How to brush a cat's teeth without a fight

Most cat owners have never tried to brush their cat's teeth, and most who have tried once did not try twice. Both are understandable. But cats build plaque just as dogs do, and a cat that accepts a few seconds of brushing a day has a cleaner mouth for it. The trick is to let the cat set the pace and to measure sessions in seconds, not minutes.

Set up the position

Choose a quiet moment when your cat is relaxed, ideally after a meal or a play session. Sit on the floor or a sofa and settle your cat on your lap facing away from you, so your body is behind it and your hands come from the sides rather than the front. A cat that can see a hand approaching its face will leave; a cat that is cradled from behind usually stays. Keep your voice low and your movements slow.

Week 1: taste only

Put a tiny dab of pet toothpaste on your fingertip and let your cat lick it. Petsmile Say Cheese and Rotisserie Chicken are the two flavours we suggest trying first for cats; both are made to be swallowed and contain no fluoride or xylitol. One lick a day, then let the cat go. If your cat refuses a flavour after three days, try the other; our 30-day taste guarantee covers the tube either way.

Week 2: a finger on the teeth

With paste on your fingertip, gently lift the lip at the side of the mouth and touch the paste to the outer surface of the back teeth for a second. Release, praise, treat, done. Cats accept a finger far more readily than a brush, and this week teaches the lip-lift that the brush will need.

Week 3: the brush arrives

Use a brush with a small, soft head. Our bamboo charcoal toothbrush was designed with cats and small dogs in mind: compact, soft bio-nylon filaments, and a self-standing handle. Put a little paste on the bristles and let your cat lick it off. Then lift the lip at the side and brush the outer surface of two or three back teeth with short, gentle strokes at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Three seconds is a success. Stop before your cat objects.

Week 4 and beyond: build to the whole outside

Add a tooth or two each session until you cover the outer surfaces of the back teeth on both sides and the canines at the front. A full session for a cat is ten to twenty seconds. The inner surfaces can be left to the tongue. Daily is the goal and every other day still counts; once a week does very little, because plaque hardens within days.

Signs you are going too fast

• Ears back, tail lashing, or the cat leaning away: stop for today and shorten tomorrow's session.
• Hiding when the tube comes out: go back a week in the plan.
• Scratching or biting: you have skipped the taste week. Start again from week 1.

What home brushing is for

Brushing keeps a healthy mouth clean by disrupting plaque while it is soft. It does not shift tartar that has set, and Petdentist® products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Cats are experts at hiding mouth pain, so see your vet if your cat has bad breath every day, red or bleeding gums, drools, drops food, chews on one side, paws at its mouth or goes off food. An older cat with existing tartar should see the vet before you start, so that brushing begins on a clean mouth.

Keep it simple

Same place, same time, same flavour, seconds not minutes, a treat at the end. Most cats accept brushing within two to four weeks of patient practice, and a cat that has learned it will often come and sit on your lap when the tube comes out. Merlo does, and he is a dog.

Questions people ask

Can I use dog toothpaste on my cat?

Petsmile is marketed by its manufacturer for dogs and cats, so one tube serves both; the VOHC credential is listed for dogs. Never use a human toothpaste on a cat.

My cat will not sit on my lap. Any alternative?

Try a high surface such as a worktop with a towel on it, with the cat facing away from you and your body close behind. The principle is the same: hands from the side, never from the front.

Do finger brushes work for cats?

Many cats tolerate a fingertip better than a brush, so a finger with paste is a good week-2 step. A small soft brush reaches the gum line more precisely once your cat allows it.

Read next: Do cats need their teeth brushed?, Pet toothpaste vs human toothpaste, Shop for cats.

About the author. Dr Deepak Songra BDS (GDC 68552) is a dental surgeon with more than 35 years in clinical practice and the founder of Petdentist®. He is not a vet. He lives with Merlo, the Cavapoo you will see across this site.

This article is general information about daily care, not veterinary advice. Petdentist® products are non-medicinal daily-care products for dogs and cats and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are worried about your pet, please see your vet. Petdentist® is the trading name of Pet Dentist L.L.C-FZ, Meydan Grandstand, 6th Floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE. UK orders are dispatched from Northampton.