and skin to feast on it. In addition to keeping the cats healthy, this method of aggressive eating also had an amazing effect of naturally cleaning the cat's teeth. But today's domestic cats do not have to go through all that trouble to have a meal. Every brand of cat food features well-minced meat products that the cats can simply gulp down, even without chewing. Though this may seem a boon for cats, these easy meals pose a grave risk to the dental health of cats.

No brand of cat food contains any active component that helps to keep the cat's teeth clean. Additionally, the soft and small fragments of manufactured cat food easily get trapped in between the cat's teeth. Without a regular ritual of brushing teeth, these particles will harbor harmful bacteria that may gradually affect the dental health of the feline.

Introducing Your Cat To Brushing Teeth

To begin with brushing teeth, the cat must first get used to your putting a finger into its mouth. You can encourage this habit by urging the cat to lick your finger after you have dipped the finger in any liquid that the cat loves. When the cat begins to lick, you can proceed to gently rubbing its teeth. After a while, try wrapping a piece of gauze around your finger before brushing its teeth.

As the cat gets familiar with this brushing routine, you may gradually begin brushing teeth with a toothbrush instead of your finger. Once you have come this far, your cat is ready for brushing teeth with a special pet toothpaste that smells and tastes like meat. It is best to start out with brushing a few teeth and then branching out to more teeth until you are able to brush all its teeth without upsetting the cat.

Just as you pay special attention to your cat's flea control methods, its vaccination schedule and nutrition requirements, it is also important that you devote a little time for the brushing teeth routine for your cat. With a bit of patience and training, these brushing sessions will soon be an enjoyable experience for your cat.