Adult Cats - Establishing A Dental & Nail Routine?

[Midnight256]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, I am interested in acquiring my very first cat/ kitten in about 1 – 2 years time.

I have a some questions regarding adopting adult cats.

Being from the UK, I understand there are lots of adult cats of various ages currently in rescues at the moment and more so then kittens available.

I am lookin for an indoor only cat, so am a bit limited on choice.

Are older/senior/ young adult cats more set in their ways when it comes to starting a routine of dental care, such as weekly toothbrushing, and nail clipping?

I would like to establish the routine of dental/ nail clipping as I am aware that gum disease might be problamatic in some cats. Also regular nail trimmings I know are obviously important.

Are these impossible tasks for a older/senior/ young adult cat to get acustomed to especially those whom have never had these things done to them?

Or are there any methods/ tricks that you could share to get an older/senior/ young adult cat accustomed to such routines?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Anne]

Welcome to TCS!

I think it's wonderful that you're researching everything in advance. Yes, it's possible to teach old cats new tricks but just how stressful the procedure and how good the results are depends not only on your methods but also on the cat's temperament. With some cats, the stress just may not be worth the dental advantages and many owners avoid brushing a cat's teeth, relying instead on dental appointments where the veterinarian sedates the cat to clean the teeth.

And since you're thinking of adopting a senior cat (how wonderful! ), there's always the option of adopting a toothless cat. It's not bother for the cat and it does mean you won't have to deal with bruthing teeth.
Can Cats Manage Without Their Teeth?

I hope other members can help out with their own tips and tricks too.

You may also want to take a look at these -
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide

 

[Midnight256]

Welcome to TCS!

I think it's wonderful that you're researching everything in advance. Yes, it's possible to teach old cats new tricks but just how stressful the procedure and how good the results are depends not only on your methods but also on the cat's temperament. With some cats, the stress just may not be worth the dental advantages and many owners avoid brushing a cat's teeth, relying instead on dental appointments where the veterinarian sedates the cat to clean the teeth.

And since you're thinking of adopting a senior cat (how wonderful! ), there's always the option of adopting a toothless cat. It's not bother for the cat and it does mean you won't have to deal with bruthing teeth.
Can Cats Manage Without Their Teeth?

I hope other members can help out with their own tips and tricks too.

You may also want to take a look at these -
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide

Thanks for the lovely welcome!

Some great advice there, and thank you for the additional guides!

I'll wait to see what others have to say on my queries, too!

 

[CaliCatCharlie]

Welcome to the site! I am a newbie also.

My vet is a cat only provider. She has a grooming salon in her office. I can get a nail clip, teeth brushing and ear cleaning for $25. I prefer someone else di this and Charlie is getting used to going every month. It also makes his carrier more familiar!

You are in for lots of love and fun with a new kitty.

 

[neely]

And since you're thinking of adopting a senior cat (how wonderful! ), there's always the option of adopting a toothless cat. It's not bother for the cat and it does mean you won't have to deal with brushing teeth.

Another warm welcome to TCS! I just wanted to add that the cat we adopted had some major dental issues, i.e. missing many of his teeth, others were cracked and had to be removed. But the good news is he's doing fine with regards to eating and you would never know he has so few remaining teeth. Due to the fact that his teeth were in such bad condition our vet, a feline specialist, couldn't even approximate his age. She guessed no younger than 5 and no older than 8 years old. I hope this offers you some encouragement. Best of luck in your upcoming adoption.

 

[LTS3]

It's easiest to get a kitten used to nail clipping and tooth brushing but older cats can be taught to hold still for clipping and toothbrushing too My previous cat was 8 years old when I started brushing his teeth. I didn't think he would tolerate it but surprisingly he did. I think it helped to use a yummy flavored pet toothpaste. It got to the point where he would ask for me to brush his teeth

An adult cat may need a good dental cleaning to address any current issues. Then you can start home dental care.

 

[fiorya]

I adopted an ex-feral who was about 6-7 years old. When I first met her, she hissed and scratched, but she is a sweet lap kitty now. She seems to trust me and doesn't mind me giving her poultry-flavored toothpaste with my finger. (I have to hold her down to actually rub it on her teeth, but she won't scratch or bite or anything.) So it is possible to start an older kitty on regular dental hygiene habits. But it would depend on how much they trust/tolerate you touching their mouth. When I don't feel like holding her down, I just let her lick the toothpaste off my finger. Not sure if that provides any dental benefits, but it at least keeps her thinking of the toothpaste as a treat instead of as medicine.

Even with regular brushing, many cats will still need regular dental cleanings and/or tooth extractions.

I would plan on trying to set up a regular dental hygiene routine, but it's alright if it doesn't pan out perfectly. As others have already said, cats differ in how much they will tolerate.

As for nail trimming, I don't trim my cats' nails regularly. Scratching hasn't really been an issue for me. If you find it difficult to trim the nails by yourself, many vets will do it for just a small fee. I think my vet charges maybe $15-20?

