Inflamed Gums?

Hi all, this is my first post. I noticed my 1 year old kitty seems to have kind of overly red gums. She eats raw food and hasn’t shown any signs of pain. I am taking her to the vet soon but thought I’d reach out on here to see if her gums seems unhealthy.

My cat was also 1 year old with gums like this. We believe it's because of an underlying virus in her system. Many cats from shelters have these viruses and sometimes they can cause gingivitis. It looks like your cat has early signs of gingivitis too. I think a visit to a vet that you trust is a good idea. I ended up having my cat's teeth cleaned at 2 years old and all went well. It's good that you have her on a raw diet. If she's prone to dental disease raw food is best.

Even the Humans'gingivitis causes are less known.
Still, to keep in mind the risk of advance of gingivitis (in humans, this may be an early sign of paradonthosis, which is a very serious disease). So, in my opinion, a visit to the vet in this case, as early as possible, is a wise decision.
Of course, Vet is the only one to check and prescribe a treatment (and a diet, if needed).

Some brushes cat's teeth. I dont know how effective is this procedure, but I heard there are toothbrushes and dental cream specifically designed for cats. :-). Again, I do not know whether this operation is effective.

But even the tooth brushing shall to be prescribed by a vet. And please do not use human dental care products on cat. Could be very dangerous!

I would advise against brushing the teeth until the inflammation/infection is cured. Normally brushing IS necessary and effective to prevent some gum problems but right now the gum seems too sensitive to handle a brush -- it might just cause more problems for the gum right now while cleaning the teeth.

Dental diseases are very common among cats. Sometimes it's for an underlying current cause like FIV, or past cause like if the cat had cat flu, that itself might start gingivitis. But it might also be nothing but genes.

Until you see the vet I suggest giving only/mostly wet food as hard kibbles might also hurt. You can also use those dental waters specifically made for cats and you add in the water to help decrease/prevent infection.

I wouldn’t start feeding wet food if you’re doing all raw. Raw food is much better for teeth. Just keep feeding what you’re feeding.

Diet plays so little importance in the health of the teeth. The ONLY thing that is guaranteed to make any difference is brushing. Daily brushing at that. Not once in awhile. Same like people. You have to do it once or twice a day otherwise... gross. There are dental additives you can add to the water but nothing will do what brushing or a dental cleaning by the vet will.

Your cat may need a dental cleaning sooner than most so start saving a little for it. Start them early and they won't be as outrageous as when people wait until the cat is old and has severe issues and wonders why its a $800 dental... By this I mean a full cleaning under anesthesia (bloodwork done first!) not the scam they pull at grooming salons when they scrape some of the plaque off and brush the teeth and call it "a dental".

jen I really want to move to Ohio every time I see one of your posts. A cat cleaning here is about $500-600 plus - any age - basic cleaning. Emergency dental - trust me you don't want to know.

M Minka Bowie have you had some luck with brushing now? It does look a lot like the start of gingivitis, which, you can treat. Did you manage to get kitty to the Vet for a look see?