Do you have any tips for helping a cat learn to tolerate tooth brushing? My cat is 6 and I've never brushed her teeth, but I do use a vet-recommended water additive. My vet didn't seem very hopeful that she would take to brushing and to be honest I have tried yet.
Honestly, I can’t get mine to tolerate it. I could force the issue, but doing so daily would likely damage our relationship and I don’t want to do that.
You don’t have to open the cat’s mouth to clean teeth, particularly the large teeth at the back of the upper jaw, where problems often occur, if the cat will let you slip something under the lip, which may be more comfortable. Convincing them to just chew the toothbrush can be helpful too, at least to start.
The trick for any training is to start with the smallest possible step, and make it positive. You can build up from there.
Cats being cat’s though, get their own dental weirdness that may happen regardless of how much dental care they get, so regular checkups are still very important.