 

[thefiresidecat]

I have never had luck with tooth brushing a cat. even the ones I've had from birth. nail clipping is much much easier. there are treats you can buy that do a good job of grooming their teeth and as said many will need work anyway. I don't even try with new cats I get. nail clipping you can get them used to. we've had moto for 5 years now. he was probably 2ish when we found him. he wouldn't let us touch his toes. so we took him in monthly for a toenail trimming. along the way we play with his toes. try to do one toe and then give him a treater. consider that one toe a win and move on and then have them do all the nails at the vet clinic. I think it was about 2 years ago we could first do one paw. over the course of a week. now we're at the point where we don't have to take him to the vet for his nails to be done. it takes a lot of time to get them used to it if they aren't used to it. that said a lot of cats are used to it.

 

[Midnight256]

Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to post all the informative replies!

There are some very valuable and extreamely helpful points to consider!

I think it would be helpful to take the cat or kitten to the vets the first couple of sessions,
to get them accustomed to dental/ nail jobs. There is a local vets that does a all in one package,
so it will be interesting to see how these things are dealt with so I can do it myself eventually!

In the mean time I can use some of the points here, and look at some you tube videos, to
help me along!

Thanks everyone!

 

[mservant]

Welcome to TCS M Midnight256 , from a fellow UK resident.

Loving how you are preparing before having your home taken over by some new feline resident, and if possible a more mature cat too. I understand the challenges of adopting cats in the UK, esp when you are planning an indoor lifestyle for them. There are sometimes older cats who have previously been indoor or have health / sensory losses which mean they need an indoor home though so you could be lucky.

I have been lucky enough to have brought kittens in to my home and been able to establish routines with them as soon as they've left their mother, but also introduced friends' mature cats to dental care and claw clipping. Like others have said I think a lot depends on the cats temperament, but also previous experiences which are not always positive.

The other thing which influences how things go is your approach - if you think about it from your perspective, how would you feel if someone you didn't know or trust yet came up to you, took hold of your hand or foot and started to clip your nails, or held your face, opened your mouth and started to brush away at your teeth? If the person doing these things was known to you and you had a chance to build up trust and get used to them touching you would it feel the same, and if they were nervous about what they were doing or seemed confident and calm would that made a difference? I know it would to me, and I think it does to cats too.

For teeth cleaning I don't like the preparations that you put in to water, mostly because I think it is hard to know how much your cat is actually comsuming. I have tried the special dental wipes you can buy from pet supply stores here in the UK but when Mouse started to get smelly breath and then showed inflamed gums they didn't make any difference and didnt easily remove the plaque from his teeth. He did get used to me holding his face and rubbing one of my fingers around his teeth but he didn't like it much. What worked best (and still does) is using an enzyme toothpaste for cats and dogs: these don't have to be brushed or rubbed on to the teeth although they will be most effective if you can do that. They work even if your cat licks the paste off your finger, or you can wipe it on to their lips or lower jaw and they lick it off. Mouse has had to have a dental routine since he was around 9 months old and really likes the taste of the paste so will usually come to me like it's a treat - all I have to do is say 'tooth time' and he's at my feet if he's in the mood. On days he doesn't want it I just wipe it around his mouth so as not to put him off the general routine. His teeth are prone to instant plaque build up and it works really well. We use Logic which is readily available here in the UK. On good days I use those little interdental brushes' you can buy in chemists as they are nice and small and I dont have to hold his mouth open for the brush to fit in to his mouth.

For claw clipping, as already said, even if you can only get them to tolerate one claw a day and it takes a week to get a paw done then that's fine - just keep note of which claws you have managed to get! It helps if you get the cat used to their paws being touched if they haven't been used to regular claw clipping. Just start with touching the tops of the paws when they are relaxing with you, and gradually move on to the pads, even massaging them a little if they will let you. It also helps you get more confident, and then try to build up to holding the paw and each digit so you can ease the claw out ready to clip. There's no urgency to it so take all the time you and your cat need. Don't start clipping until you feel calm and confident though or your cat will feel your anxiety. Doing it somewhere nice and comfortable, and maybe even where they are laying next to you and you can hold them in to the side of your body easily but without picking them up can help too - being able to pick up and hold just the paw you want to clip is much less distressing for most cats than picking them up and being fulling controlled by you. If you do one paw or one side at a time you can plan ahead about where you want to position yourself. Oh, and have your clippers ready as you do not want to have to start all over again just because you hadn't got them within reach.

I've never had a problem with furniture scratching or deliberate scratching but indoor cats can get very long, sharp claws prone to catch in carpets, clothing, and skin unintentionally.

With cats, if you can introduce something new in a way they will associate the experience with something else they like then you have a good chance of them liking the new thing too, or at least tolerate it.

 

[Midnight256]

Welcome to TCS M Midnight256 , from a fellow UK resident.

