How do you get a cat to stay in place that is nervous? for brushing teeth

terestrife

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
2,412
Purraise
2,586
ive been trying for a month to get Elsa to stop being afraid of having her teeth touched for a month. i tried a tooth brush, a spray, and now i just get the toothgel and brush it on with my fingers. its the fastest method.

but i cant get her to stay still, even when i carry her she wont let me look at her teeth. She knows i only do it a moment, why is she so terrified? today she got so scared she threw herself from the table, i got scared and thought she hurt herself. This is a cat that trusts me and comes to me for affection more than my own other cat (that ive had longer).

the tooth gel is helping, her teeth went from smelling like feces to just a bit smelly. lolol
 

red top rescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
4,466
Purraise
1,486
Location
Acworth GA, USA
Remember, when your cat is teething, she can have terrible breath, but most of the time she should just have normal cat breath.  The other thing that causes really bad breath is stomatitis -- an inflammatory condition usually marked by very red gums near the tooth line and inflamed throat.  It's an auto-immune condition.  If your cat is beyond teething age (3 to 7 months from start to end) and her breath is that bad, she may be developing stomatitis, and it's very painful.  That could explain why she's reacting so violently.  Take her to the vet to have her mouth checked. 

My personal belief is that trying to brush most cats' teeth is a good way to ruin your relationship.  The best "toothbrush" for a cat is actually a raw chicken neck -- all the fibrous material etc. is what they would eat in the wild and it acts like natural dental floss.  The cut up gizzards are very good too because they are hard.  Not all cats like raw chicken, and for those that don't, there ARE some Greenies treats that are supposed to help with removing plaque or tartar.  See our Nutrition forum for advice on feeding raw or partially raw food if you are interested in doing that. 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

terestrife

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
2,412
Purraise
2,586
 
Remember, when your cat is teething, she can have terrible breath, but most of the time she should just have normal cat breath.  The other thing that causes really bad breath is stomatitis -- an inflammatory condition usually marked by very red gums near the tooth line and inflamed throat.  It's an auto-immune condition.  If your cat is beyond teething age (3 to 7 months from start to end) and her breath is that bad, she may be developing stomatitis, and it's very painful.  That could explain why she's reacting so violently.  Take her to the vet to have her mouth checked. 

My personal belief is that trying to brush most cats' teeth is a good way to ruin your relationship.  The best "toothbrush" for a cat is actually a raw chicken neck -- all the fibrous material etc. is what they would eat in the wild and it acts like natural dental floss.  The cut up gizzards are very good too because they are hard.  Not all cats like raw chicken, and for those that don't, there ARE some Greenies treats that are supposed to help with removing plaque or tartar.  See our Nutrition forum for advice on feeding raw or partially raw food if you are interested in doing that. 
thankfully she still seems to love me despite the teeth brushing. lol she'll still come to me for attention. i dont think im causing her pain, i tried even a spray, that means i wont even touch her mouth and she still freaks out.

i did take her to the vet, and she has gingivitis and the vet says eventually she might loose teeth from the redness of her mouth. but for now we have time, to just bring her in for a cleaning. she pressed her whole body and she didnt react like it caused her pain to have her stomach touched. ill google stomatitis to see what to check for. i just took her to the vet a few weeks ago, and the vet didnt seem alarmed by anything.

thanks for the suggestions on the greenies. i started giving her freeze dried chicken. the change of diet also helped with her breath. she had bad breath even since we got her. she was a few months old, shes maybe 1-2 years old now? not sure, she was an outdoor cat. 

i home cook for my cats, but they wont eat raw food, or bones. lol i have to cook the meat
 
Last edited:
Top