Once my friend who owns a cat asked me how often to brush my cat’s teeth, if cat teeth cleaning is necessary, and what factors influence how often a cat’s teeth should be brushed?
Well, it was not just him I noticed there were many people around. This enticed me so, I thought of using my expertise and knowledge and writing a blog on this.
Cleaning a cat’s teeth three times a week is important, and annually you go for oral check-ups too! Want to know? Then meet me till the end of this article.
How Often Should You Brush Your Cat’s Teeth?
If you ask me how often to brush your cat’s teeth well I will recommend you to do it every day. But, you can also brush her teeth three times per week. That will also work if your cat is stubborn and won’t let you clean her teeth daily.
Almost all cats suffer from dental disease when they are more than 3 years old. It is common, so to overcome such situations as tooth decay, bad breath, excessive drooling, bacteria causing gum disease, etc you must know how often should I get my cat’s teeth cleaned. To keep her mouth healthy and must take her for professional cleaning once a year.
Factors to Determine the Frequency of Brushing Cat’s Teeth
There are several factors related to how often should you brush your cat’s teeth. And, each of the pet owners must know why the listed factors are important. Because small problems can lead to bigger ones very easily.
1. Age
The very first factor under how often to brush cat teeth is age.
You should start cleaning your teeth right from the beginning of your new cat’s journey. But older cats need much better care as compared to younger ones.
The reason is simply that their diet, habit, and habit of eating foods depend a lot on tooth decay. Therefore, make sure to always go for an annual medical check-up. If your kitten is more than 6 years it is your duty to keep her teeth and gums strong.
2. Breed
The breed also determines a huge role under Is cat teeth cleaning is necessary or not. A few cat breeds are more prone to dental problems than others.
If you have Balinese, Burmese, Persian, Siamese, and Himalayan cat reeds then you need to clean their teeth more often and must pay attention to their dental care session.
3. Lifestyle
How often brush cat teeth also depends on their lifestyle and on their home oral dental health. For instance, if you clean your cat’s teeth regularly also learn the proper trick, and feed your cat dry cat food, and dental chews. All these precautions can aid to keep her teeth healthy for a longer period of time.
Also, if your ca is not a chewer and tends to consume only soft food then she will need more teeth cleaning sessions. As such cat’s dental health may tend to degrade early.
4. Teeth Condition
Teeth condition varies from one cat to another. Some cat doesn’t require daily cleaning and a few may require daily brushing. Therefore, brushing your cat’s teeth is also related to the condition of felines’ teeth.
Is Infrequent Brushing Harmful to Your Cat’s Teeth?
Is cat teeth cleaning necessary? Well, infrequent brushing can lead to various problems like gingivitis, bad breath, and many more health problems, and dental problems.
Stressed cat
You know already cats are not used to cleaning their teeth. It is not a natural activity for them. Nevertheless, felines who are habitual of getting their teeth cleaned won’t face a stress issues. But, infrequent brushing may become harmful to your cat’s teeth.
If you clean her teeth one time in a single month due to stress problems. As a result, take a note and guide the cat to clean her teeth and make her used to this habit.
You can clean her teeth at home, by making her sit in a comfortable position and giving her dental treats. Also, make sure not to use human toothpaste. Use only pet-friendly toothpaste.
Ineffective
The build-up of tartar and plaque in the teeth of cats can be caused by infrequent brushing. It’s pretty difficult to get out once it’s found a home inside the cat’s mouth. It’s possible that you’ll need to employ a dental scaler or ultrasonic tools.
But, this all can be prevented if you know if cat teeth cleaning is necessary or not and how often should you brush your cat’s teeth.
The thumb rule is simply to clean the cat’s teeth daily!
You may harm your cat
By not cleaning your cat’s teeth from time to time you can end up harming her. Ask me how?
Well, if food particles are not removed on time it can cause bad breath, gum inflammation, tooth decay, and may lead to painful situations like tooth loss.
Therefore, brush your cat’s teeth three times a week in must. In case of swollen gums, you may have to take her to a professional dental cleaning session and have to book an appointment at the veterinary clinic.
FAQs
How often should a cat’s teeth be brushed?
Cleaning cats’ teeth are vital. The oral health of your felines can become better. If you brush his teeth three times in one week. Or if possible you clean his teeth every regularly.
You must go for professional cleaning at least once a year and also must look for dental problems signs.
Is infrequent brushing worse than not brushing at all?
Infrequent brushing and not brushing are equally the same. For example, if you clean your cat’s teeth once a month it will not make her oral health situation better than not brushing at all.
If you don’t brush her teeth or clean her teeth once a month the results are the same.
Is excessive brushing harmful to my cat’s teeth?
Too much of anything is bad similarly brushing your cat’s teeth excessively is also harmful. If you brush her teeth excessively it can make her teeth sensitive and will lead to receding gums.
Therefore, you must know how often should I brush my cat’s teeth. Because too much brushing can also lead to an adverse effect
Before We Go
Is cat dental cleaning necessary? Well, you must know how often to brush your cat’s teeth. Sometimes over-cleaning can also have a bad effect on your cat’s teeth and gums.
Many factors such as your cat’s age, breed, teeth condition, and lifestyle lead to determining the right frequency of brushing!
Lastly, remember to choose a convenient time to brush your kitties’ teeth! Also, if you love our article make sure to share it with other cat owners too!
References
- How to brush your cat’s teeth – International Cat Care
- Cat Grooming Tips – ASPCA
- Brushing your cat’s teeth — Cornell University