Loving how you are preparing before having your home taken over by some new feline resident, and if possible a more mature cat too. I understand the challenges of adopting cats in the UK, esp when you are planning an indoor lifestyle for them. There are sometimes older cats who have previously been indoor or have health / sensory losses which mean they need an indoor home though so you could be lucky.

I have been lucky enough to have brought kittens in to my home and been able to establish routines with them as soon as they've left their mother, but also introduced friends' mature cats to dental care and claw clipping. Like others have said I think a lot depends on the cats temperament, but also previous experiences which are not always positive.

The other thing which influences how things go is your approach - if you think about it from your perspective, how would you feel if someone you didn't know or trust yet came up to you, took hold of your hand or foot and started to clip your nails, or held your face, opened your mouth and started to brush away at your teeth? If the person doing these things was known to you and you had a chance to build up trust and get used to them touching you would it feel the same, and if they were nervous about what they were doing or seemed confident and calm would that made a difference? I know it would to me, and I think it does to cats too.

For teeth cleaning I don't like the preparations that you put in to water, mostly because I think it is hard to know how much your cat is actually comsuming. I have tried the special dental wipes you can buy from pet supply stores here in the UK but when Mouse started to get smelly breath and then showed inflamed gums they didn't make any difference and didnt easily remove the plaque from his teeth. He did get used to me holding his face and rubbing one of my fingers around his teeth but he didn't like it much. What worked best (and still does) is using an enzyme toothpaste for cats and dogs: these don't have to be brushed or rubbed on to the teeth although they will be most effective if you can do that. They work even if your cat licks the paste off your finger, or you can wipe it on to their lips or lower jaw and they lick it off. Mouse has had to have a dental routine since he was around 9 months old and really likes the taste of the paste so will usually come to me like it's a treat - all I have to do is say 'tooth time' and he's at my feet if he's in the mood. On days he doesn't want it I just wipe it around his mouth so as not to put him off the general routine. His teeth are prone to instant plaque build up and it works really well. We use Logic which is readily available here in the UK. On good days I use those little interdental brushes' you can buy in chemists as they are nice and small and I dont have to hold his mouth open for the brush to fit in to his mouth.

For claw clipping, as already said, even if you can only get them to tolerate one claw a day and it takes a week to get a paw done then that's fine - just keep note of which claws you have managed to get! It helps if you get the cat used to their paws being touched if they haven't been used to regular claw clipping. Just start with touching the tops of the paws when they are relaxing with you, and gradually move on to the pads, even massaging them a little if they will let you. It also helps you get more confident, and then try to build up to holding the paw and each digit so you can ease the claw out ready to clip. There's no urgency to it so take all the time you and your cat need. Don't start clipping until you feel calm and confident though or your cat will feel your anxiety. Doing it somewhere nice and comfortable, and maybe even where they are laying next to you and you can hold them in to the side of your body easily but without picking them up can help too - being able to pick up and hold just the paw you want to clip is much less distressing for most cats than picking them up and being fulling controlled by you. If you do one paw or one side at a time you can plan ahead about where you want to position yourself. Oh, and have your clippers ready as you do not want to have to start all over again just because you hadn't got them within reach.

I've never had a problem with furniture scratching or deliberate scratching but indoor cats can get very long, sharp claws prone to catch in carpets, clothing, and skin unintentionally.

With cats, if you can introduce something new in a way they will associate the experience with something else they like then you have a good chance of them liking the new thing too, or at least tolerate it.

Thanks so much for your response, and the nice welcome!

Some great advice there, I will be finding it very helpful in the future!

 

[walkingrock]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, I am interested in acquiring my very first cat/ kitten in about 1 – 2 years time.

I have a some questions regarding adopting adult cats.

Being from the UK, I understand there are lots of adult cats of various ages currently in rescues at the moment and more so then kittens available.

I am lookin for an indoor only cat, so am a bit limited on choice.

Are older/senior/ young adult cats more set in their ways when it comes to starting a routine of dental care, such as weekly toothbrushing, and nail clipping?

I would like to establish the routine of dental/ nail clipping as I am aware that gum disease might be problamatic in some cats. Also regular nail trimmings I know are obviously important.

Are these impossible tasks for a older/senior/ young adult cat to get acustomed to especially those whom have never had these things done to them?

Or are there any methods/ tricks that you could share to get an older/senior/ young adult cat accustomed to such routines?

Thank you all in advance.

You could try to adopt an adult cat that had to be given up by a senior going into a care center, and can’t keep their beloved pet, that they taught to be ok with these grooming needs when the cat was young.

 

[daisyd]

Hi and welcome ! It depends on the personality of the cat I think . I’ve had my 1 year old since she was 6 weeks old and acts like I want to murder her or something if I go near her with the various cat nail Clippers I’ve paid out for! I have to pay the vet to trim them ( he has to have the nurse assist too), her teeth are fine for now however dreading that one .