my cat freaks out when i try to touch his mouth

my cat freaks out when i try to touch his mouth

i have a 1 year old calico named pepper. she is already scared of routine changes. she hates the vacuum. i tried to get her used to a toothbrush but she hissed and ran away. how do i introduce a toothbrush to a cat that is already scared of routine changes?

this is a common issue. you need to desensitize her to the object first. i have a thread about adjusting to routine changes that might help. start by just leaving the toothbrush near her food bowl. do not try to use it yet. just let her see it.

i read that thread. i left the toothbrush near her food. she is still scared of it. she also has a history of dental issues. i need to do something soon. what do i do next?

i had this exact problem with taco. he was sickly and anxious. i wrote about it in brushing my anxious cat's teeth. i used a finger brush instead of a regular one. it was less intimidating. you might want to try that.

a finger brush is a good start. however, ensure you are using cat-safe toothpaste. human toothpaste has fluoride which is toxic. i covered the tools in best dental tools for cats. the texture of the bristles matters too. soft is better for a scared cat.

i am new to this. i have a kitten named leo. i tried to brush him and he bit me. i found this thread introducing a brush to my kitten when i was looking for help. did you end up using the finger brush? did it work for pepper?

i feel for you. my rocco is very cuddly but he hates the vet. i have a thread about how do you keep your cat calm at the vet that talks about pheromones. maybe you could try a calming spray on the toothbrush? it might help with the fear.

i am going to try the finger brush and the calming spray. i posted an update in a follow-up thread with more details on what happened.