Thursday, 17 November 2011

Caring for the pearly whites!

We are responsible for the health and welfare of our cats and good mouth and tooth management is just as important as all other care factors with our animals. Let’s see why.

Importance of teeth...


Teeth are used to chew bones and larger pieces of meat and it must be clean and free from any infection. A cat with sore teeth only wants to eat soft food and this is not good for her. They use their teeth to fight and bite and generally for chewing, although some cats just swallow large chunks of food to get it down quickly.

A kitty’s teeth...


A kitten has twenty-six teeth and all adult teeth are in by six months. An adult cat has a total of thirty teeth. Situated in the cat’s mouth like this:

Importance of tooth care...


A healthy cat has firm gums that are closely attached to the teeth. When we see healthy, pink gums we feel sure that our cat has clean, healthy teeth. If we see any blood around the teeth and gums we should have this checked to make sure that the cat is not anaemic and that there is no sign of gingivitis which is an unpleasant and often painful inflammation of the gums.

Ulcerated gums can cause dental problems and often you will notice that your cat is not interested in her food and just prefers to drink either water or milk. If a cat has really sore teeth and gums she will not groom herself and this can make for a very unkempt and unhappy cat.

Just like humans, cats can develop tooth decay or abscesses. More often than not, this is caused by a poor diet. Tooth ache is unpleasant for humans and cats and caring for their teeth on a regular basis makes for a happy cat.

Tooth care...


Here’s how to take care of your cat’s teeth:

  • It is wise to check your cat’s teeth on a regular basis.

  • Do not feed your cat only soft, sloppy food as her teeth will not be cleaned and will develop plaque or tartar which, in turn, can cause decay.

  • Never give any cat/kitten cooked chicken necks or bones as these can splinter and cause serious problems.

  • Hard cat biscuits are also very helpful to keep cat’s teeth clean.

  • A small, soft toothbrush is often useful for pet parents to clean the cat’s teeth. You must start to do this when the animal is quite young so that, as they get older, they will be used to this procedure and accept it quite willingly.

  • Use the smallest amount of mild toothpaste for cats.

  • If you are not sure that you can do this yourself please take your cat to the veterinarian every six months so that her teeth can be checked and cleaned.

  • As your cat gets older, it is important to keep a check on the teeth so that any problem can be remedied and prevent your cat becoming distressed.


(Joan Henderson is based in Australia and she has judged furry felines in many other countries including USA, Bermuda, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand)

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